Health, Wellbeing & Nutrition
5 ways to boost your child's immunity for care
Children have a lower resistance to germs, are more susceptible to illness, and as temperatures cool over winter, viruses often stick around for longer.
Keeping Your Child Healthy in Child Care
Child care services and illness go hand-in-hand, this article offers pointers to help parents keep their child healthy and prevent the spread of germs.
How to help your child successfully settle in to child care
Being the new kid on the block can be a daunting experience for young children. To help your tyke get off to a great start, here are some ways to prepare them for life at care.
Vaccination Rules for Child Care and the National Immunisation Schedule
How vaccination rules apply in child care and how the government encourages families to immunise.
Strategies For Easing Separation Anxiety
How to deal with separation anxiety including tips and tricks to help parents and children cope on the first day of child care and in the longer term.
Choosing Child Care for Special Needs Children
Strategies for finding and securing high quality child care services for children with additional or special needs and what to look out for when choosing care.
How early childhood education services support young children in the wake of trauma
Whether they are directly involved or feel the shockwaves reverberating in their community, young children can be strongly affected by traumatic events.
Health Services and Support for Young Children
Free health and dental checks are available from birth to school age and info on other support offered to young children and their parents.
Your child's mental health
Most parents can spot a gunky eye or a grazed knee from a mile off, but when it comes to a youngster's mental health, it seems that many mums and dads are in the dark.
Bullying in Child Care
An overview of bullying in child care settings; includes the types of bullying, what to do about it and how to develop an age-appropriate anti-bullying policy.
Food for thought Obesity rates amongst young children
Why sweet rewards aren't good for growing bodies, or even grown ones, for that matter.
Nutrition and Children in Child Care
Nutrition is an important factor when choosing an early childhood service, this article offers suggestions on what to look out for.
How to teach your child to be kind and grateful
Raising children to be respectful and responsible people, who are capable of sharing, caring and making positive contributions to our world.
Stress Reduction Strategies for Children in Care
Stress reduction and relaxation strategies for families and educators to try when children seem to be overwhelmed and or stressed in a child care setting.
Protecting Your Child’s Skin in Child Care
A parent guide to reduce the risk of children developing skin cancer in later life, which suggests simple sun smart measures which can be practiced at home and in care.
Successfully Dealing With a Child Who Bites
Biting is common among children in child care, this article explains the reasons why children bite and suggests some techniques to try and stop a child from biting.
Child Care and Head Lice
Head lice and nits are common in child care services, this article outlines tried and tested methods for treating and preventing nits and lice.
Dealing With Severe Allergies (Anaphylaxis) in Child Care
Child care for kids with anaphylaxis: How to keep your anaphylactic child safe in child care and how early childhood providers deal with severe allergies.
Children's Health in Child Care Tool Kit
A comprehensive resource to help parents keep their children healthy while they are in child care; covers hygiene, nutrition, bites, bullying, nits and more.
Sick Days and Emergency Child Care
What to do with your sick child when you have to go to work including emergency and back up care options and why it’s important to have a plan!
Research into autism and sibling age gap
Siblings of children with autism may be less likely to receive the same diagnosis if there is a 30-39 month gap between pregnancies.
The benefits of bare feet
5 reasons to ditch the shoes and go bare feet this summer.
How early learning centres prevent container baby syndrome
All about container baby syndrome and how to keep your infant safe and well.
Brain food for toddlers
13 nutrients that are essential for the health and wellbeing of children along with sources and recommended serving sizes.
Appendicitis in children
The symptoms of appendicitis and research about treatment in NZ.
Partnering with educators when your child has asthma or an allergy
Tried and tested strategies for working with your provider to keep your allergic child safe and well while in child care.
The best way to banish head lice
Tried and tested strategies for banishing head lice and nits.
Does a positive childhood protect kids from mental illness?
Research shows that a happy personality doesn’t necessarily safeguard children against mental health problems in later life.
New guidelines around eating and activity during pregnancy and breastfeeding
The Ministry of Health’s revised guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women aim to ensure optimal health and wellbeing for mums and bubs.
Study shows many Kiwi kids are going hungry
Growing up in NZ, research shows many Kiwi families are struggling to put healthy food on the table for their under-fives and explains what support is available.
How COVID-19 Alert Levels affect early learning services
Alert Levels under COVID-19 and how they impact early learning services, including when services must close and when children can attend.
New guidelines to help babies with tongue-tie
New national guidelines for tongue-tie provide concise and consistent instructions for identifying, assessing, diagnosing and treating tongue-tie in babies.
New research around positive discipline and the role of educators
Save The Children research shows how kiwi parents view discipline and how positive parenting practices can be used to address challenging behaviour at home and child care.
Reducing the risk of food-related choking in early learning services
Steps early education services must take to keep young children safe from food related choking.
Expert tips to help parents stay calm and connected
Psychologist and author of Smart Mothering Dr Natalie Flynn explains how to stay calm and connected as we raise our children, nourish our relationships and look after ourselves.
Key ways to support your child’s mental health
How parents can support their child’s mental health and emotional wellbeing to build resilience in the early years and beyond.
New research says boys benefit from starting child care early
New research from Canada has shown that boys who start child care early may be more likely to finish high school and be financially successful.
How do educators teach under-fives to be kind?
Early childhood services are a supportive and nurturing environment for preschool-aged children to learn about kindness and respect.
The importance of good routines at home and in child care
Children thrive in consistent, predictable environments and with strong routines. This article explains how to streamline routines across home and child care.
How can parents and children prepare for a natural disaster?
The National Emergency Management Agency Te Rakau Whakamarumaru explains how families can plan and prepare for a natural disaster and how to get involved in ShakeOut.
How can educators identify hearing, vision or other health problems in young children?
Educators are at the frontline when it comes to picking up delays among children. Learn the warning signs and what to do if there is an issue.
The best way to clean your baby or child’s car seat
7 simple steps to cleaning your child’s car seat and offers suggestions for keeping it clean moving forward.
The top foods causing tooth decay in Kiwi kids
Seven foods which cause the most damage to children’s teeth and what you can do to support your child to develop good dental health habits from a young age.
Common illnesses that keep kids home from child care
The top ten illnesses that keep children from attending child care and why exclusion policies are so important. Also the three main ways parents can prevent children from becoming unwell.
Burns prevention for young children
Strategies for keeping young children safe around fire and heat sources over the cooler months of winter. Including references and resources for future reading.
Roll up, roll up for the Red Nose Appeal!
Red Nose day is the biggest fundraising campaign for Cure Kids, NZ’s leading child health research charity. This article explains how to get involved in this worthwhile cause.
News flash! It is possible to prevent the ‘terrible twos’
Research has shown that the terrible twos may not be an inevitable development stage and that parenting style can influence toddler behaviour.
Immunity boosters for kids in care
Learn how to boost your child’s natural immunity and keep them well over the winter months while they are in care.
5 ways to help your child cope with stress
5 ways parents can help children manage their stress along with simple activity ideas that can be easily implemented.
How parents can support young children’s risky play
Risky play at home and how you can support your child to safely leave their comfort zone.
The importance of good sleep at child care and beyond
The importance of good sleep at child care and beyond.
How to get on the same wavelength as your infant
Research has shown that the brain waves of babies and their parents synch up during play time helping to establish bonds between children and their care givers.
Kindness is contagious: Create a caring culture
Six ideas for educators to support children to develop and practice acts of kindness and compassion.
How are ECE services responding to COVID-19?
Rapidly changing circumstances around containment measures and the spread of COVID 19 mean it is very important to rely on official sources of information.
How children learn social and emotional competence in care
How educators support children to develop social and emotional competence in child care.
Reducing choke risks for children under 5
Learn how to reduce the risk of children choking and how to encourage safe behaviour.
COVID-19 Information for Parents
COVID-19 Information for Parents.
How to reduce separation anxiety for children in care
Strategies for easing separation anxiety and settling children into care.
Hand, foot and mouth disease & how it affects youngsters
The signs of hand, foot and mouth disease, one of the most common vital infections for children in early childhood.
Novel coronavirus – Information for Parents
Supporting parents concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in schools and early learning centres.
Earthquake education for under sixes
ShakeOut the national earthquake drill and tsunami hikoi teaches all New Zealanders what to do when a natural disaster strikes.
Is dried fruit a healthy snack?
Making the case for fresh fruit over dried…despite what your children prefer!
Gastro prevention in child care
There's nothing fun about gastroenteritis and it can spread like wildfire when hygiene standards slip.
Stamping out bullying in child care
How bullying in the early years erodes confidence and self-esteem, and how to identify the signs of bullying and work together to stop this behaviour.
How measles can affect your family
Protected Together #Immunise' – is particularly pertinent in light of a recent measles outbreak in the Canterbury district.
The strong bond between children and comfort objects
The role of comfort objects in supporting babies and children as they rest, play and grow; how these well-loved items become part of the family.
The Active Play Guidelines for young children
It's important for babies, toddlers and preschoolers to be busy, but the big question is - how active and how rested should under-fives be?