Feeling more optimistic has a link to our level of positivity and happiness. When we feel more optimistic we approach a task with increased confidence and strength that it will go well. Yet it's really easy to get stuck in a cycle of self-doubt when it comes to things going wrong.
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“Strive to make everyday the best day of your life, because there is no good reason not to.” Hal Elrod
Dandelion Playdough
May 22, 2019
After seeing an article on using natural dye to colour the play dough we decided to give it a go with Dandelions. The field near us was about to be cut and so we rushed to collect as many daffodils as we could to use in our recipe before they were destroyed.Â
We love Dandelions and so do the bees! So it's really important that we don't take these away from the wildlife they support. As they come back year after year and have one of the longest flowering seasons of most plants many gardeners actually dislike their success and try and get rid of them!Â
To make our natural play dough we followed this recipe we found online;
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon cream of tarter
- 2Â tablespoons vegetable oil
- 10-15Â dandelion flowers with petals pulled out
Method
- Take your dandelion heads and put them into a cup of boiling water. Stir with a fork.
- In a mixing bowl add your other ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Once your water and ...
Leading with Optimism
May 16, 2019
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 Identify NegativityÂ
First identify what it is your feeling negative about. Make a list of all the solutions you can think of to solving the problem you have. Moving towards positivity and hope. Then commit yourself to taking one of these actions next time you feel this way.
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For me my house sale has recently fallen though. My initial thought was “Oh no this is terrible what are we going to do now. Then I turned the situation around and thought well at least now we have more time to find our dream home (as we were about to move in with relatives), I'm saving money (as our next house will be bigger and have a more expensive mortgage) and lastly, I'm feeling tired so at least I don't need...
"No Time to Play"
May 16, 2019
Do you sometimes feel like you're not spending quality time interacting and playing with the children? Perhaps it often feels like you're jumping from one task to the next or having constant interruptions for children that need help.
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Two things I used to find helpful.
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1. Take 10- 15 minutes standing back in your provision during an average day. Watch what's going on and make a note of every time a child comes up to you and asks you a question. At the end of your 10 minutes look at the list of questions you've had. What do they tell you? 'Can I have some glue?', 'Where is my coat?' or 'I can't find the sellotape?' Then consider your learning environment and think about what you need to do to support the children's independence. If there is something children are generally finding tricky like using scissors run a masterclass on this.
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2. I also used to organise myself and my team in a loose rota. (This would have some degree of flexibility due to fascinations)
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