Sonia, Early years nurture and wellbeing trainer/ consultant

With the start of the new term, I am feeling fizzy inside!, it’s not a dread, thankfully I love my job, however, it’s the fizz of expectation with the slight nervousness and unknown of what lies ahead. I am aware that over the last week this feeling has been growing. I usually experience this a little on the return to school. [ 439 more words ]
https://soniamain.wordpress.com/2020/08/31/hope-for-the-new-term/

Hope for the new term With the start of the new term, I am feeling fizzy inside!, it’s not a dread, thankfully I love my job, however, it’s the fizz of expectation with the slight nervousness and unknown of what lies ah…

The last two weeks I have had the joy of working on a playscheme, the team I worked with included artists, sports coaches, forest school leader, playworkers, and nurture workers. We represented 6 organisations and we worked with 2 bubbles of children, with 42 children altogether, from 28 families and 9 schools, funded by St Johns foundation. The children were aged 4-11. [ 755 more words ]
https://soniamain.wordpress.com/2020/08/09/focus-on-childrens-wellbeing/

Focus on children’s wellbeing The last two weeks I have had the joy of working on a playscheme, the team I worked with included artists, sports coaches, forest school leader, playworkers, and nurture workers. We represented 6 o…

I have had the chance to stop for two weeks, my term ended a couple of weeks ago. The last few weeks of the term felt manic, with a mix of very different endings both in my family and with work and preparing new starts for next term. There were times in term 6 that I strongly felt the sense of reduction and depletion that COVID has brought too many. [ 492 more words ]
https://soniamain.wordpress.com/2020/07/26/end-of-term/

End of term I have had the chance to stop for two weeks, my term ended a couple of weeks ago. The last few weeks of the term felt manic, with a mix of very different endings both in my family and with work and…

If you work with children in the context of church or faith assemblies, would you take a look at my survey. I will be using this as part of my research for my new book. Please do share with others who might be interested. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YRXL8HV

Contemplative practice with children in church Survey Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

I was interviewed for a week of wellbeing CPD, a youtube link to my interview is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTFnRVvqd5w&list=PLmXPI8ion8XsQuQg8n84fhMZZt9-qfmiU

Juice Boost Day 1 with Sonia Mainstone-Cotton In this podcast on the Juice Boost Week Sonia talks about: 1. Our wellbeing 2. Our working environments. 3. Top-tips for supporting your wellbeing 4. Organis...

New post out today on childcare expo about improving our wellbeing

Ideas for Improving our wellbeing | Childcare Expo | Early Years Exhibitors | Free Childcare Exhibitions Ideas for Improving our wellbeing | Childcare Expo | Early Years Exhibitors | Free Childcare Exhibitions

My new book has arrived today, hope it will be a helpful read over Christmas. Available for sale from Thursday, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

In case you want a suggestion for a Christmas present!, my next book focusing on the wellbeing of adults who work with children is out on the 14th December. Although the title says early years, it is relevant for anyone working with children and young people. https://www.jkp.com/uk/promoting-emotional-wellbeing-in-early-years-staff-2.html

Promoting Emotional Wellbeing in Early Years Staff Though children's wellbeing is high on the agenda for policy makers, the welfare of the professionals looking after them is often taken for granted. Sonia Mainstone-Cotton recognises that in order to enhance children's emotional wellbeing, it's vital that

Finding what brings you joy     It took me a while to figure out what brought me a deep sense of joy, I realised a few years ago it is swimming, especially swimming outside. At the start of this summer, I hoped to h…

Nurturing your soul This last weekend I have been taking time to stop and reflect, I attended a retreat led by Ian and Gail Adams, the retreat was very spacious with lots of opportunity for stillness practice. Some of…

Slowing down     One joy of working term time with children is that I get to live at a different pace during the summer holidays. I can slow down, it is a time to have the space to think creatively; a…

Embracing stillness and slowness   So much of the nurture role I do is helping children and the staff who support them to find a place of calmness and safety. There are many tools my colleagues, and I use to do this, it’s not…

Transitions and closures   We know that attention to transitions is so important. So much of my nurture work is about helping children to cope with transitions. So many children find transitions hard. In many primary …

Recognising the change and celebrating every success   Over the last week, I have been writing end of year reports for the nurture children I support. This is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the development in the children we work with…

My recent article on childcare expo

Listening to children by Sonia Mainstone-Cotton | Childcare Expo | Early Years Exhibitors | Free Childcare Exhibitions Listening to children by Sonia Mainstone-Cotton | Childcare Expo | Early Years Exhibitors | Free Childcare Exhibitions

Awe and Wonder One of the joys of working with young children is their sense of excitement and wonder with the world, the way they delight at a snail or a dandelion can be delightful to see. This sense of awe and…

Experimenting with ideas for nurture play for next term. Waterbeads in a zip bag.

This week in my nurture work I have been playing with bubble snakes. Lots of fun.

I was reminded today of this great film. These last 2 weeks I have been using finger breathing to help stressed children and staff. Powerful tools to help children

"Just Breathe" by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman (Wavecrest Films) The inspiration for “Just Breathe” first came about a little over a year ago when I overheard my then 5-year-old son talking with his friend about how emotio...

This is really well written for children.

Advice if you're upset by the news - CBBC Newsround If you are upset by what's happened in Manchester today here is some advice.

A useful article

How should we talk to children about terrorism? - BBC News In the wake of the Westminster attacks, we ask how should we explain terrorism to children?

One of my best tools in nurture work. Love bubbles.

Thanks to my sister living in New Zealand for this video. Brilliant find Karen Price, made us laugh lots. The translation you will need - gumboots- wellies, Kai-food, Jandals-flip-flops.

HOW TO 'ABC' Like it? Hit that 'thumbs up' thing. Oh, and SUBSCRIBE. *NEW 'How to' EVERY MONDAY *NEW VLOG EVERY WEDNESDAY - Subscribe so you don't miss it. *Gumboot Throw...

Mental wellbeing   This week I have started writing the last chapter for my new book on the wellbeing of adults who work with children. The chapter’s focus is on mental wellbeing, so often when we are stressed…

Great article here about children who have sensory porcessing needs.

Give Your ADHD Child a Sensory Break ADHD Child: Children w. attention deficit have a complex sensory motor system... a child may act impulsively, get distracted easily, and become hyperactive.

Great article here, we really need more play in reception and yr 1 ( and yr2).

Exclusive: Formal learning starts too young, say early years teachers Survey of thousands of teachers uncovers broad support for more play-based learning in Year 1

On an early years group I am a member of I have been having a conversation about how we extend our learning and increase our mental wellbeing. A comment that has come up again and again is around reading. An essential part of writng a book is researching, which I love. I thought I would start to share on here a few books I have been reading as part of my research. The first one is The Nature Fix by Florence Wiliams, this book explores why being outside is so good for ourwellbeing, she looks at cutting edge reseacrh from across the world. I particulalry loved the reasearch from Japan and South Korea around forest therapy ( basically spending time in woods). It sounds really obvious that spending time outside helps us to feel better, improves our wellbeing, however this book explores the research that is taking place to explore why this helps how this makes a difference to our bodies and mind.

Today in the my nurture work we have been playing with painted rice and story telling with Oliver Jeffers.

Some great thoughts by Kathy Brodie here.

Resource Ideas to Support Children If you do a course about special educational needs with me, you’ll find that it isn’t too long before I suggest that all resources you use the children with SEN are good for children who do not have SEN. A good case in point was recently, on our accredited course, we had a very knowledgeable […]

I have just opened an Etsy shop selling stess and anxiety kits. I have been using these for a while with older children and young people. They are useful for exam season. Take a look at the shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/NurtureandWellbeing…

by NurtureandWellbeing