New Year often brings new resolutions as we evaluate what has gone well or could be improved in our lives. The day on which travel agents have found that most people look for or book holidays is now unofficially called “Blue Monday”, coinciding with the end of festivities, and the return to school and work. This year, we also have the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, so instead of singing the blues, we’ll give you reasons and ways to sing away the blues, along with a fantastic musical giveaway for your setting!

Research from Mastnak (2020) identified 4 phases of impact that natural disasters had on children’s mental health.

• Acute phase: lockdowns/closures trigger acute stress or adjustments including insomnia, paranoid traits, disruptive behaviour, fear and suicide
• Subacute phase: living an adapted lifestyle for a few years led to unhealthy habits, ongoing anxiety, delusional ideas, post-traumatic stress disorder, and regressed development, personal growth, and cognitive factors (concentration, motivation)
• Post-traumatic phase: +3 years after the initial event, resulting in self-protective attitudes/personality features, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depressive/avoidant personality traits
• Effect phase: children may remain symptom-free for decades until adulthood, where the effects could impact the mind and harm quality of life

To counteract these effects, our aim is to help children to learn to regulate their own emotions and immunological health. Medical evidence shows that music positively influences the immune system, benefiting everybody. Singing therapy is already used for respiratory issues like asthma and COPD, while music therapy develops inner calm, rebalances psychosomatic conditions, reduces stress and breaks through obsessive compulsive disorder structures. Analytic and expressive arts transform traumatic events, helping both shy and hostile personalities, while community music therapy improves group immune systems and develops mindfulness.

Practical pointers supporting children through traumatic events:

1

Positive and negative attitudes depend on the child’s culture, personality, changes, and perceptions of the anticipated future; vulnerable children can be supported in modifying thinking through reassurance and routine.

Mummy loves and daddy loves (Russian lullaby)

Mummy loves and daddy loves and

Everybody loves little baby

Brother loves and sister loves and

Everybody loves little baby

With younger infants, two adults hold either end of a blanket (like a hammock) gently rock the child. Older children can use small blankets or scarves to gently rock a cuddly toy or doll.

2

Children may exhibit new conditions including social phobias, self-imposed withdrawal, personality disorders, emotionally cold, detached, inappropriate paranoia of contamination by others. Musical games involving nearby, appropriate contact help to refocus and reprioritise personal safe space.

Old Brass Wagon

Circle to the left, old brass wagon

Circle to the left, old brass wagon

Circle to the left, old brass wagon

You’re the one, my darling

Circle to the right, old brass wagon …

Everybody down, old brass wagon …

Everybody in, old brass wagon…

In a circle, perform the actions – walk to the left/right/stand up and crouch down/walk towards the middle and out – and for the final line, point across (“you’re the one”) and hug yourself (“my darling”).

3

Anxiety in children may lead to obsessive compulsive behaviours. Familiar songs set to easy, relaxing exercises can override subconscious self-controlling behaviours.

Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are

Lying down in a warm, quiet, darkened room, use a torch light to watch its movement on the ceiling. Within COVID restrictions, consider giving each child a turn to use the torch.

4

Vulnerable children could see COVID regulations as punishment, leading to learned helplessness and dependence. Songs and games involving daily routines can remind and recreate the natural desire to achieve activities independently.

Mulberry Bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush

The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush

So early in the morning

This is the way we brush our teeth …

This is the way we comb our hair …

This is the way we put on our clothes …

This is the way we eat our food …

Choose actions that children find familiar and easy as well as actions that they may find challenging. Consider breaking down complex actions to allow the routine to become familiar e.g. this is the way we pick up our fork … this is the way we sit at the table …

5

Children may witness extreme ideas or allow their imagination to exaggerate situations. Distinction between reality and imagination can be made using songs and games that make this clear.

Grand Old Duke of York

Oh, the grand old Duke of York

He had ten thousand men

He marched them up to the top of the hill

And he marched them down again

And when they were up, they were up

And when they were down, they were down

And when they were only halfway up

They were neither up nor down

Marching around the room to the beat, pretending to be soldiers, and follow the actions, moving up (tip toes), down (crouching), and halfway (usual walking height).

6

Children may display non-psychotic paranoia and make assumptions from dramatic news headlines which may trigger imaginations. Comforting songs and routines help to remind children of emotional anchors like love and family.

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You’ll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don’t take my sunshine away

Rock each child, allowing them to feel your heartbeat/vibrations of your singing, or get each child to rock a soft toy or doll.

Research shows the therapeutic and health benefits of discovering “beauty” in the arts. Music is one of the least invasive approaches to improving life. Being aware of how it can be used can help us to use it more effectively.

Mastnak, W. (2020). Psychopathological problems related to the COVID‐19 pandemic and possible prevention with music therapy. Acta Paediatrica. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111%2Fapa.15346

Musician, researcher and author, Frances Turnbull, is a self-taught guitarist who has played contemporary and community music from the age of 12. She delivers music sessions to the early years and KS1. Trained in the music education techniques of Kodály (specialist singing), Dalcroze (specialist movement) and Orff (specialist percussion instruments), she has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Open University) and a Master’s degree in Education (University of Cambridge). She runs a local community choir, the Bolton Warblers, and delivers the Sound Sense initiative aiming for “A choir in every care home” within local care and residential homes, supporting health and wellbeing through her community interest company.

She has represented the early years music community at the House of Commons, advocating for recognition for early years music educators, and her table of progressive music skills for under 7s features in her curriculum books.

Frances is the author of “Learning with Music: Games and Activities for the Early Years“ “Learning with Music: Games and Activities for the Early Years“, published by Routledge, August 2017.

www.musicaliti.co.uk

We all know about the physical and mental health benefits of exercise, fitness, and movement for adults, and we all make those New Year resolutions to hit the road or gym! Well, did you know that it is even more important to make movement and physical activity a priority in the early years as this is the most important time in our development?

Gina’s background was originally ballet, but she has spent the last 27 years teaching movement and dance in mainstream, early years and SEND settings as well as dance schools.

Whilst teaching, Gina found the time to has create the ‘Hi-5’ dance programme to run alongside the Australian Children’s TV series and the Angelina Ballerina Dance Academy for Hit Entertainment. 

Her proudest achievement to date is her baby Littlemagictrain.  She created this specifically to help children learn through make-believe, music and movement.  One of the highlights has been seeing Littlemagictrain delivered by Butlin’s famous Redcoats with the gorgeous ‘Bonnie Bear’ on the Skyline stage.

Gina has qualifications of teaching movement and dance from the Royal Ballet School, Trinity College and Royal Academy of Dance.

Use the code ‘PARENTA’ for a 20% discount on Littlemagictrain downloads from ‘Special Editions’, ‘Speech and Language Activities’, ‘Games’ and ‘Certificates’.

Here are 5 ways to reduce sibling rivalry:

Take action before the baby arrives

By this I don’t just mean preparing the older child for the baby’s arrival. I also mean preparing family and friends for the moment that they meet the baby too and making them aware of how you want it to be.

A big issue can be that the older child feels pushed out. Quite often, when people visit a newborn, they will fuss around the baby and give it their undivided love and doting attention. This is completely normal, however if we think of this from the older child’s perspective it is actually quite tough. They have gone from having all of the attention on them to then having a little person arriving and stealing the limelight.

When my son was born, I spoke to every family member and friend and asked them to essentially ignore the baby and to go straight to my 2-year-old when they came to visit. I wanted her to feel like she was still the priority and that she was special, so I asked everyone to ask her about ‘her new baby’ and to let her show them our new arrival. This way she still had lots of attention and she also became an important role in the baby’s life by introducing the people that mattered the most to him. If anyone asked what we wanted for the baby as a gift, I also asked them to buy my little girl a present rather than buying one for the baby. This worked a treat because she was not only excited to have a new baby brother to show off to everyone, but she was also getting gifts for being a new big sister.

Give time to both children

As children get older, they often fight for attention. By giving each child a set amount of undivided time and attention each day their need to fight for it will reduce. If a child feels seen and appreciated, they are less likely to feel threatened or insecure. Label the time (for example ‘Mummy and Noah time’ and explain to the children that this is something you will be doing with each of them every day. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, they will love this focused time with you, and it will make them feel special. Make sure there are no distractions like phones or TVs and just give 100% of yourself to them for the set time you have agreed.

Family time

Having set family time all together is important too. Playing games, eating a nice meal around the table, going to the park and having a picnic are all ways in which you can all bond and make memories together. Times like this where both children get your undivided attention allow them to make positive memories together whilst still feeling that connection with you and each other.

Don’t compare

Every child is an individual and has their own strengths and weaknesses. When a person feels inadequate or insecure, they are more likely to overcompensate, fight for attention and/or try to prove themselves. If each child feels valued and appreciated for who they are, they are less likely to pull each other down. Quite often, if a person is acting negatively towards another person, it is linked to an insecurity inside themselves. By celebrating each child’s individuality, you build their self-esteem and confidence and reduce the chance of them craving attention and approval.

Listen

There are always two sides to a story. When siblings are fighting it is important to hear both sides. Once the situation has calmed down give each child the chance to tell you what has happened and then encourage each child to see the situation from their sibling’s perspective. Ask them questions like:

• When you did that, how do you think that made them feel?

• How did you feel when…?

• What could you have done differently that might have had a better outcome?

• Can you understand that when you did…, your sibling felt…?

By listening to both sides, you are making each child feel valued and heard, but you are also encouraging them both to empathise and see the bigger picture. Quite often it’s the child who reacts and lashes out that gets punished. However, there is usually a reason for this. By calmly talking though the whole situation you can unearth some things that need addressing and help both siblings to be more aware of their actions and reactions.

At the end of the day, siblings will always fight. However, if this is a constant occurrence, it’s important to get to the bottom of why. Children crave attention, acceptance and love. As parents, life is fast paced, and we are constantly juggling a million things at once. It can be easy to go on autopilot dealing with day-to-day routines and chores. However, it’s important to remember what truly matters and to take time to bond with our children individually and as a whole family. By doing this, even if it’s just 10 minutes per day, the need for our children to fight for attention will decrease and this will have a ripple effect with how they interact and engage with each other.

About the author:

Stacey Kelly is a former French and Spanish teacher, a parent to 2 beautiful babies and the founder of Early Years Story Box. After becoming a mum, Stacey left her teaching career and started writing and illustrating storybooks to help support her children through different transitional stages like leaving nursery and starting school. Seeing the positive impact of her books on her children’s emotional wellbeing led to Early Years Story Box being born. Stacey has now created 35 storybooks, all inspired by her own children, to help teach different life lessons and to prepare children for their next steps. She has an exclusive collection for childcare settings that are gifted on special occasions like first/last days, birthdays, Christmas and/or Easter and has recently launched a new collection for parents too. Her mission is to support as many children as she can through storytime and to give childcare settings an affordable and special gifting solution that truly makes a difference.

Email: stacey@earlyyearsstorybox.com or Telephone: 07765785595

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earlyyearsstorybox

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/eystorybox

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earlyyearsstorybox

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-kelly-a84534b2/

Managing children’s emotions can be problematic. We may lose our patience, feel triggered by their outbursts, or become reactive ourselves when they behave. Or act out in certain ways. We may insist that they ‘calm down!’ or patiently explain to them that their actions are unacceptable, only to be met with more difficult behaviour.

Although children need to learn how to emotionally regulate, it’s also important that they are able to express what they are feeling, and for those feelings to be seen, heard and validated by us. That’s why it’s vital that we are able to self-regulate in those difficult moments; so that we are able to create a safe space where those feelings can be processed, expressed and released.

But how an earth can you do that in the middle of the supermarket? I might hear you ask! And what about their incredibly bad behaviour!?

All behaviour is communication! Those outward behavioural displays are coming from a need in the child to feel seen, understood and accepted. For example, a child might feel angry about not receiving an invite to their friends party; being unable to communicate or verbalise their anger they might lash out, become frustrated or annoyed. Or that anger could turn inwards and be expressed through self-criticism, judgement or self-harm.

Emotions are doing a job, pointing to an experience, thought or feeling. It’s our job to give recognition to those emotions, so they aren’t suppressed, ignored or shamed. When we are able to welcome in every emotion without judgement and reactivity, that’s when the thought or feeling underneath the behaviour can start to come through and be expressed.

Learning how to verbalise emotions through language takes time. (I’m sure you know some adults who still haven’t mastered the art!) So this is where creative expression can play a big part in supporting children work through, understand and express what they’re feeling.

Recognise the feeling

Children can get overwhelmed by their emotions and fearful of them. Teaching them that every emotion is welcome and is part of being human, can help to lessen the need for them to suppress how they’re feeling.

Finding a time to play with emotions can help children to recognise them when they arise in the moment. One of the best ways to explore this is through drama play or improvisation: as it provides a framework where children can safely embody emotions within the structure of a game.

The ‘Potato’ game is one of my favourites, as it gives children the opportunity to explore and exaggerate what an emotion feels like in the body. You can play this game with a group of children or one-to-one.

The aim of the game is to say the word ‘potato’ in the style of an emotion. What would a shy potato look and sound like? A stressed potato? An excited potato? Embody each emotion, clench fists for angry, hunch shoulders for sad, move and smile for happy. Explore the realms of all the emotions through movement, voice and posture.

Create without an outcome

Learning to put outcomes and objectives to one side and be creative for the purpose of self-expression can be hard for us adults. When we conform to a structure or are set to an outcome-driven activity, like making a card, building a vase or creating a dream catcher for example, the child is limited to the structure and therefore has little room to explore their feelings.

Not all creative projects need a final piece. Try moving beyond a structured activity and explore more expressive ways to create. Mark-making for example can be a great way to release emotions. Get a big piece of paper and stick it to the wall, then use paint, chalk, charcoal or felt tips, maybe exploring different art tools, like brushes, pallet knifes and sponges. Allow those emotions to be released in the marks, don’t be afraid to make a mess!

Release the emotion

Movement can help to shift and release suppressed emotions. You can use this technique with your child in the moment or retrospectively after an event or challenging situation. Take a nice deep breath in, stretching up to the sky with your hands, tense every single muscle. And as you exhale, release the hands down and shout “HA! “

This exercise works particularly well for nerves or anxiety. HA! The feeling can go out the window, in the bin or down the toilet!

For more information on how to playfully and creatively support children check out www.thebestmedicine.co.uk

About the author:

Your children are living in a three-dimensional world. Full of people, plants, animals… and a whole host of things to engage with and make sense of. Wherever you are located, whatever philosophies your setting follows, and whatever environments you have available, your children are surrounded by wonder. With voices to interpret, social skills to understand, dangers to be aware of and emotions to fathom.

About the author: