Running a Setting

Can you hear the buzz of excitement for this week? Stick around, there are some un-bee-lievable ideas! Sorry – we just had to get a few bug puns into this article as we are really excited to be covering a relatively new awareness week, at least...

  The safety of the children in our care is the most important thing that we are responsible for as early years practitioners. Yes, we are following the EYFS and of course we are looking to enrich the lives of our children through education...

This month sees the return of Learning Disability Week, organised by Mencap, the national charity with the aim of raising awareness of learning disabilities and learning difficulties, and supporting those who have them, to live meaningful and...

Spring is here and it’s time to shake off the winter woollies and explore the great outdoors! Not everyone has some outside space in their setting, but if you are lucky enough to have even the smallest space, make sure you are making the most of...

 What is a food allergy? A food allergy is when “the body’s immune system reacts unusually to specific foods.” Usually, it occurs when a person has eaten the food they are allergic too, but in some cases, it can occur if the food is merely...

 We cover mental health a lot in the Parenta magazine, since it is something that has a profound effect on how we live our lives. Good mental health is needed to maintain health, hold down a job, make ends meet, and ultimately, give us a reason...

Earth – not the ‘final frontier’ but seen from space, we call it the ‘blue planet’ as seventy-one percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water. The oceans hold about 96.5% of all the water on the planet but this is salt water and humans...

April 25th is World Malaria Day, an annual event which takes place across the world to raise awareness about malaria and how it can be prevented. It aims to celebrate the progress that has been made towards eradicating this life-threatening...

There is no doubt that in recent years, we have all been under a lot more stress than usual.. The pandemic, lockdowns, school and setting closures and not seeing friends and family have caused many of us to re-evaluate our lives. We are...

Recycling is now part of our daily life, or at least, if we want to live a more sustainable life, and leave the world in a better state for our children, it should be. But apart from the 3 Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle, how much do we actually...

Do you remember when communications were limited to the post and wired telephones? Thankfully, those days are long gone, and settings now have many ways to communicate with parents. But are you making the most of these, or are you still relying...

Easter is a holy holiday in the Christian calendar, commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. At that time, there were no Easter eggs, no Easter bunny or giant omelettes made in France! It was just the death of...

World Maths Day and British Science Week - If your children love a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) challenge, then you will love two events...

Fairtrade Fortnight - Fancy a tea or a coffee? How about a sumptuous meal with a fresh banana dessert smothered in smooth chocolate, a bottle of the finest...

International Women’s Day - It’s time to stand up and take more notice of women – what they do for their communities, their families and the world in...

Growth mindset and the theories of Carol Dweck: part 2 - Firstly, we have to make the distinction between 3 sets of people whose mindset may influence that...

National Careers Week 2022 - How did you get into childcare? Was it always a childhood dream or was it something you stumbled into? Were you inspired as a...

There was a time, when parents would metaphorically tear their hair out at the amount of time their children spent watching TV. Nowadays, you often hear the plea, “Why don’t you put your phone down and watch something interesting on TV instead!” Every generation has its own nemesis when it comes to how children spend their time, and this current generation is no different.

There is no doubt that the world we knew in December 2019, bears very little resemblance to the one we find ourselves in in February 2022. The first confirmed case of Coronavirus came into the UK on 23rd January 2020, and we have been fighting...

Carol Dweck may be a name that you have heard in recent years due to her prominent work on what she termed “growth and fixed mindsets”. But do you understand what she meant by those terms and what her work has to do with early years? In this short series of two articles, we will look at her research, theories and conclusions and see what relevance it has to looking after and educating young children.

On the 1st January each year, many cultures celebrate a New Year according to the solar-based Gregorian calendar, and this year, most countries will celebrate the birth of 2022 at the stroke of midnight. But did you know, that although this is...