5 tips when choosing the right childcare provider for your loved one

The thrill of becoming a parent provides much joy along with lots of excitement. It is natural to want them to have the very best upbringing possible, and that they are presented with the best opportunities so that they can develop. It’s not long before they will be spending time without mum or dad, and they begin their initial stages of learning and independence. Adults have responsibilities of their own, and most are unable to look after their child 24/7. They need to know that when they head off to work or get on with other things that their offspring are in the right hands. Child care Penrith is one place to look for those located in NSW. Here are 5 tips for choosing the right childcare provider. It is sensible to check out the credentials and accreditations associated with those providing care for infants to ensure that they are recognised as being safe and competent. It means that they meet the required regulations, and their equipment is up to safety standards, while those empl......

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Why Every Child Should Learn an Instrument

As a parent, we all want to enrich our children's lives and give them the chance to experience as many things as possible and playing a musical instrument provides children with a host of benefits that can last a lifetime. Whether you are a parent or carer, learning an instrument should be considered an essential part of your children’s development and education. Here's why every child deserves the opportunity to pick up an instrument.   Enhances Brain Development Numerous studies have shown that learning to play an instrument enhances brain development in children. Specifically, it helps build connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This improves coordination, concentration, memory, visual, aural and language skills. Starting musical training early maximises these neurological benefits. Even just a few years of lessons can rewire the brain for enhanced development. This makes music a great tool for both educational and cognitive growth. Teaches Discip......

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Inspired a love for Science at home with Tinkerer

  Like all parents, I want to encourage a love of learning in my children and to bring learning into the home. Tinkerer is on a quest to inspire children's creative confidence and give them the right tools to explore Science and Art safely in the home through their monthly STEM boxes.  Founded by two engineers, Stephen and Elaine who are parents themselves, who wanted to help nature the desire for children to learn and grow independently and together Tinkerer was born.  The monthly boxes provide everything your children need to dive into hands-on projects that are educational, fun and challenging. There are three different boxes depending on your children's age, which ensures they are offered projects that are within their capabilities but still stretch their creative thinking.   Wonder boxes for 3-5yr olds, Odyssey for 6-8yr olds and Explore for 9-12yr olds. Each box comes includes a fun theme, quality materials, an educational magazine and step-by-step instru......

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Why I benefitted from going to an All Girls School

*This post may contain affiliate links Throughout my junior and high school years, I attended an All Girls' School in South Africa. Same-sex schools are far more common over there than in the UK and I personally feel I really benefitted from it for a variety of reasons. While it may not be for everyone and times and teaching styles have changed since I was at school, I personally had a positive experience for the most part (I mean it is school after all) and I thought I share from a first-hand perspective what it was like. 1. We were taught self-respect & self love Respect for ourselves, our friends and our teachers was key at my school and in all the years I attended there were never any real issues with things like bullying but that may have been down to my school approach and openness to be able to talk to our teachers if anything was worrying us and this would be followed through. In high school, my class as a whole, which wasn't very big, would attend supportive weekly......

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Tips to help take your Career to The Next Level

No matter what stage you find yourself at in your career - there is usually a chance or opportunity for progression and stepping up to the next level. This may mean moving into leadership or moving into a different area within your sector or industry. It might mean going back into education and retraining for a whole new role. Whatever progression looks like and feels like to you and your career, just must know that if progress is important to you then you need to take action. The sooner that you start working and progressing your career, then the sooner you can reap the rewards. So, to make sure that this happens, what do you need to focus on? Invest in Yourself To achieve your career ambitions and goals, you need to invest in yourself. If you do not invest in your efforts, knowledge, and career, who is going to? Just remember it's never too late to invest in your talents, even if this means going back to college as a mature student. To successfully invest in yourself , you have t......

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How Working parents can Improve Their Time Management Skills

*This post contains affiliate links One of the most important skills any working parent, carer, nurse etc needs is to have is time management. Without good time management, you will find it very hard to get everything done and still have some time for yourself, which is crucial if you want to stay happy and healthy. Time management also means being able to help those who rely on us, such as our children, work colleagues, and patients better and be there for our team or family when needed. This may sound simple as time management doesn’t appear to be much of a challenge at first glance. However, the truth is time management is only easy when you don’t have a lot of things to do and plenty of time in which to do them, otherwise it's a pretty hard balance to achieve. This is often the opposite of how many working parents see their day as they have lots to do and in a very small window of time to get it all done. Therefore, time management is not only more important but more difficult ......

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10 activities to inspire creativity in 2021

  The past 12 months have not been easy for anyone with the pandemic affecting everyone's lives in one way or another. The majority of us have spent more time at home, reduced our travel and contact with others and at times it's felt like we have been stuck in groundhog day with multiple lockdowns in the UK. As we move towards a more positive future and hopefully a bit more normality we need to remember even this transition will take time and is likely to be a fairly slow process. So staying creative and trying new things (safely) can be a real boost for our mental and physical wellbeing in 2021 as we still fund ways to adjust to what is happening in our lives at the moment.  I thought I would share 10 creative activities to help as we move out of lockdown slowly  1. Visit an Art Gallery from the comfort of your own home There is nothing more inspiring than a visit to an art gallery or museum although many of these have been closed to the public for the majority of the pa......

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Learning about Wines from around the world with The Wine List

*I was kindly provided my first Wine List box in exchange for an honest review  Having grown up in the Western Cape, South Africa, know for its wine and beautiful wine farms, I naturally have an interest in Wine and it's something I am trying to slowly expand my knowledge on, in fact before COVID changed our travel plans I was hoping to do a small road trip around France and Italy this year with the hope of stopping off at a wine farm or two. So when The Wine Lis t got in touch to try out their new subscription box - the first wine box focused on learning, I knew I wanted to hear more about it. Firstly I want to say that my approach to drinking wine is that it should be accessible to everyone, I know everyone has their own drinking preference but Wine shouldn't be off the list and if you're unsure where to start The Wine Folly has a great beginners guide to Wine which is worth reading. Back to The Wine List which is set to make learning about Wine a breeze and......

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Last Minute Gift Guide for kids + Giveaway

*I have not been paid for this Gift Guide - I have received some gift samples from brands but my recommendations, thoughts and reviews are 100% my own Can you believe it, we are heading into the final stretch before the big day when Santa makes his way down the chimney (or however the story goes in your family) to leave presents under the tree. Even though I like many say I am going to be really on top of things there are always last-minute purchases needing to be made, whether for my own children or for nephews, nieces and the younger relatives in my family. So I thought I would share a little last-minute Gift Guide for kids if you're struggling for some inspiration. Traditional Stocking Fillers My personal preference is always to encourage as much screen-free time as possible and I love traditional well made games and toys, which is why I love all these traditionally inspired stocking fillers from MandM Direct , all of which are at budget-friendly prices with MandM Dir......

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