Holistic Community and Home Care Services

I really do love my job so much .. no two days are ever the same.
Last week we went for a nice long walk along the beach and came across “Cuttlefish henge”. How random and creative yet how beautiful that someone had taken the time to make this!

There are so many benefits to going barefoot! ❤☀❤

"With kids, it's even more important that they get abundant barefoot time because the proper development of natural gait patterns and deep body stabilization depends on the super-sophisticated feedback systems that come from the nerves sensing the ground and the brain.

This happens in two ways:

1. There are nerves that interpret the shape of the ground by how the bones in the feet bend at 33 different points (joints). This creates a mental image in the brain (similar to how a dolphin uses sonar to avoid obstacles). Wearing shoes prevents any motion in these joints (except the ankle) and leaves the shoe-wearer "blind" to the environment. This is what makes stiff shoes the worst when it comes to natural development.

and, P.S. This goes for adults too.

2. There are nerves that are sensing other things about the environment. Things like temperature and terrain. These nerves, designed to convey abundant information are now stuck just reading the inside of your shoes. And what is that environment like? Damp and smooth? Ew. The more you expose these nerves to the same input over and over, the more their information gets put on auto-pilot, into a part of your nervous system called an inter-neuron.

More about the inter-neuron: You know how when you walk into a room with a fresh baked pie, it smells delicious, but after a few minutes you don't smell it anymore? Your brain moves information that is constant into a different part of your brain to free it up for other things, so the more similar your environment, the less your nerves work to perceive. And the less they work, the less healthy they are.

This is why it is important (for everyone, not just kids) to walk on different terrain, on a different path, in different weather. Carrying different weights, wearing different shoes, and eating different food. Habits are not great for biology." - Katy Bowman, Biomechanical Expert

Read more here:
https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/barefoot-not-just-for.../

YES!

A few days ago a lovely parent I work for surprised me with a bunch of beautiful flowers to show me how grateful she was and how much she appreciated me.. I was speechless (for once).. it was so unexpected and such a wonderful surprise.

Owning my own business has been the best thing I’ve ever done, but also the hardest. I absolutely love the practical and hands on side of things but there’s so much work behind the scenes that goes on that sometimes I just want to run away and hide as it all gets very overwhelming. All of the book keeping, chasing invoices, planning activities and outings, buying resources, organising and paying for all of the insurances and overheads etc, the list goes on.

So much mum guilt for having to work to provide for my child 100% with no child support or government help, but also the guilt of not being able to say yes to every single shift so feeling like I’m letting people down.

I can’t believe it’s been 2 and a half years since I started working for myself… it’s been a huge journey. Ups and downs. I’m still learning to try and look after myself and set boundaries (which sometimes means upsetting people which I then dwell on for months) but it’s honestly been the best 2 and a half years and I’m so grateful to all of the families I currently work with or have worked with in the past. I genuinely love what I do and love the beautiful bonds we have created and I’m excited to go to work every single day!

Sometimes big feelings just need a safe space # # #

Go to the crying child. The wrong coloured pencil, the sand in their shoe, the book that they didn’t want to read - it’s all a big deal to them.

Think about the life experiences they’ve had. They haven’t experienced what we have and therefore have no frame of reference for how big their problem objectively is (or from an adult’s point of view).

Children under 7 are also still in the egocentric stage of development, where everything is all about them.

Plus, their prefrontal cortex isn’t anywhere near as developed as an adult’s, meaning they don’t have the ability to regulate themselves, or are only just beginning to learn this.

Dismissing their feelings (e.g. “you get what you get and you don’t get upset”…) or leaving them to deal with their emotions on their own can stay with them. If it happens consistently without a caregiver acknowledging or repairing afterwards, it can be stored in their brain and body along with other similar experiences (in their implicit memory), and contribute to their core beliefs (schemas), perceptions, and assumptions about the world as they grow up.

Meeting a child’s feelings with shame, ridicule or punishment also puts their nervous system under stress and their brain in a more reactive state, meaning they will remain in a heightened state and be more likely to become upset or triggered again.

There is just too much research and evidence behind this for it to be ignored.⠀
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If a child is upset, go to them.

And as always - parents, teachers, anyone caring for children - we don’t have to get it right 100% of the time. We just have to be good enough. We’re all still learning and doing the best we can with the resources we have.

So true - it really is the most beautiful sound in the world 🌸 💗

The constant interruptions as a parent (most often from our children) are frustrating…you lose your train of thought or the flow of what you’re doing…

Now consider for a moment if this is what we may be doing to our toddlers and young children when we constantly quiz them - “What colour is your plate?” “What sound does a cow make?” “Who’s that?” “How many coins are there?”

Of course it’s well-intentioned when adults ask children these questions. We want to interact with children and teach them, and it’s cute when we hear them repeat knowledge we’ve taught them. And of course we’re going to ask questions sometimes, but, we don’t need to constantly be quizzing our little ones!

If children are busy doing something and we’re constantly interrupting, it can affect their concentration, and it can also feel like pressure or like they’re being asked to perform…which in general, isn’t fun.

Similarly, we don’t need to interject their play with lessons on numbers, letters, colours or shapes. They should pick up on these things organically. Play is not about teaching (though children are absolutely learning when they play, they just don’t need us for this).

Just something to keep in mind 😊

❗️PSA 🤢 have you been sick after swimming at our beach??

This algal bloom issue has ignited emotions, but what’s shocked us more is that we are being contacted by a range of people unsolicited stating that since swimming along the Mullaloo beaches they have suffered illness ranging from hospital admission for bacterial respiratory tract infections, Urinary tract infections, vomitting and diahorea and ear infections. If anyone has truthfully expereinced acute illness please direct message us so that we can compile a dossier for WA Health. Given the number of people we are hearing about there could be more… thanks

Happy New Year 🥳

Thank you for all of your support throughout this year.

I have had a lovely and very well deserved break but looking forward to getting back to work this week

Here’s to 2024 🩷

✨ Pure Joy ✨

Last shift of the year today, and what a beautiful shift it was!

🎄 Cookie baking and decorating
🎄 Drawing and colouring
🎄 Poster making
🎄 Hairdressers
🎄 Creating a little cafe and shop
🎄 Water play - lots and lots
🎄 Singing and dancing
🎄 Building towers
🎄 Ornament decorating
🎄 Card making
🎄 Making flower gardens
🎄 Free play

Lots of noise and lots of laughter.

Thank you to the wonderful families I have had the pleasure of working with this year - work has hardly felt like work and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself as much as the children.

I appreciate everyone’s patience over the last few months while I’ve been trying to get my health back on track too.

I’m looking forward to a whole 10 days off (!!) but I will miss everyone and look forward to seeing everyone in the new year!

🎄 🎁 ✨💕

I know I don’t post much these days as life is extremely busy but today was an exceptionally beautiful day.

Expecting just to go for a little picnic and a play on the playground turned into so much more.

We met some new friends and also found a huge group of black swans. We approached them slowly and quietly and admired them from a distance. We discovered a little birds nest and sat still and listened to all of the different sounds we could hear. We heard multiple birds, the beautiful black swans and we heard a little frog too.

Many conversations were held and so many questions were asked. I absolutely love our excursions exploring different parks and playgrounds, no two outings are ever the same!

Towards the end of the outing to wind down, we sat in the shade and listened to relaxation music.

Some of the benefits:

🌟 Developing fine and gross motor skills
🌟 Developing core engagement
🌟 Natural risk assessments
🌟 Community Involvement
🌟 Learning to respect and appreciate nature
🌟 Sharing and waiting turns
🌟 Fresh air and Vitamin D
🌟 Helps to improve mental health
🌟 Helps to regulate emotions
🌟 Better sleep
🌟 Burns energy (yay!) from physical and environmental stimulation
🌟 Sparking curiosity whether verbal or nonverbal

🌸 Sharing this offer with the beautiful families I work with while I’m starting out on my photography journey 🌸

Day 3/4 of our little trip down South 💗

We have had a wonderful time:

🌸 Splashing in puddles
🌸 Feeding animals at the farm
🌸 Nature hikes and a picnic by a waterfall
🌸 Dancing in the rain
🌸 Exploring new beaches
🌸 Learning about new crystals
🌸 Snuggling in the rain watching movies
🌸 Meeting new friends at the park
🌸 Little miss asking a million questions and finding the answers together… and so much more!

~ ⭐️ ~

🍁 If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share
their feelings, and grow - Alfie Kohn

🍁 Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few
of them are dirt - John Muir

🍁 The best education does not happen at a desk, but rather engaged in everyday living - hands on, exploring, in active relationship with life - Vince Gowman

🍁 A Day Out In Nature 🍁

🍃 Climbing Trees
🍃 Being surrounded by an abundance of wildlife
🍃 Running races
🍃 Naming the different birds
🍃 Learning about the meaning of Wangi Mia
🍃 Chasing butterflies
🍃 Seeing Koalas
🍃 Searching for kangaroos (it was too busy today)
🍃 Collecting leaves and twigs for our collages
🍃 Making branch umbrellas
🍃 Listening to the birds singing and singing back
🍃 Community involvement and participation
🍃 Noticing faces on tree trunks
🍃 Picnic in the winter sunshine
🍃 Learning about real life risks and boundaries
🍃 Attempted yoga with 3 young children which ended up in a giggling fit - at least we tried!

“We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to see the sunrise and nightfall - to care”
John Clea

*I don’t post often but I really do love and appreciate my job - thank you 🙏 *

Happy WA day

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend and has stayed safe and warm in this weather!

Have a beautiful week ☔️ 🌸 💗

https://instagram.com/creative_flow_photography?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==

Good evening all 🙂 I hope everyone has had a great week so far!

I apologise for not posting here often - life is very busy and I send updates to the individual families each week rather than posting here.

As a lot of you know, I created a program a few years ago for 2-5 year olds that loosely followed the mainstream curriculum as well as my own input. I decided to stop following it because although it mostly aligned with my own philosophy, I found that the children were happier with play based activities and would learn much more this way. I would then (and still do) scaffold activities off of their interests each week.

I recently placed an order for some new resources to add to our collection. A lot of them are Montessori inspired and others are not but they all serve an educational purpose and are inviting to the eye, as well as fun.

A few months ago I started incorporating some more science experiments and more baking into our Nannying and support work sessions as well.

For Nannying sessions I rotate toys and resources regularly and for support work I am happy to bring along resources with me to our sessions whether that be in the home or within the community.

I’m always open to feedback from families and suggestions for more resources!

Have a great weekend 🌟 🌸 💗

PDA, or Pathological Demand Avoidance (although I prefer the term "Pervasive Drive for Autonomy" is an Autistic subtype (and maybe ADHD) that has distinct characteristics. ⁠
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It's an important thing for parents to know about because:⁠
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1) It can be harder to get an Autism diagnosis as the child often doesn't present in the stereotypical ways. ⁠
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2)It has HUGE implications for how we parent, as these children do well with a low-arousal, low-demand approach to parenting. ⁠
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Here are some core features of PDA (source PDA Society UK). ⁠
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💚 Resists & avoids the ordinary demands of life to an extreme extent, including things they enjoy. This can lead to significant difficulties in daily functioning, social relationships, & education and can make parenting and healthcare challenging.⁠
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💚 Uses social strategies as part of the avoidance (often perceived as manipulative). These strategies may be compelling & can be difficult to distinguish from genuine physical or emotional distress, leading to misunderstandings & conflicts.⁠
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💚 Appears sociable on the surface. But experiences difficulty maintaining close relationships & engaging in true reciprocal play, which can contribute to social isolation & anxiety.⁠
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💚 Experiences excessive mood swings & impulsivity. These mood swings can be intense & unpredictable, leading to sudden outbursts or meltdowns. PDAers are particularly sensitive to stress, unexpected changes, or perceived loss of autonomy.⁠
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💚 Displays 'obsessive' behavior, often focused on other people. This behavior can manifest as intense attachments or aversions to specific individuals or groups, which may change over time or in different contexts. ⁠
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You can read more in today's blog post where I unpack PDA & low-demand parenting) (Link in comments)
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💚 Dr. Neff

💫 Connection not perfection 💫

Have a beautiful weekend