Health & wellbeing – happy days

Children need to be happy and content in their setting. They need to feel safe and comfortable so they are able to learn and develop, cope with challenges – both negative and positive – and build strong relationships. How then can we ensure this happens while also balancing the concern that so many children have been negatively impacted by Covid 19?

1.7 million children are estimated to be behind with talking and understanding words. They are also demonstrating higher separation anxiety and a delay in their PSED and physical skills. It's a tension we need to navigate, while keeping staff happy and supported too.

It's important in all this sometimes-negative narrative to remember that not all children struggled through Covid. Many benefited from the rich home experience where their parents were available to them more, which is a clue to how we manage this. We need to:

• think about the unique child
• refresh our approach to parents and how we rebuild the home-learning bridges with them.

One of the positive comments I remember from Covid was staff telling me how the children had slowed down and were taking time to absorb their learning experiences. They were wallowing in the slow pace of the day.

So, how can we take this feedback and use it in the present? Step back and observe what is happening, follow the children throughout the day and then analyse the pace, the environment and the relationships. Consider where can you slow things down:

• Is there thinking and quiet time built into the day?
• Do you have small cushioned spaces to lie and chill?
• Have you strategically placed books in dens and peaceful places to encourage a tranquil reading space?
• Do you do yoga with the children and staff where they learn to stretch together?
• Have you refreshed the routine and built in time during the day for slowing down?
• Do they have a relaxing lunchtime with time to chill on a cushion?
• Outside, can they enjoy the experience by splashing, rolling, making a mess, listening, breathing and enjoying the outside without pressure to ‘do’?
• Is there time for a chat?

This approach is also good for staff because the wellbeing of children and staff remain inextricably linked.

FURTHER READING

• Think Feel Do: A Wellbeing Handbook for Early Years Staff by June O’Sullivan and Lala Manners
• The A to Z of Early Years: Politics, Pedagogy and Plain Speaking by June O’Sullivan