Welcome to the fifth edition of the Children's Centres newsletter!
We still can’t believe it's December! The festive season is soon to begin, and we have already received some of your lovely Christmassy masterpieces. We have also received some lovely (and early) Christmas tree pictures and very creative homemade decorations.
We have reopened Beavers and South Isleworth Children’s Centres for individual sessions with families and small groups. We are hoping that we will be able to reopen other centres in the New Year. We will really miss holding our Christmas parties, which were a highlight of our year – but have organised some fantastic online Christmas activities to take their place. Please see the 'what's on in December' section below for further information.
We would like to wish you all a Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas!
Online Christmas Fun day – Thursday 17 December
This year we are running multiple online Christmas fun day workshops and hope that you and your family can join in on the festive fun!
Families that register for these workshops are eligible to receive a Christmas activity pack from one of our Children's Centres.
These packs include resources such as: card, glitter and other resources to use during the online fun day activities. If you do not require a pack, we can send you a list of resources you may need for the workshops.
Please note: activity packs are limited and are given out on a first come first serve basis. These packs are also prioritised for Hounslow Residents.
To book on to any of the below workshops and sign up for an activity pack, please complete this short form.
Christmas themed sessions
Sharing their world with Lydia, Aisha and Vicky, will be having a Christmas themed session on the 10 December.
All other live sessions between the 14 and 18 December will also be having a Christmas themed session.
Stories @ The Salopian - Salopian Gardens are running outdoor Christmas decoration making workshops, every Tuesday (1-3pm) up until Christmas! This includes making Wreaths and other Christmas decorations, made out of natural materials. Booking is required and numbers are limited, due to the current government guidelines. To book a space, please contact sally@cultivatelondon.org, remember to dress warm and wear some wellies!
Workshops and other events
Baby Massage - Monday 30 November, 1 - 2pm
Potty and toilet training – Thursday 10 December, 1 - 2pm
Learning @ The Salopian - Salopian Gardens are also running outdoor workshops every Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10am to 12pm. There are a range of activities that will always include a science task, a gardening task and an art task. The aim is to learn about the natural world in an outdoor setting. These sessions are suitable for families with children up to 11 years old. To book a space, please contact sally@cultivatelondon.org.
Walk and Talk - Birth and beyond community support are running a 'walk and talk' in both Redlees and Feltham parks; for pregnant mothers to be or mothers with children under 2 years. 'We would love to see lots of local mums with us for these walks. You don’t have to feel alone! Come and meet our lovely volunteers and other local mothers. These walks take place at: Redlees Park, Isleworth 10:30 on Tuesday mornings and Feltham Park, 10:30 on Friday mornings.
Please confirm that you will be coming along by sending a text message or give Grace a call on 07732690817'.
Coming soon!
6- Week Postnatal course
Special events, celebrations and themes
- 10 to 18 December - Hanukkah
- 14 to 18 December - Christmas Week
- 17 December - Online Christmas fun day
- 18 December - Christmas Jumper day
- 25 December - Christmas Day
- 26 December - Boxing Day
- 28 December - Bank Holiday
- 31 December - New Year’s Eve
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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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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'.
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:
‘Food portions workshop was very good’
‘Very Good’
‘Everything is very educational’
‘Good!’
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 as sessions were found by accident’ - 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.
‘Audio is sometimes poor’ – we have looked into ways of enhancing the audio on our videos and will be mindful when recording future videos.
In the future, you have asked for:
‘Activities for babies perhaps 6 months plus’ – we run weekly baby and toddler groups, rhythm and rhyme sessions and some of our videos are suitable for babies. Please let us know if you had something else, in mind!
‘Weaning and sensory activities and something on positive mental health for mums’ - 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.
We do include sensory activities in some of our videos and there are also some activity sheets, such as the ‘edible sand’ activity. Please feel free to ask for further ideas on sensory activities, during our live sessions.
Lastly, we will be running some mindfulness workshops next year. These workshops will aim to support parents at dealing with stress, relaxation techniques and mindfulness.
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 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! 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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Toilet and potty training
Using a potty is a new skill for your child to learn. It's best to take it slowly and go at your child's pace. Being patient with them will help them get it right, even if you sometimes feel frustrated.
Children are able to control their bladder and bowels when they're physically ready and when they want to be dry and clean. Every child is different, so it's best not to compare your child with others.
Bear in mind that most children can control their bowels before their bladder.
- by age 1, most babies have stopped doing poos at night
- by age 2, some children will be dry during the day, but this is still quite early
- by age 3, 9 out of 10 children are dry most days – even then, all children have the odd accident, especially when they're excited, upset or absorbed in something else
- by age 4, most children are reliably dry during the day
It usually takes a little longer for children to learn to stay dry throughout the night. Although most learn this between the ages of 3 and 5, up to 1 in 5 children aged 5 sometimes wet the bed.
For more tips and training please visit NHS Potty Training
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Quote of the Month
‘Kindness is the language the deaf can hear
and the blind can see’
- Mark Twain
MyLife Meditation
MyLife (formerly known as Stop, Breathe & Think) is a meditation and mindfulness app that helps you find your quiet place. It allows you to check in with how you’re feeling, and recommends short guided meditations and mindfulness activities, tuned to your emotions. Whether you’re anxious, sleepless, hopeful, angry, or anything in between.
The meditation & mindfulness app offers activities for all levels. Meditation for kids, teens and adults. It’s like your personalized mindfulness coach. Topics include:
• Morning meditation
• Guided meditation
• Slay your stress
• Breathe mindfully
• Tame anxiety
• Sleep better
• Strengthen focus
• Manage depression
• Meditation for commuting
• Mindfulness techniques for college life
• Meditation for Kids, Teens & Tweens
• 20+ Meditations in Spanish
To download the app click here for Android or iOS.
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Monthly mindfulness activity
Visualise your safe place – to feel grounded
Where are your favourite soothing places in nature? You can visit them anytime in your mind. You could write a journey to your calm safe place, describing with all your senses how it feels to be there.
This activity and more can be found on the BBC good food website - 10 mindfulness activities for kids.
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Home-Start
Home-Start is a local community network of trained volunteers who, together with expert staff, support struggling families with children under the age of five through their challenging times.
Families facing mental health difficulties, post-natal depression, isolation, loneliness, domestic abuse and physical health problems (amongst others) receive emotional and practical support from them.
While they are currently restricted from visiting family homes, they are offering support once a week by telephone, online and through their weekly family groups, which are now also currently online.
Areas they cover
Home-start support families living across The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and London Borough of Hounslow.
Contact Home-start on 020 8487 8500 or click here for more information Home-start
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What to do if your child or someone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19?
As children return to Early Years settings after a prolonged break, we expect colds and similar viral infections to circulate. To be clear the symptoms for COVID-19 are: Raised temperature (>37.8), a new continuous dry cough (coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours, a loss of taste or smell (cannot taste or smell anything, or things taste or smell different to normal). Your child only needs to have one symptom to stay home and seek a COVID-19 test. If you child has a runny nose and sore throat (without any of the COVID symptoms) they do not need a COVID -19 test.
if you think someone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, please see Hounslow's 'what to do' flowchart.
Hounslow EU settlement service
Do you need help with your application? If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national you and your family members must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 to continue living, working and studying in the UK.
The service offers access to free immigrations support for vulnerable residents to apply for settled or pre-settled status in the UK. Vulnerable residents include:
- Victims of domestic violence
- Victims of modern slavery and human trafficking
- Children and young people living in care
- Disabled/seriously ill people
- Residents in care homes
- Homeless people
What is the EU Settlement Scheme? If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national then the Settlement Scheme allows you and your family members to continue to live, work and study in the UK after we leave the EU. Registration also means you will remain eligible for:
- Public services, such as healthcare and schools
- Public funds and pensions
- British citizenship, if you want to apply and meet the requirements
Most people can apply online at EU Settle Gov, but for those who are vulnerable or have other questions, free and confidential support is available through Hounslow’s Citizens Advice Call 0300 300 1185 or email HounslowCAB.
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.
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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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