On Tuesday 21 June, a free webinar hosted by Raising Children Network, presented by Dr Fallon Cook will be conducted on a range of strategies that will help babies and toddlers who are having sleep difficulties. 

Hua-Chen Wang, Lecturer in the School of Education at Macquarie University, said that they have found in research that day time nap of children, has positive effects on their literacy skills. More specifically they found that daytime naps influence the learning of letter-sound mapping and reading unfamiliar words.

There are very few research findings are available that establish a positive relationship between daytime naps pre-schoolers literacy skills. In the journal “Child Development,” a study has provided evidence that says the child who has daytime nap is sounder in learning letter-sound mapping techniques.

Early childhood services and school within NSW, will run supervised tooth brushing classes to battle high tooth decay.

The following is a guide for Educators who are toilet training children within their room. It will provide you with information and strategies on how to assist young children during toilet training during the day in an early childhood setting.

You have a new child starting in your room, their excited, their parents are happy and the family seems to be settling in well with the centre environment. The first day has come for the child to start, parents say goodbye and then the child starts - screaming, crying, pulling, begging their parent not to leave.  

You have just become parents for the first time....a baby is a wonderful miracle...you hold your baby gently in your arms as you admire your new addition to the family. You pull your baby in close to give your child a gentle kiss and then you smell something, it's strong and it smells like...Yes, it's time to change the nappy!

As soon as your baby's first tooth emerges and followed by the rest of the teeth, it is important to begin cleaning it – regularly twice a day, morning and at night after the final feed. Most babies “grow” their first tooth at around 4 -6 months of age. Sometimes a tooth can appear without any warning signs at all and sometimes you may notice a small bulge on the gum or a red patch on the gum or cheek, followed in a couple of days by a tooth.

A consistent and stable routine is helpful for your baby, toddler or child's development. Having meals at regular times and fixed bedtimes each night, enables your child to structure their day and this contributes to your child's overall sense of security and well being.

Sleep is a universal need and it's not just you who ends up frustrated and grumpy through no sleep. Babies that sleep well during the night are more likely to feel happy through out the day, however those who sleep poorly are more likely to feel irritable and I'm not just talking about your baby...

Now that your baby is older, they play a much more active part in their bedtime routine. Your toddler is becoming more independent and beginning to make their own choices. Your toddler may have a favourite “cuddly” to sleep with and may have their own set way of getting into bed.