Seek support: Don't be afraid to seek support from friends, family, or a therapist if you are struggling emotionally.
Be flexible: Try to go with the flow and be flexible in your approach to parenting. Sometimes things don't go as planned, and being able to adapt and adjust is key to emotional resilience.
Set boundaries: Learn to set healthy boundaries for yourself and your children. This will help you to maintain a sense of balance and control in your life.
Practice mindfulness: Incorporate mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or yoga, into your daily routine to help you stay grounded and present.
Find ways to relax: Make time for activities that you enjoy and that help you to relax and unwind, such as reading, exercising, or listening to music.
Practice gratitude: Make a habit of regularly expressing gratitude for the positive things in your life. This can help to shift your focus away from negative emotions and towards positive ones. Personally, I started keeping a ‘Little Book of Wins’ which really helped me to change my focus.
Be kind to yourself: Be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Remember that you are doing your best and that it is okay not to be okay. Perfection won’t happen right away but little steps in the right direction will get you from where you are today, to where you want to be. And above all, know you are never alone in this journey and that you are loved.
Online Safety for Children: Tips and Resources
As the internet becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it's crucial for parents and caregivers to ensure that children are using it safely. Unfortunately, the internet can also be a dangerous place, with potential dangers such as cyberbullying, online predators, and exposure to inappropriate content.
Here are a few tips to help keep children safe online:
Set boundaries: Establish rules and guidelines for internet use, such as designated times for online activities and limits on the types of sites that can be visited.
Keep an eye on activities: Regularly check in on your child's internet use and monitor their online activity, including the sites they visit and the people they interact with.
Educate children: Teach children about the potential dangers of the internet and how to stay safe. This includes how to recognise and avoid online predators and how to handle cyberbullying.
Use parental controls: Utilise parental control software and other tools to help block inappropriate content and limit access to certain sites.
To help with online safety for children, there are several organizations and resources available:
SWGfL (South West Grid for Learning) offers a range of resources and guidance for parents, carers and teachers to help keep children safe online.
ChildNet is a UK-based charity that works to make the internet a safer place for children. They provide a variety of resources and information for parents, educators, and children themselves.
The IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) is a UK-based charity that works to remove child sexual abuse imagery from the internet. They also provide a reporting mechanism for anyone who may come across such content.
Project Evolve is a European Union-funded project that provides guidance and support for professionals working with children and young people to help them stay safe online.
The UK Safer Internet Centre provides a wealth of resources and information on online safety, including advice for parents and carers, as well as young people themselves.
By following these tips and utilising these resources, we can work together to ensure that children are safe while using the internet. However, it's important to remember that online safety is an ongoing process and requires ongoing education and monitoring.
The Importance of Emotional Resiliency for Online Safety
I recently started a new position as the South West Online Safety Consultant and it got me thinking more about how emotional resiliency plays such a big part in our lives especially when it comes to online safety. As you probably already know, emotional resiliency is the ability to bounce back from difficult situations and handle stress in a healthy way. It covers an important set of skills for everyone to possess and when it comes to online safety it has an even bigger role to play.
The internet can be a great resource for learning, communication and entertainment, but it can also be a source of stress, confusion and negativity. Children, in particular, maybe more vulnerable to the negative effects of the internet, as they may be less equipped to handle difficult situations and emotions.
Here are some great ways that emotional resiliency can help improve online safety:
Handling cyberbullying: Cyberbullying is a common issue that can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for children. Children who are emotionally resilient may be better able to handle the situation and seek support from trusted adults.
Coping with online stress: The internet can be a fast-paced and overwhelming environment, and it is important for children to be able to manage their stress and emotions in a healthy way. Emotional resiliency can help children cope with the demands of the online world.
Making good decisions: Children who are emotionally resilient may be better able to make sound decisions, especially when it comes to online safety. They may be less likely to take risks or engage in risky behaviour online.
Seeking help: Children who are emotionally resilient may be more likely to seek help if they encounter a problem or feel overwhelmed online. This can be important for their safety and well-being.
Emotional resiliency skills are incredibly important for children and young people to develop and have the best chance at a happy and healthy life, having these skills can have a far more positive impact on online safety and help to keep online experiences fun. Parents can help children develop emotional resiliency by modelling positive coping skills and helping them learn how to manage their emotions in a healthy way. For more information about building Emotional Resiliency Skills read my blog, 7 Amazing Skills to Teach Your Children.
The Importance of Emotional Resiliency for Working Mums
The Importance of Emotional Resiliency for Working Mums: Navigating the Challenges of Work, Life, and Family
Being a working mum can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging. Managing the demands of work, life, and family can be overwhelming, and it’s important for working mums to have emotional resiliency in order to handle these challenges and keep their balance.
Emotional resiliency is the ability to bounce back from difficult situations and challenges, and it’s a crucial trait for working mums to have. When you’re facing many demands on your time and energy, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or burnt out. But if you have emotional resiliency, you’ll be able to handle these challenges with grace and poise, and not let them get you down.
One key aspect of emotional resiliency is having a positive attitude. When you’re facing a tough situation, it’s easy to get discouraged or frustrated, but having a positive attitude can make all the difference. By looking at challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, you’ll be better able to handle them and come out on the other side even stronger.
Another important aspect of emotional resiliency is having a strong support system. When you’re a working mum, you can’t do everything on your own, and it’s important to have people you can rely on for help and support. This can include friends, family members, coworkers, or even a therapist. Having a strong support system can help you to feel less overwhelmed and more able to handle the demands of work and family life.
Finally, it’s important for working mums to take care of themselves and prioritize their own well-being. This can include making time for self-care, exercise, and relaxation, as well as setting healthy boundaries and learning to say no when necessary. By taking care of yourself, you’ll be better able to handle the demands of being a working mum and maintain your emotional resiliency.
In conclusion, emotional resiliency is an important trait for working mums to have in order to manage the challenges of juggling work, life, and family. By maintaining a positive attitude, having a strong support system, and taking care of yourself, you’ll be better able to handle whatever comes your way and stay resilient in the face of challenges.
7 Amazing Skills to Teach Your Children
Below is a list of 7 amazing emotional resilience skills that you can teach your children. Children with high emotional resiliency have the best chance of a happy and healthy life and can be a buffer against stress and depression.
As a new year gets going, it’s a great time to learn some new skills and break old habits. Let’s take a look at seven important skills you can teach your children today.
Competence
Competence is about decision-making. It is a vital skill that enables children to take control of their lives. If they can make balanced decisions, they can choose what happens to them in relationships, work, education and health situations. If a child never develops competence, they are unable to make important decisions, and can't improve their life. This makes children reliant on those around them, less independent and capable. You can help your child develop this vital skill today by playing fun games that encourage and develop decision-making, for example games like Noughts and Crosses, Musical Chairs or Hide and Seek.
Confidence and
Self-esteem
Confidence creates motivation, it allows children to feel like they can succeed -so the task is worth trying. Confident children make friends more easily and feel more like part of their community. If a child lacks this skill they can become withdrawn and opt out of situations which involve interaction with others. Self-esteem is built over time through having lots of positive experiences with others, it is very important that a child feels self-worth so that they are able to stand up for themselves in situations where others might try to take advantage. Try this Confidence Building game here to help build up this key resiliency skill with your children.
Connection
It is very important that a child establishes an emotional connection with at least one caregiver. This allows 'mirroring' of emotions where a child can learn the language to express themselves – 'I love you; I love you too.' Emotional connections build self-confidence and self-worth and provide a safe base for children to practise their emotions with people outside the family. This leads to healthy relationships later on in their life.
When they are aware of the emotions of others the child has the opportunity to experience empathy – an essential skill for later life. They can then protect themselves emotionally by choosing to be around people who express empathy to them.
Click here to find our picture book on Finding Connection and here to download more information and activities on Connection.
Character
A child's character is a little bit determined by their genes and a little bit determined by those around them. They need good role models to learn certain skills like problem-solving, a sense of humour and optimism. Problem-solving is essential for independent living and is a learned skill. A child needs confidence to even attempt to solve a problem and resilience to cope with inevitable failures. A sense of humour is important to deal with stress and it is an excellent social skill to make spending time with others easier and more fun. Optimism makes a task easier to start as a child can imagine a positive outcome. It also inspires them to try again if a first attempt is not successful. Click here to find fun craft activities to help your child build their character.
Contribution
When a child contributes to an event or group, they gain a sense of belonging and being part of a community. When they contribute to a cause greater than themselves, they can learn to see the bigger picture of their environment. This stops a child becoming selfish and focused only on their desires. Being able to determine how and when to contribute is a very important skill so the child can learn about the value of time and effort. Group projects are excellent for building team skills and gaining confidence in their own skills.
Coping
With the amount of emotions that a human can feel, it is no wonder that children feel overwhelmed. They need help when they experience strong emotions for the first time, like loss, grief, love and fear. If they are shown how to deal with these strange new feelings, they are better equipped for the next time it happens. Being out of control is a central issue – children need lots of positive practice when they are young so that they are not dealing with new feelings as an adult, or worse – so that they don't develop bad patterns of dealing with stress. Click here to find our picture book on Loss & Grief and here to download more information and activities on Loss & Grief.
Control
Self-control is essential so that children can function in society. A child needs to know that certain feelings are distressing – like frustration/disappointment, but that those feelings will go away and they are in charge of that process. In order to maintain healthy relationships, a child must have the self-control to prevent them from becoming selfish or inconsiderate to others.
There are many games that can help children develop self-control, including:
Jenga
Don't Break the Ice
Red Light Green Light or What Time Is It, Wolf?
Freeze Dance
Simon Says
All of these games can be great for helping children develop self-control and improve their ability to listen and follow directions.
We hope this has been helpful for you and your family and remember that all children learn at different rates, but if you are ever worried about your child’s mental health, visit your GP or talk a health advisor.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
What a year this has been! It started with our first family holiday since our little girl arrived three short years ago and a dream of doing a little market stall in my home town.
At that time I never thought I would end the year having done not one market stall but 12! and made a bunch of new friends along the way.
Next year I will be starting a new job (more about that soon) and another picture book is on the way. This year has been a whirlwind of adventure and next year promises to be even better.
I have to give a huge thanks to all the amazing people I’ve met this year and I’m looking forward to 2023 with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. Bring it on!!
Here are a few pics from our Insta feed.
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Bring the Gift of Connection Home This Christmas
It's that time of year again! The time when we forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life, take a few minutes to look back on what has made us so grateful this past year and spend some quality time with our loved ones.
Well, that's the idea anyway. If you are anything like me it's all a crazy last-minute rush and worries that I've forgotten to buy someone a gift that I only see once a year.
With Christmas just around the corner, finding something special for the little stars in your life no matter how often to see them, can be difficult. So check out this latest blog post for some last-minute gift ideas, you can order direct from Amazon.uk
Taking some of the stress out of Christmas shopping.
All the Little Star books have been designed with bedtime in mind as they have larger text and a clean font style to make reading in low light easy on the eyes. Plus they are all available to order direct from Amazon.uk, making shopping just a little easier.
The Little Star
Meet the Little Star and her friend, Mouse. They party and dance all day. But when nighttime comes the Little Star must return to the heavens. Letting go is hard for the little mouse but the Little Star explains that she will shine down brightly from above sending him love and kindness.
This story is about understanding that even when our loved ones are not with us in person, they are watching over us full of love and kindness.
Intended as a gentle introduction to the topic of loss and grief for young children, this book is ideal to use as an icebreaker for difficult and painful conversations.
The Little Star shining down on her friend is a reminder that we hold our loved ones close in our memories so they can live on with us forever.
The Last Piece of Puzzle
Russell is a little piece of a jigsaw puzzle who is unsatisfied with his life. Feeling like he doesn’t fit he goes in search of a different game. Unhappy and alone, he climbs up out of the toy box, where he meets a little bird who helps him discover where he truly belongs.
This story is about finding a sense of connection in the world and touches on aspects of loving yourself, others, and nature.
Lolly - I Can Be Brave and So Can You!
This is the story of Lolly and her best friend Stitch. Lolly loves to create, play and imagine all sorts of wonderful adventures. But at night time she gets a little scared as she imagines monsters in her cupboard.
Using her creative mind, she quickly finds a solution and overcomes her fears, with a little help from Stitch.
Encouraging children to be creative in play helps them to be creative in life and find solutions to everyday situations they might face.
Mila Bug
Sibling rivalry can be difficult to overcome but with love, we can fix anything. Míla Bug is a simple story of two sisters that have more in common than they think and with a little communication and a lot of love, they overcome their differences and have lots of fun together.
The D.O.G Series - Online Safety Picture Book
A Series of Online Safety Picture Books for Parents and Teachers. Meet Fizz a five-year-old girl who is learning how to use the internet and Pixel, a lovable St Bernard puppy with a magical secret. He is a 'Dedicated Online Guardian' in training. Join them and others in this educational series helping children to build key skills to stay safe online.
Miss-Information: Always Ask a Trusted Adult (Online Safety Picture Books for Parents and Teachers.
Miss-Information: Always Ask a Trusted Adult
Meet Pixel, a lovable St Bernard puppy with a magical secret. He is a 'Dedicated Online Guardian' in training.
In this first book in the D.O.G series, Pixel makes a new friend called Fizz, and his mission is to keep her safe when she goes online for the first time! Can he do it?
Fizz and Pixel learn an important lesson: misinformation can be tricky to spot as the internet is not always what it seems to be.
It has been designed to be a stand-alone storybook for parents and teachers of children aged 5 to 7 (Keystage 1). The book includes activities to reinforce the learning in the story. Once the book has been
read, it provides references where parents and teachers can find more information to help keep children safer online.
This book is the first in the D.O.G Online Adventure series. Keep your eyes open as new books are released.
Books are always a winner in our house as there is nothing more lovely than cosying up with a story at bedtime, helping build strong bonds and a close connection with your little stars. We hope this has helped and we wish you all a very Merry Stress-free Holiday.
5 Tips to Help Your Children Love Reading
Do your kids love reading? Or do they find it a chore to read for school or even on their own time? If so, this post is for you.
It's been my experience that many children don't enjoy reading as much as they could because it doesn't come naturally to them and can be hard work. I know I hated reading when I was at school, I found it so hard and a total chore. So let’s explore 5 easy tips to help your children learn to love reading.
1. Get them involved in the process of choosing a book - go to the library or shop.
One of the best ways to get kids involved in reading is by letting them make their own choices. Firstly, head on down to your local library or bookstore and see what they recommend! The library or bookstore might have some good suggestions for some age appropriate books- many libraries now offer story time sessions where you can listen to a local author, see if there's something nearby you.
Image courtesy of Foxen & Friends. Fox pointing at Rocket Lolly from ‘Lolly and Stitch are not Afraid.’
2. Say your Child's name throughout to keep them engaged.
Another great tip is to say your child's name throughout the story to keep him/her engaged. It will keep their focus on your voice and the story, also, as you read, talk about what’s going on. Things like; how do you feel about this character? And get involved yourself, tell your child what you like and dislike? You can also get them to find things on the page if they are too young to answer in-depth questions.
3. Make the story interactive.
This tip is my favourite, it's about having some fun and getting silly. One of the best ways to get your child interested in reading is by making it interactive. Get a book that features some fun characters and voice each other’s parts, while following along with words on the page. If you have very young children who are not reading yet, try naming off things associated with what's being read aloud.
LITTLE STAR TIP: Rhyming books work great for this because they are easy to remember as the words flow together.
You can also ask questions about events happening within the story to keep them engaged throughout.
When I’m reading to my toddler I often use her soft toys to play parts in the story, she loves to hear them speak and play along, it never fails to have us both laughing. This is what spending time with our children is all about, reading is the best way to bond with a child and they never forget that. Have some fun and get silly with your little ones.
4. Get them to tell you the story.
Ask for your child’s input - get them to tell you which words they know and what they think those words mean. This will help make sure all meanings have been captured so there are no gaps when reading later on. If they don’t know or get the meaning wrong, remind them of the meaning and move on to another word, if you can find a word you know they know, this will help boost confidence if they are struggling.
5. Make a set of Lolly and Stitch Popsicle puppets
This last tip is especially for readers of my books. I have created a full set of characters that can be printed out and made into popsicle puppets, to help children engage and enjoy reading along with the story ‘Lolly and Stitch are not Afraid.’ As you read the story get your child/children to hold up the character they can see on the page that matches with theirs. Then follow along with making the sounds in the story, when Lolly ZOOMS in her Rocket or ROARS as a Lollysauras. Enjoy making up new sounds for each character.
I hope that you and your children will enjoy more stories and find a little bonding time at bedtime or at any time of the day.
If you are looking for some new books to read together, check out Little Star Books!
I have a growing list of picture books. Plus free downloadable activities to help children engage and enjoy reading.
What is emotional resilience?
In its most simplest form emotional resilience is the ability to adapt to change. It is the coping mechanisms and access to healthy relationships that allow us to respond more positively to change and uncertainty.
By providing a stable and supportive environment for children to develop healthy relationships, we enable them to build the resilience they need to cope with any challenging situations that may occur in their lives. By listening to our children, providing safe opportunities for emotional expression, and responding to them in supportive ways, we can help them to build resilience. Teaching resilience is an integral part of education but can also be the hardest. Through the use of stories and activities children can begin to understand the context of these skills and how they relate to them.
You can see the full range of Little Star books and resources here.
If you have any questions about social and emotional learning, our books, and products, or how these can support you and your children with home learning, home education or support you and your family alongside a school environment then please get in touch. I am always happy to chat.
Addiction and the Importance of Connection.
When we talk about emotional learning, we often focus our attention on the specific benefits that come from successful cases, where it has been implemented across a number of areas of a child's life. Emotional Learning has been shown to demonstrate profound benefits for children, including providing an advantage in self-control, leadership skills, decision-making, and overall confidence. Emotional Learning gives students the foundations for success later in life by preparing them for the many complexities of adulthood along with a resilience to life’s stresses.
At its core, Social Emotional Learning is about relationships and learning how to build connections with others. These skills give children even more unexpected foundations for success. One way is in the surprising relationship between connection and addiction.
Why does connection matter?
“All of us are clinging to something, and the answer I suppose is found in connection ”
This quote from Russell Brand comes from an interview discussing his approach to the 12-step recovery programs. For Brand, the opposite of addiction is connection, as bringing people together removes the core of addictive behaviour: the alienation of trauma and emotional turmoil. More importantly, he draws the connection between how we relate to people and the drive behind addiction and dependence.
Addiction goes far beyond chemical dependence. It’s deeply seated in the emotional and social aspects of a person’s life. Too often in today’s society, we find ourselves facing extreme isolation and alienation. We carry our weight without the prospect or ability to share it with others. Why? Because we do not feel as if we can, nor do we know how to. So many times, addiction is another way for people to fill a void or make up for their lack of connection to other human beings.
It isn’t necessarily a substance abuse issue or a moral failing that is in question. It is a social issue and something that many Social Emotional Learning advocates already know: human beings need social connections to thrive.
Addiction and Social-Emotional Learning
The root of Social Emotional Learning comes in teaching our children and all future generations how to connect to each other in healthy, meaningful ways. If we can teach children that feeling and understanding their emotions, even negative ones, are not wrong but all part of what it is to be human. The skill comes in being able to manage their emotions responsibly and positively so that they can interact with their peers, teachers and the world around them. Encouraging positive social behaviours and showing immediate benefits of these behaviours can minimise disruptive, antisocial tendencies from forming. Teaching children to understand, process, and adapt to negative emotions like loneliness, exclusion, and anger towards others helps them indefinitely. These skills directly contribute to building self-awareness, self-control, and high emotional intelligence.
Research from the CDC has shown that SEL programs prevent substance abuse (and addictive behaviours) by promoting personal and social skills. They are far less likely to seek out these behaviours or develop addictions of any kind, whether from substance abuse or risk-taking activities. It can also help children deal with the effects of addiction in the home or other environments they find themselves in frequently. By encouraging young children to invest time and energy in connecting with those around them, from other children, teachers, caretakers, and others, they understand how to build those connections themselves throughout their lives.