Keeping your children safe in and around the home is not about stopping your child from being active and curious, it’s about providing the safest environment to explore…
Children’s Day – Te Rā O Te Tamariki – provides New Zealanders with an opportunity to give time to children. It is a fun day for activities that start…
Over the years, sections have got smaller and apartment living has increased, add this to a world that is increasingly focused on smart phones, tablets and television and…
Every year, more research comes out that enhances our understanding of children’s brain development, learning and attachments. There is no doubt that the first three years of a…
Every new born is different; some cute and bald, others with a full head of adorable Elvis styled hair! Each is born with amazing abilities. You may think…
Does jumping on a trampoline or playing in the sand pit help our children to read and write? Often when we think of teaching children reading and writing…
The colder months are a great time to get into arts and crafts with your preschooler. It’s not just fun, they’re learning too. Whether you love getting messy…
This year for Children’s Day, as well as recognising your own little cherub, why not spread the love to other children in your community? In the process you’ll…
It is a fact that around the time toilet training usually begins, children are starting to strive for more independence and beginning to test limits. This can make…
Children have fun learning and bonding, which develops a sense of confidence and security. As a kaiako (teacher) of children in home based childcare, I’ve learnt that having…
Whether right or wrong, right from birth children are getting messages, both positive and negative, about what it means to be a boy or a girl. So can gender affect…
Why is it that some children love to write and draw and for others it’s a struggle to get them to even pick up a pencil? Encouraging your…
This month, we are going birthday crazy at Footsteps to celebrate the launch of ‘Footsteps Birthday Celebrations.’ We are holding a birthday celebration every day of the year…
Pets are often a part of the family, and for children they can be their best and most unconditional friend. As a home-based early childhood teacher/kaiako for Footsteps…
Fussy eating in preschool age children is very common, and a source of great frustration to many parents and caregivers. Picky eating is a really common issue, and…
Crying is your baby’s way of communicating. Their cry tells you “I need you”. Your baby will not be ‘spoilt’ if you attend to its cry, rather your…
With Children’s Day just around the corner on in New Zealand, we thought you might appreciate some awesome ideas on how to celebrate this special day with your…
The years leading up to school strongly influence your child’s attitudes and abilities towards reading. A home where stories are treasured and shared and where books are at…
All babies have their own unique and precious personality determined both by genetics and the environment they are born into. Because of this, children react differently to separation…
Have you ever bought a gift and then realised it was better suited for a younger child or it was too ‘old’ for the child? Perhaps you bought…
Most of us think a child’s tendency to be creative is predetermined at birth by genetics but it can also be strongly influenced, both positively and negatively by…
Who and where your child is cared for might just be one of the most important decisions you make in their early years. We all want our children…
Looking back to my early childhood I couldn’t tell you how many times a week my Mum vacuumed or cleaned the shower, I don’t know if I went…
Excitement is in the air, a new baby for you, a new sibling for your child. Here are some helpful ideas on how to prepare your child/ren for…
“Score a goal and I will give you 5 dollars” – I recently heard these words shouted out by a parent on the sideline of a 5 year-olds soccer game.…
In my last blog, we disovered why books are important for children and how you can inspire a love of reading for your child. In this blog, I…
It’s likely that your own attitude to reading was formed in childhood, influenced by opportunities to read books and the encouragement of the people around you. The early…