Children's Centre Newsletter - 4th edition

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London Borough of Hounslow
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                    November edition 2020

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Welcome to the fourth edition of the Children's Centres Newsletter

We are well on our way into autumn, with the clocks gone back an hour and the beautiful autumn coloured leaves falling from the trees! We have really enjoyed seeing your autumn artwork collections!

We are continuing to make arrangements for the reopening of our children’s centres and have now reopened Beavers and South Isleworth Children’s Centres. It is important that we do this in a way that allows us to comply with current government guidance and ensures that all users remain safe. This means that in the first instance, our centres will be open for activities that can be run with a small group of families and sessions run by health professionals, which will be by appointment only. For regular updates, please see our online timetable on the FSD.

It is therefore, with regret, that if a family arrives at a Children Centre without an appointment having been made, we will not be able to allow access to the building. This is, of course, to keep everyone safe.

We will however continue to work closely with each of our families, to ensure everyone’s needs are being met and we will work together with you to stay alert, control the virus and save lives.

We hope you have a wonderful month ahead and look forward to creating and sharing new memories with you all.

Stay safe!


What's on in November?

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Courses

Makaton signing for beginners - (18 months – 5 Years) 5-week course - beginning on 17 November to 15 December 2020

6- Week Postnatal course - Coming soon!


Workshops

Behaviour and Boundary setting – Thursday 12 November, 1–2pm

Communication and Language Concerns and Referrals – Thursday 26 November, 1–2pm

Self Care for parents - Tuesday 24 November, 10-11.30am

Baby Massage - Monday 30 November, 1-2pm


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Special Events, Celebrations and Themes 

  • 5 Nov - Guy Fawkes/ Bonfire night
  • 8 Nov - Remembrance sunday
  • 11 Nov – Remembrance day
  • 13 Nov – Children in Need
  • 14 Nov – Diwali
  • 16 to 22 Nov - Anti bullying week, road safety awareness week and nursery rhyme week
  • 20 Nov – World children’s day
  • 29 Nov – Advent begins
  • 30 Nov - Birthday of Guru Nanak and St Andrews day

schedule

Timetables

All families living in the London Borough of Hounslow are welcome to join the sessions. However the timetables below have been split into areas, as some of our families have asked to see familiar faces from their local centres!

Monday 2 November to Friday 27 November 2020

Central Area (Cranford, Heston, Hounslow & Norwood Green)

East Area - (Chiswick, Isleworth & Brentford) 

West Area - (Feltham, Bedfont & Hanworth)


What does the online offer include?


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Weekly live sessions

Children's Centres practitioners and Early Years workers are running weekly LIVE sessions. 

To see what's on, please see the session list or view the timetables listed below.


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Activity videos sent via WhatsApp 

Children’s Centre Practitioners and Early Years Workers have been producing videos with a variety of different activities, including song time, story time and activities for you to try at home. These activities will be sent out daily.

To sign up to this service, please follow the link: WhatsApp Registration Form 


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Weekly Activity Sheets

Want some inspiration for activities to do at home? Children's Centre staff have created some fun activities, recipes and games to try at home.                 


Get Involved!


We are now on Facebook!

The London Borough of Hounslow has now got a Children and Families Information Facebook Page! Over the next couple of months we will begin posting our activities and videos on to this page, replacing the WhatsApp videos.

If you would like to follow this page, search 'London Borough of Hounslow - Children and Families Information'.

Find us on Facebook

You said we did...

Every Month we encourage families to make suggestions and give feedback on our online offer. We can appreciate nothing will beat going to a Children's Centre in person, but we were so pleased to receive lots of positive feedback. Thank you for all your contributions!

Here are some of the comments we have received:

‘The instructor and all staff we absolutely lovely’…’ My Son really enjoyed the sessions, he was engaged, he laughed and enjoyed the stretches and the interaction with the screen’ - Baby Yoga

‘I like and prefer the interactive live sessions and find they are very useful’

We also received some feedback and suggestions to help improve the quality of our online offer and sessions. Here is what you said and what we did:

‘Services need to be better advertised’ – we have posted some posters around the borough, asked other professionals to share our timetables and there is now a ‘London Borough of Hounslow - Children and Families Information’ Facebook page.

‘Some sessions around challenging behaviours and Anxiety’ - We are running a workshop on ‘behaviour and boundary setting’ in November which will cover challenging behaviours and have also planned some videos to help support children’s worries. The Recovery College are also running online courses to help manage anxiety, worries, living with uncertainty and more! For further information, please see their online prospectus.

‘Sessions around the use of dummies’ – we included information on using dummies during our oral health workshop. Information and advice on the use of dummies, can also be found on the ICAN website.

‘Post-natal depression’ – Our Fantastic East Area practitioners Vikki and Mandy will be running a new 6-week Postnatal course for mums and babies (birth to 4 months). This will be a small group, held in South Isleworth Children’s Centre. The dates are yet to be confirmed and will be updated on the 'Postnatal Course' record.

We have also arranged a 'self care for parents' online workshop, facilitated by the perinatal Mental Health Team. This workshop will be offering tips and strategies on how to improve and look after you mental health.

‘Activities around weaning’ – We have run some online weaning party workshops and our next workshop will be in Early 2021. If you need Weaning advice in the meantime, please join our online baby groups and feel free to ask.

‘Speech and language information’ – This month we are running a live workshop on ‘communication and language concerns and referrals. ICAN also have a ‘ages and stages guide’ to the typical stages of speech and language development in babies, children and young people.


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Swap Shop

As our Family Store, clothes and toy bank is still closed, we have created a way for families to give away items and request for things that's needed.

We can accept items such as clothing, toys, baby equipment (except for Car Seats and cot mattresses) in good and reasonable condition. Every month we will advertise these items.

Send us an email with the items you would like to give away or you need, to Minal.Shah@hounslow.gov.uk. We will then share your details with the appropriate match. Please ensure the items you request is age appropriate for your child.

Please follow local guidelines, if you are collecting or delivering items, ensure it is a safe location and social distancing is maintained. Clean and disinfect any item you intend to give it away. If you receive any item, make sure that you clean it before you using it.


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Your feedback matters!

Have you taken part in our online offer? Do you have any suggestions or ideas on future services? If yes, please complete our online feedback form.

Thank you!


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Online Offer Family Gallery

Would you like to be featured on our next newsletter?

Have you tried any of our online activities mentioned in our videos and activity sheets?

If so, please let us know and send us a picture via email  to Minal.Shah@hounslow.gov.uk

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WOW

WOW! moments

Most children have spent the last few months at home, learning new skills and reaching new milestones.  Whether they have been budding new artists, building, cooking or simply playing; please share these special moments with us! You can do this by sending us your child’s name and age and a picture and/or description of their ‘WOW moment’ to Minal.Shah@hounslow.gov.uk. We will showcase the photos in our next month’s newsletter.  If you would like to remain anonymous, please let us know.


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Behaviour and Boundary Setting

Children’s needs and behaviours change as they get older and understanding these needs will help you better understand your child.

Babies behave as they do to get their needs met. For example, when they cry, they’re trying to tell you that they need something – maybe they’re hungry, need their nappy changed or feel tired. Older babies may show what appears like a ‘stubborn streak’ – spitting out food or wriggling away from a nappy change. All they are doing is trying to express their likes and dislikes in the only way they can. When you’re stressed you may feel your baby is being “deliberately naughty” or trying to provoke you. This is not the case!

All toddlers test limits and have tantrums. Research shows that a child’s brain is still developing during this period so there are limits to how much they’re able to control their emotions. Remember that behaviour in toddlers which is often seen as naughty is actually quite normal and part of growing up.

School age children are constantly learning and exploring their world. They may have lots of questions as they start to form their own views on issues. As they move towards being more independent, they may seem to push boundaries and become more challenging, a necessary part of growing up.

All children need love, guidance and to have rules and boundaries. Rules and boundaries help families to understand how to behave towards each other, and what’s OK and not OK. But the best way to go about this will vary based on your child’s age and stage of development. All children are different and develop and reach milestones at different rates.

Tips for setting boundaries:

  • Keep guidance simple and consistent
  • Introduce boundaries from an early age
  • If your child is behaving in a way you don’t want them to, clearly explain what you want them to do instead.
  • Be available and make time so your child will come to you when they feel something is wrong or they are upset.
  • Keep talking and listening to your child even if at times it feels like a challenge. Start listening from a very early age and set a pattern for life.
  • Sympathise with how your child may be feeling – for example, saying “I know you are frustrated”, if your child is struggling to do something.
  • Share your own feelings if you find it helps to relieve your stress – for example, “I know you’re tired but I’m tired too”.
  • Try to avoid using orders and ultimatums.

For further advice and tips on behaviour and boundary setting, building positive relationships, rewards and discipline and more, please see visit the NSPCC – Positive parenting guide.


Look after yourselves...



Quote of the Month

'Teaching children to count is fine,

But teaching them what counts is best'

- Bob Talber


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Monthly mindfulness activity

Personal weather report – ask your child to best describe their feelings at the moment. Are they sunny, rainy, stormy, calm, windy etc? How do they know they are feeling those feelings? Where do they feel them in their bodies? Ask them which feelings they like best? Then ask them what they can do to feel better, reminding them they can always imagine their thoughts as bubbles when they’re upset; they can do the Squish and Relax activity (mentioned in Septembers Newsletter) when they need to calm down; or they can take a few moments to listen to their breath or feel their heartbeat if they want to relax.

This activity shows children that they can observe their present state without over-identifying with their emotions. They understand that they can’t change their emotions any more than they can change the weather, but they can change how it affects them. They can learn to recognise that they are not the rain, but it is raining, they are not a scaredy-cat, but they can sometimes feel scared. 

This Activity idea is from the Minfulness4u website, please visit their website for other children’s mindfulness activities.


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Family Lives – Parenting Course

Family Lives is a registered charity, it provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling. The issues they support families with include family breakdown, challenging relationships and behaviour, debt, and emotional and mental wellbeing.

You can access their online and innovative Parents Together Programme, and work at your own pace through their six interactive blocks filled with helpful techniques and ideas, which cover the following modules:

  • Promoting wellbeing
  • The power of communicating and being positive
  • Understanding behaviour
  • Managing and promoting positive behaviour in the family
  • Play and what do children need
  • Setting limits, boundaries and promoting co-operation

Family Lives also offers a confidential helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parent line). You call them on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. The helpline service is open 9am – 9pm, Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday.


Advice Corner


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Firework and sparkler safety

Watching fireworks is great fun. But taking care is important, especially as children are more likely to get hurt by fireworks than adults. The ‘child accident prevention trust’ have given some simple tips that can help to reduce the risk to your family.

 

General safety reminders

Children under five are too young to safely hold a sparkler and don’t really understand why they might be dangerous. Avoid giving them one to hold.

Babies or children can wriggle in your arms and reach out unexpectedly. Avoid holding a baby or child when you have a sparkler in your hand.

Children over five will still need you to supervise them when they use sparklers. It’s safest if they wear gloves when they’re holding them. They might seem like 'fireworks lite' but sparklers can reach a temperature of 2000ºC. Have a bucket of water handy to put them in so that no-one can pick up a hot one off the ground. Teach them not to wave sparklers near anyone else or run with them.

For Further information and tips, please visit the child accident prevention trust’s, firework safety page.


Advice

Need Advice?

Every month we include an 'advice corner' forum in our newsletters. 

If you need any advice on topics relating to childcare, child development, parenting, training and returning to work; please send an email to Michaela.clapson@hounslow.gov.uk, outlining the advice needed. This will be featured (anonymously) in the next newsletter and responded to by a relevant professional.


Information on Childcare and Education


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Starting school in Hounslow – Reception 2021

If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 they will start school in September 2021.

The closing date for applications is 15 January 2021.

Information and the link to make an application can be found on our website www.hounslow.gov.uk/primaryadmissions.

Late applications severely reduce the chances of getting your preferred school, so please make your application by 15 January 2021.

If you need help or have any queries, contact the School Admissions Team on 020 8583 2721 or admissions@hounslow.gov.uk.


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Childcare

Nurseries, Preschools and Childminders are wonderful places for children to learn and have fun with friends, which supports their development and their overall wellbeing. Attending childcare can be an exciting and joyful experience for children and can also help provide a routine as they develop their social skills. Early years education is an important stage for children where they can flourish and get the best start in life.

If you have a two-year-old child they may be able to get up to 15 hours free childcare and early learning at an Ofsted registered private day nursery, pre-school or childminder. Check your eligibility online http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/free2 or call the Family Information Service 020 8583 3470.

If you have a 3 or 4-year-old who is not yet going to school, they can get free childcare and education at an Ofsted registered private day nursery, pre-school playgroup or childminder. All 3 and 4 year olds, regardless of the parents’ immigration status, are entitled to up to 15 hours free education each week for 38 weeks from the term after their third birthday. http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/free15

3 or 4 year olds (30 hours) Working families in England with 3 and 4 year old children 30 hours of funded childcare and early education for 38 weeks A total of 1,140 hours per year, that you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider Some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week Working parents or carers who are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare or 30 hours free childcare but have temporarily fallen below the minimum income requirement as a result of the pandemic will continue to receive financial support until 31 October 2020. Don’t miss out apply now for a code for September. If you apply after the 31st of August, you will need to wait until January to use the code. To find out more, visit: www.hounslow.gov.uk/30hours

If you need any help to find a childcare place, please contact the Family Information Service on 020 8583 3470. Alternatively, you can email them at fis@hounslow.gov.uk

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