A shift towards fostering healthy self-esteem and self-confidence has taken place across the education sector and within our own roles as parents over the last generation. And with good reason! Kids are more overstimulated, over-scheduled and plugged in than ever before. It’s no wonder that this results in stressed and anxious kids. In an era where the emphasis is on building kid’s resilience in order to foster happier and more confident kids, there are some simple ways we can all take the pressure off.

Resilient Kids

Building resilience and confidence doesn’t happen overnight. Parenting is not always easy so go easy on yourself and your children while working together to help them feel more self-confident. Here are some strategies you can use to help you children, no matter what age and stage they are at.

3-6 year-olds

Watching children of this age group begin to explore the world around them, develop their language, and their physical and intellectual skills is very exciting. Some of the challenges children face in this stage of their development include independence versus accepting boundaries and limitations, emotional regulation versus ‘meltdowns’ and tantrums, and learning to interact and negotiate with others cooperatively. Here’s how we can help them develop confidence and resilience:

• Demonstrating mindful practices and meditation
• Developing opportunities for open and authentic sharing within the family conversations
• Celebrating achievements, no matter how minor

Non-competitive physical activity is what Acro Kids is all about. Some cool, new Parkour skill or the sense of achievement a child feels the first time they master a somersault is definitely worth celebrating!

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Watching your baby, toddler and pre-schooler develop is one of the most fulfilling elements of parenting. Long before they utter their first word or take their first steps, they are putting in the work to ensure that they reach each developmental milestone. While watching your baby roll over or seeing your pre-schooler learn to jump is satisfying in itself, there is something even more exciting happening underneath the surface.

Gross motor skill development has long been linked with cognitive function and there are some surprising connections that you may not know about. Here’s how some significant gross motor milestones are linked to cognitive function in children. 

Sitting independently

They’ve rolled, developed neck strength, increased their core stability and then suddenly, all the dots connect and your baby is able to sit on their own. Not only does this mean that you get a break as they discover their new perspective, it also signals an exciting time ahead for your baby; independent play! So, how can we ensure that we’re giving our little ones plenty of opportunity to develop the skills required to sit independently?

Here at Acro Kids, we use a mix of tummy time, sitting with support (whilst in their carer’s lap), and a combination of reaching, grasping and rolling activities. Sitting independently means more eye contact, more experimental play with objects and more problem solving. This all translates to strengthening cognitive function for babies aged 0-12 months and beyond.

Crawling, running, tumbling and jumping!

Lack of sleep has been shown to have a detrimental impact on recovery time as well as staying well in the first place. A study in Germany in 2019 suggests that a sound sleep improves immune cells, known as T cells. Plus, you know your body well enough to know that an early night is sometimes the very best medicine.

Plenty of physical activity throughout the day, a healthy dinner and a predictable evening routine all contribute to good quality sleep. Turn off those devices and cuddle up with some books instead and you will soon be off to dream-land. You’ll be well rested and ready for another day!

All our programs are designed with health, development and enjoyment in mind. If you would like to add Parkour Ninja training or Acrobatics to your weekly immune-boosting routine, then Acro Kids can help.

Studies involving neuro-imaging have found that increased physical activity promotes the formation of grey matter in the brain. This means that encouraging more physical activity in babies, toddlers and young children will benefit not only their physical development, but their cognition too. All our classes are designed to be FUN. We find that enjoyment of something is a great motivator to keep doing it, so our experienced facilitators put an emphasis on positive reinforcement and encourage kids to play, laugh and have a go.

Mobility, movement and exploring their environment is crucial to the cognitive functioning of children of all ages. It aids in the formation of neural connections as well as promoting confidence and self-esteem. (For more info on how to foster confidence in children, check out our blog post, Raising Confident Kids here + link). As infants and children interact with their external environment, the brain reacts to the input, firing and creating new connections.

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Whether it’s the Winter sniffles, viral bugs brought home from childcare or a dreaded whole-family-gastro scenario, our immune system has a big part to play in helping fight off illness.

An immune response can help protect the body from bacteria, viruses and germs. With this in mind, it is vital that we take care of our immune system so it can take care of us! Here’s four ways you can help boost the immunity of your whole family so you can avoid illness, or if you do happen to fall ill, get well again as soon as possible.

1. Eat the rainbow

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This age-old rhyme is actually grounded in science and backed by health professionals the world over. But it doesn’t stop there. Doctors recommend that a diet rich in protein, vitamins and zinc may help boost your immune system. So how do we get more of these nutrients off the dinner plate and into our children’s mouths? Make it fun!

Add almonds (packed with magnesium and Vitamin E) to a breakfast smoothie or put eggs (one of the only foods with naturally occurring Vitamin D) on the menu. For lunch, whip up some savory pancakes with sweet potato (full of Vitamin C) or a green smoothie. Then at dinner time, serve up a rainbow platter that no one will be able to resist. Use fresh vegies, fruit, nuts and seeds, lentil dips, and salmon cakes to tempt their tastebuds and boost their immune systems.

Eating fresh produce is easy on the Mornington Peninsula and surrounds as we have access to plenty of farm gate shops. Check out the list of farm gate produce stores and support local business.

3. Sleep well

Lack of sleep has been shown to have a detrimental impact on recovery time as well as staying well in the first place. A study in Germany in 2019 suggests that a sound sleep improves immune cells, known as T cells. Plus, you know your body well enough to know that an early night is sometimes the very best medicine.

Plenty of physical activity throughout the day, a healthy dinner and a predictable evening routine all contribute to good quality sleep. Turn off those devices and cuddle up with some books instead and you will soon be off to dream-land. You’ll be well rested and ready for another day!

All our programs are designed with health, development and enjoyment in mind. If you would like to add Parkour Ninja training or Acrobatics to your weekly immune-boosting routine, then Acro Kids can help.

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