In this episode, myself, Mireia Lopez (primary teacher, business owner and mum), talk about the importance of routine and quality time with your children, and also the struggles and challenges that I encounter every day and how I made it better.

We welcome play therapists Susanne Martin, Anna McGrath and Karla Hannigan from Shine Through Play Therapy based in Kildare town Ireland https://shinethroughplaytherapy.com/They are all qualified as play therapists with many years experience in education as teachers. They will answer some really interesting questions asked by parents: Do you ever see your own past / present challenges reflected in a child’s session? My child struggles dealing with big emotions and I think play therapy would...

Erica Hargaden is a Certified Child Sleep Consultant, mum of 3, and member of the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants. Her passion is to help parents understand their children’s sleep and empower them to create settled sleep in their homes. https://babogue.com/ The topics we cover in this episode: Babies, attachment and sleep Why is it so difficult to fall asleep What happens when we sleep Importance of sleep Sleep challenges at different ages Bad habits for parents  ...

Ella is an art therapist in Dublin and she shares her journey and practical information useful for parents and teachers with us. Art is not the perfect piece we hang on the wall; we understand art as a form of communication and it can be found anywhere and everywhere. Some of the topics discussed on this episode: What is art therapy and who is it for? How to support child’s self-esteem through art. Ways to communicate with our children to support their wellbeing. What to expect from an...

Mary is a social worker working with Foster First Ireland https://fosteringfirstireland.ie/ after working with Tusla for a number of years. She will walk us through the process of fostering a child (she is also a foster carer herself) from making the decision to all the support that’s available out there. If you are considering a carrier in social work, this episode is for you too. Some of the specific topics we discuss: What to expect when fostering a childWhat are the reasons to consider...

Jennifer from https://wellbeingwarrior.ie/ is a life coach with a background in neuroscience. She will empower you to step out of your comfort zone to find your true self and needs. She opens up very honestly about her own experience when becoming a mum as she experienced postnatal depression and she talks about what helped her recover from this, as well as the things we experience when becoming mums for the first time. She talks about the power of language and communication as a way to...

In this episode, I (primary teacher) discuss all things behaviour with Shannon (Early Years teacher). We talk about the causes of challenging behaviour that are found in the environment and how they affect the emotions and thoughts of a child and their actions. We give you information on how to change the right features in their environment so they can have a positive impact on their wellbeing. We will also show you a few playful teqhniques to use in the classroom that can improve chldren's...

In this episode we talk to autism expert Laura Crowley and we will go through all the different traits, strengths, challenges and characteristics of what being autistic really means and not just the things we already know as we would be more familiar with them because they are more visible especially in children, but we'll focus on the ones that are hidden and we can't see but they make people really struggle with things like anxiety, overwhelm and emotional dysregulatuon on a daily...

Today we talk with Melissa Moore, a play therapist based in co. Meath. She shares her experience from working as a social care worker to working with Tusla for 20 years before setting up her business as a play therapist. She will give us very simple and practical tips to support our children at home and their self-esteem as we improve our connection with them. Melissa will show us how to help our children understand and manage big feelings and how to react to our children’s big emotions both...

In this episode, we welcome our guest Elaine Power who shares her experience as a primary teacher and as a mum on how play really helps children develop necessary skills in life. She recommends the most engaging open-ended toys for birthday gifts, talks about play areas and resources to have at home at home and shares ideas for great toys and activities for outdoor play. She also shares lots of ideas about sensory play and how to set up activities for siblings of different ages. At the end of...

In this episode, Mireia (primary teacher) and Shannon (preschool teacher) discuss the importance of play (and lack of) in the classroom. We share our view about certainbehaviour control systems used in the classroom and offer information and alternatives, as well as ways to boost children’s self-esteem and social skills in the classroom. We talk about playful experiences in the classroom to create more meaningful experiences for all children. We talk about homework alternatives that actually...

In this episode, Gemma will talk about the importance of outdoor play and family connection. She will empower you to take that step towards fulfilling your dreams and feeling confident no matter what you do. Gemma will give us advice on ways to improve our communication with our children as we increase their self-esteem and value within the family. We will also talk about the importance of being part of a community where you can find all the support you need in your parenting journey. Find...

Today we are joined by Jayne Sherlock. Jayne will talk about secure attachment and will share the things she learned during her carreer in EY that helped her figure out her parenting journey in a more confident way. She will encourage us to promote independence and quality time when it comes to spending time with our children on a daily basis while keeping things as basic and simple as possible. Jaynes background in Montessori and Eary Childhood will inspire you to become a more conscious...

In this episode we have two very special guests, they are Aimee and Gillian, two primary school teachers that will show us the possibilities that play offers in the classroom to help children reach their full potential. They will share their experience teaching through play from junior infants all the way up to 6th class, and also parenting through play, and also empower us to bring that play practice into our own school and home. When children learn through play, they are not just learning,...

Una Ryan from Remind Ed Wellbeing is joining us to day to talk about wellbeing, play and regulation. Una combines her experience as a primary school teacher and as a mammy to show us how to help our children self regulate and how to incorporate play and connection in our everyday busy life. She will give us some great tips to improve our relationship and quality time with our children so we can build trust, connection and resilience.

Today we are joined by Katie from https://www.twinklekids.ie/. She will talk about the importance of being comfortable with own self before you can support others. We talk about the benefits of independent play and how to get there. Katie shares her experience of 8 years living and teaching in China before she moved back to Ireland and set up her own business. We also share our view on the current issue about sharing children’s private life on social media.

Hello and welcome to episode 5, this is a continuation of the previous episode where we talk with Triona from Early years Insights about early childhood education and share some parenting tips. In this second part we will talk about the importance of communication between parents and teachers in early years settings. Triona will also share a few really good tips to help you support your child’s transition into school.

Triona Gunning from Early Years Insights shares her experience growing up between a farm and the city and how this has impacted her parenting style. She shows the importance of not setting expectations on our children's choices when growing up and gives us some good advice about how to be prepared for sensory play activities at home. Find out more about Triona's workshops at https://earlyyearsinsights.ie/We will keep talking with Triona on episode 5!

Amy Winter is the owner of Little Kneaders. She makes a sensory dough for children with additional needs, people with dementia, Alzheimer's and cancer. She also organises the Resource Fair around Ireland bringing businesses together to showcase their products and services for families with additional needs. She runs play sessions and training for teachers, as well as a Wellness program to help neurodivergent children improve their self esteem and confidence. If you would like to showcase or...

Shannon shares her experience and expectations working in Early Childhood Education in Ireland and also in London, a different and perhaps slightly more efficient system for early years educators, school transitions and advanced methodologies. We are clearly improving our system in Ireland and we share our dream goals in the sector!

How we chose our podcast name and what you can expect from this podcast!