In the eye of the storm Today was my 6-year old's hair-grooming day. He has a sensitive sensory profile, and the cutting of his hair resulted in tactile discomfort. He generally finds it hard not to change clothes more than once a day so it came as no surprise that he wanted to shower and [...]
As a youngster growing up in the 80’ies, I loved watching The Smurfs on TV. We were allowed only a limited amount of screen time, so you had to prioritise… and The Smurfs always made the cut! For some reason these tiny blue creatures fascinated me. They all lived peacefully in harmony with nature and, [...]
The end of the year is synonymous with exam time. Whether a child is in grade 4 or in grade 12, exam stress is very real and very common. Children are under great pressure to perform and do well - these expectations placed on them lead to extra stress. All learning and thinking skills [...]
I consider myself one of the lucky people who experienced a mainly stress-free childhood. Afternoons were filled with valuable fun times spent with friends. After school and (a little bit of) homework, we’d ride our bicycles to the park, play on the slides and swings, climb trees, bake mud cakes, build imaginary castles in the [...]
Play is the universal language of all children. Play is essential to human and brain development, creativity and it is the foundation to all learning in life. All areas of a child’s growth - social, emotional, cognitive and physical - are influenced by play. Through sensory play, children learn: To make sense of the world [...]
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most talked about conditions within the schooling and parenting world. It is a controversial subject, one that leads to much distress in both teachers and parents. ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder that results in difficulty with the organising of actions and thoughts and is characterised [...]
Classrooms can quickly become noisy and overwhelming, leading to inappropriate and challenging behaviour by children. Understanding the impact of sensory input from the environment is important in helping a teacher make the necessary changes to create a stress-free classroom for focused learning. There are many aspects to consider when looking at creating a sensory smart [...]
After a long summer break, most children across South Africa went back to school last week. This is generally a busy time of getting stationery, books and uniforms ready. Going back to school can be a daunting and very anxious thing for many children and for various reasons too … There are changes in routine [...]
The long-awaited summer school holidays are here, and with that the Festive Season. It is traditionally a time to spend with family and to make new memories. It is a time for fun in the sun, family gatherings and parties, shopping till you drop, and loads of festive food and activities. However, it is also [...]
All around our country, students are preparing or are already busy writing exams. Our Matric students are already in the thick of it, and those in the lower grades have also already started or are soon to start. Exam time is a time when stress levels are higher than usual. Stress can be a positive [...]
