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Activities, Babies, Balham, Childcare, Early Years, Health, Learning & Development, Maternity, Milk, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-schools, Preschool, Sleep for Under-Fives, Streatham, SW16, Tooting

20 Amazing Baby Facts

When preparing articles for this website, we often spot interesting baby facts that may surprise people. So, today, we thought we’d share 20 or so of our most surprising discoveries with you. Many are a reminder of just how amazing babies really are!

1. 266 Babies Born Every Minute

Did you know, one baby is born every 0.225 seconds. That’s 266 every minute, almost 16,000 every hour and nearly 384,000 every single day.

2. Rapidly Expanding Brains

A baby’s brain will more than double in size in their first year. By the time they’re five, it will have tripled in size compared to its size at birth. The brain will not finish fully developing, however, until the individual reaches their twenties. The brain of newborn boys may also grow faster in the first 3 months than that of newborn girls. It’s something that’s keenly debated amongst experts, though.

3. Almost 50% More Bones Than Adults

Babies are born with more bones than adults. In time, some will harden and fuse together into just a single bone. Babies’ heads have soft spots when newly born, but which don’t last. That’s because various, separate, bones form their skull at birth. Initially these are connected by something called ‘noggin’, but later the separate skull bones fuse together. Babies are born with around 300 bones. By the time they’re adult’s they will have just 206.

4. But No Kneecaps

Babies do not have kneecaps when they’re born! Had you ever noticed? These finish appearing only once the baby reaches at least 6 months of age.

5. Amazing Taste

Babies have about 30,000 taste buds when they’re born. This is three times as many as adults. This is accounted for by the baby having taste buds not only on their tongue, but also on the sides and roof of their mouths as well as on the tonsils and back of the throat. Despite this, they apparently can’t taste salt until they’re about 4 months old.

6. Not So Hot on Eye Sight

Newborn babies are short sighted, only being able to properly focus on an area 8 to 14 inches in front of them — that’s perfect for seeing mum when being breastfed when you think about it. This area of focus will increase with time, of course, and babies also use their peripheral vision to make up for the lack of deeper focus.

7. Fur, Gills & a Tail — Yes, Really!

According to the experts, foetuses have gills, fur and even a tail during development. All three end up disappearing either before birth or, often in the case of fur, within the first few weeks after being born. The tail will have become the coccyx and the ‘gills’, which are temporary slits (pharyngeal arches) in the neck, will have developed into jaw and ear bones by the time the babies have been born.

8. No Tears for Weeks

Babies don’t cry tears until they’re about a month old. Until then, it’s rather like ‘dry’ crying.

9. Natural Born Swimmers (… Kind of)

Newborns hold their breath underwater automatically and even adapt their heart rate and peripheral blood vessels when doing so. We strongly advise against you testing this, of course, but apparently it’s true. This natural ability does not last past the age of six months, however.

10. Baby Time in the Womb

Some interesting statistics suggest that, on average, female babies remain in the womb a day longer than males, white babies remain there 5 days longer than black babies and Indian babies remain there 6 days longer than white babies. If true and not simply a momentary glitch, the reasons for this are a bit of a mystery.

11. No Memory Before Three

People’s long-term memories go back no earlier, in general, than the age of three. This is believed to be because either memory function hasn’t developed sufficiently until then or because memory may be tied to the ability to understand language.

12. Recognising Day & Night

It can take up to 12 weeks before a baby will recognise the difference between day and night. Hence, the irregular sleep pattern that can last until they’re 5 or so months of age.

13. Eyes to the Right

85% of newborn babies prefer to face to the right when lying on their back. The preference only lasts a few months, but may also be an indicator of whether they’ll turn out to be right-handed or left-handed.

14. Is Breast Really is Best?

As well as protecting against diseases, breastfeeding babies for at least 2 months halves the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) — that’s incredible when you think about it. It also gives greater protection from SIDS the longer you continue.

15. And Breast Milk Adapts Like Magic

Expressed breast milk for a baby should never exceed 4oz per bottle no matter what age they are. While formula-fed infants have bigger bottles as they grow older, babies fed via bottles containing expressed breast milk should stick to 4oz (1 to 1½oz per hour) maximum. That’s because the breast milk adapts itself to their precise needs as they grow; it constantly changes its composition as the child gets older and that includes calorie content contained per ounce. That’s clever!

16. The Only Smiling Primate

Human babies are the only primate babies that smile at their mother or father. That’s quite remarkable, although we wonder whether other primates have a different way of smiling that we don’t recognise or understand.

17. Special Birth Months

According to statistics, the most common date of birth is the 9th of September. This is closely followed by the 19th, 12th and 17th of September, in that order. Interestingly, babies born around this time stand the best chance of being the smartest in the class and going on to have the greatest success in life. We considered whether this could be linked to school starting in September, making these children the oldest, most mature pupils in the class at a time when learning and development is so crucial.

Meanwhile, people born in October seem to live the longest, living on average 160 more days than those born in the Spring.

Scientific evidence also points to the month of birth affecting personality. For example, those born in the summer months having the most optimistic outlooks.

18. And the Not So Special

Meanwhile, December, January and February are the least common months for births, with December 25th and 26th seeing the fewest during the entire year.

19. Outcomes of Being First Born

Children who are first-born are 1.7 times more likely than their younger siblings to live to the age of one hundred. Those with young mothers at birth stand the greatest chance of doing so. The first born is statistically more likely to have better mental health but have a slightly higher propensity to be overweight or have high blood pressure. Firstborns are often natural leaders but younger siblings may experience that simply as bossiness when growing up!

20. The Origins of ‘Infant’

The term ‘infant’ comes from the Latin ‘infans’, which means ‘unable to speak‘ … which makes sense, when you think about it.

We hope that you have found these surprising facts of interest and have perhaps learned something you didn’t know before — we certainly enjoyed putting them together for you.

High Quality Childcare in Streatham

We are Little Cedars, a pre-school and childcare nursery in Streatham. As well as being one of the best nurseries in the London SW16 area, we would also make a convenient choice for anyone requiring childcare nurseries, pre-schools or playgroups in/around Balham, Tooting, Norbury, Colliers Wood, Furzedown, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill and Streatham Park. Why not book a visit, register for a nursery place, or ask any questions — our childcare professionals are here to help:

Apply for a Nursery Place Arrange a Visit or Email Us Here Telephone 020 8677 9675

30 September 2021/by Mark

Babies, Childcare, Early Years Education, Nurseries, Nursery, Parents, Paternity, Pre-schools, Preschool, Streatham, SW16, Tooting, Under-5s

Statutory Paternity Leave & Pay (Rough Guide)

Following up from our Rough Guide to Statutory Maternity Leave & Pay (for mothers), we follow up with a similar guide for the father (or partner of the mother, including in same-sex relationships). As you’ll see, some of the rules are quite different …

Statutory Paternity Leave

An eligible father/partner of the mother can take just one or two weeks of Statutory Paternity Leave off work when their partner has a baby — so, significantly less than the mother. The length of time they’re entitled to does not increase if twins, triplets or more are born — it remains at 1 or 2 weeks total. It’s also worth noting that the paternity leave needs to be taken in one go, not split up into smaller chunks of time.

We should also clarify what counts as a week. This is however many days they work in an average week in their employment.

Timing

The father, or partner of the mother, must give their employer at least 15 weeks’ advance notice that they wish to take Statutory Paternity Leave. This can be imprecise, however, given that they won’t be 100% certain which day the child(ren) will be born. If they later change the proposed date, employers must be given at least 28 days (4 weeks) notice of the change, made in writing if requested by the employer.

Statutory Paternity Leave must end no later than 8 weeks after the date of the birth (or due date if born early) and must not start until the baby is actually born. Please note that different rules apply for those who are adopting and we do not comprehensively cover those in this article.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Statutory Paternity Leave, the person must be taking time off to look after the child and needs to be:

the child’s father, or
the mother’s husband or partner (including if same-sex), or
the adopter of the child, or
if the baby is born through surrogacy, the intended parent.

In addition, the person:

must be an employee of a company (with an official employment contract);
must give the correct advance notice (see ‘Timing’ section above);
must have been working for their employer continuously for 26 or more weeks prior to the 15th week before the baby is due* (N.B. different rules apply for those who are adopting);
must not have already taken Shared Parental Leave (‘SPL’);
if adopting, must not have already taken paid time off to attend adoption appointments.

Statutory Paternity Pay

To be eligible for Statutory Paternity Pay, a person needs to:

earn £120 or more each week, before tax;
give the correct advance notice to their employer (see ‘Timing’ section above);
be employed by them right up to the date of the birth;
have been working for them continuously for 26 or more weeks prior to the 15th week before the baby is due* (N.B. different rules apply for those who are adopting).

* ^{The 15th week before the baby is due is is known as the Qualifying Week.}

Those whose income has dropped below an average of £120 per week due to being on furlough during the pandemic may still be eligible.

How Much Do They Get?

An eligible father/partner of the mother will receive the lower of £151.97, or 90% of their average gross weekly earnings, per week. The payments are made through their wages by the employer after deducting any tax and National Insurance if due. (Figures correct at September 2021).

Making a Claim

Fathers/partners of the mother can use the same online tool as mothers to check what they’re entitled to. Start here.

Protected Employment Rights

As with mothers, a number of statutory employment rights for the father/partner of the mother are still protected under law. These include rights to possible pay rises, accruing of holiday leave and of returning to work after completion of the paternity leave. Eligible working parents are able to claim several weeks of unpaid parental leave under certain conditions. If met, they are eligible to take 18 weeks off (unpaid, but per child) before their child is 18. Follow the bold link earlier in this paragraph for more information, via our separate post.

Watch this space because we’ll cover the rules around Shared Parental Leave and more in separate, future guides.

An Outstanding Nursery in Streatham SW16

This guide was brought to you by the team at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham. For parents searching for the best nursery for their child in Streatham, Little Cedars represents a great choice. We offer outstanding weekday childcare in Streatham, also being convenient for those requiring a childcare nursery near Tooting, Furzedown, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Balham, Norbury or Colliers Wood. To book a tour, ask a question or register for a nursery place for your child, please use one of the following options:

Apply for a Nursery Place Arrange a Visit or Email Us Here Telephone 020 8677 9675

16 September 2021/by Mark

Babies, Childcare, Early Years, Maternity, Nurseries, Nursery, Parenting, Pre-schools, Streatham, SW16, Under-5s

Statutory Maternity Leave & Pay (Rough Guide)

When women have a new baby, they will need to take time off work to give birth and to look after the newborn during their first weeks or more. It’s a precious time for both mother and baby and the good news is that employed mothers are legally entitled to maternity leave under UK employment law. Today, we’ll take a look at how much time and money mothers are entitled to under Statutory Maternity Leave and what the eligibility requirements are. We’ll concentrate purely on the rules for mothers who are employees in this post. However, we will follow up to cover paternity leave, shared leave and support for self-employed mothers separately, in future guides.

Statutory Maternity Leave Entitlement

Eligible mothers are entitled to take up to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave:

The first 26 weeks (i.e. first 6 months), known as Ordinary Maternity Leave;
The last 26 weeks (i.e. months 7 to 12), known as Additional Maternity Leave.

These are the statutory maximums, i.e. mothers do not need to take all 52 weeks off. However, they must take off the first 2 weeks from the date of birth as a minimum, or 4 weeks if they’re factory workers. (They can also arrange to share some of the remaining 50 weeks of their leave with their partner under Shared Parental Leave (‘SPL’) rules, which we’ll cover in the future).

Timing

Statutory Maternity Leave can begin up to 11 weeks prior to the baby’s anticipated due date. It must, however, begin no later than the day after birth if the baby is born early. For eligible mums, Statutory Maternity Leave (& Pay) must also start automatically in the event that the mum-to-be is off work for a medical illness, related to pregnancy, during the 4 weeks prior to the week the baby is due.

Eligibility

The good news is that, to be eligible for Statutory Maternity Leave in the UK, just two main rules apply. You need to:

a). officially be an employee of a company¹ and
b). give your employer the right amount of advanced notice.

How long you have been employed is not a factor and it also doesn’t matter what you are paid or how many hours you work.

^{1. Not a ‘worker’, ‘contractor’, ‘office holder’ nor ‘self-employed’ (like a sub-contractor) under UK employment tax law.}

Notice should be given at least 15 weeks before the baby’s due date. The notice may need to be in writing, depending on your employer’s preference. It needs to confirm the baby’s likely due date and when you would like to begin the maternity leave. Once notified, your employer then has 28 days to officially confirm the beginning and end dates for that leave.

Statutory Maternity Pay (‘SMP’)

Statutory Maternity Pay (‘SMP’) is available to mothers who:

earn £120 minimum per week on average;
have given their employer proof of pregnancy (usually an MATB1 certificate or letter from their doctor/midwife);
have given their employer the correct notice (min. 28 days) of going on Statutory Maternity Leave;
have worked for their employer for a minimum of 26 weeks (6 months) including into the 15th week preceding the anticipated due date;
have not been in police custody during the SMP period.

Those whose income has dropped below an average of £120 per week due to being on furlough during the pandemic may still be eligible for SMP.

How Much Do You Get?

You can receive SMP for up to 39 weeks. For the first 6 weeks, you receive 90% of your average gross weekly earnings. For the remaining 33 weeks if you take them, you receive the lower of £151.97 per week, or 90% of your average gross weekly earnings. They’re paid to you from your employer with tax and National Insurance deducted as if they’re part of your usual wages or salary. (Figures correct at August 2021).

Your Employment Rights

When you are away from work on Statutory Maternity Leave, a number of statutory employment rights are still protected. These include your right to a possible pay rise, your right to accrue holiday leave and your right to return to work when your maternity leave comes to an end.

Company Maternity Schemes

Some employers have their own Maternity/Paternity schemes. These must be at least equal to the statutory leave and pay schemes, however, many offer even greater allowances and benefits. So, always check with your employer or HR department to see what may be available.

Try the Online Tool

There’s a great online tool that you can use to check whether you are eligible to claim maternity/paternity leave and pay (as well as Maternity Allowance, which may help self-employed mums). It’ll also calculate how much you could receive. Head over to the Government tool here, ensure you have everything ready in the ‘Before you start’ section and click the green ‘Start now’ button.

If You’re Not Eligible

If you’re not eligible for Statutory Maternity Leave or Pay, other Government help options may be available. For example, for the self-employed, those who have recently stopped working, or are receiving one or more benefits. Click the bold blue link for more details.

Unpaid Parental Leave

Did you know that it’s possible to take unpaid parental leave if your child is under 18? In fact, eligible employees are entitled to up to 18 weeks off work before their child reaches the age of 18. Rules apply, of course, including a maximum of 4 weeks of unpaid parental leave being allowed in any one year. We cover eligibility and the finer detail in a separate post, so click the bold link earlier in this paragraph for the complete picture.

Outstanding Childcare in Streatham, for Your Baby, Toddler or Under-5

Are you looking for a high quality nursery in Streatham for your baby, toddler or under-five child? Little Cedars Day Nursery offers outstanding childcare in Streatham, close to Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Balham, Norbury & Colliers Wood. We’re one of the very best nurseries in SW16 and open on weekdays throughout the year. We’d love to show you and your little one around, so you can see the setting in action, and to answer any questions that you might have. Please select an option:

Apply for a Nursery Place Arrange a Visit or Email Us Here Telephone 020 8677 9675

31 August 2021/by Mark

Activities, Childcare, Early Years, Early Years Education, Early Years Foundation Stage, Education, EYFS, Learning through play, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-schools, Preschoolers, Sensory Play, Streatham, SW16, Tooting, Under-5s

The Benefits of Messy Play – for Under-Fives

Messy play is enjoyed universally amongst children, especially the very young. In fact, there is probably not a child in the UK that doesn’t enjoy it! Being let loose with coloured paints, art materials and creative opportunities is sure to bring a smile to their faces and a sense of enormous fun, creativity and discovery. No doubt too; they’ll be proud to show others their creations!

Is messy play all about having fun and being creative, though? Well, that’s important and it is partly about that. However, messy play also has a whole host of other benefits and purposes. In this article, we’ll take a look …

Learning Instinctively About the World

There’s something inherently natural about messy play — it instinctively appeals to children, giving them spontaneous ways to discover new aspects of the world and the properties of the things in it. Getting ‘hands-on’ with malleable media and colourful pigments surely is one of the most natural, fun ways for children to learn through play and discovery. Who doesn’t remember playing with wet sand on a beach, or being drawn to the joys of wet paint, mud or clay as a child? It simply is great fun and a way for children to let loose and get really messy — something they’re usually discouraged from doing.

Advancing Creativity & Self-Expression

As well as being enormous fun, messy play allows children to express themselves in unbounded creative ways. That’s important. Self-expression and creativity will help children to gain a sense of achievement and, through this subtle way, a greater sense of self-worth and confidence.

Building Blocks for Development

By learning about everything that messy play can teach them, children will also start to create building blocks upon which to develop intellectually and educationally. As well as learning about pigments, colours, form and the properties of different media, messy play will allow children to learn higher concepts. Just one example is planning. Here, they will learn how to decide on the order and structure of their activities before they actually begin them.

Improving Physical Skills & Strengths

Messy play is also a great opportunity for toddlers and preschoolers to build strength in their hands, to hone fine motor skills, and to improve coordination and even balance. Squeezing, pushing and pulling things like clay, or mixing and spreading pigments or glues all help children to improve their manual skills and build muscle in fingers, hands, arms and shoulders. Hand-eye coordination will also benefit, of course.

Gross motor skills can also be improved through messy play activities undertaken on a larger scale — for example playing in sandpits, creating large-scale art/sculptures and suchlike. What’s more, it’s all so much fun that children are completely unaware that they’re improving themselves as they engross themselves in the creative and playful aspects of the task. It’s all totally natural and, as such, messy play is a perfect example of learning and development through play.

Discovering New Senses

Messy play will also give children the opportunity to discover and recognise senses. Sight, touch, smell, sound and, if safe and appropriate, even taste senses can be stimulated through messy play. Through stimulation, children will get to learn more about themselves and the world around them. In terms of things in that world, it’ll also allow children to build up a picture of their own personal likes and dislikes. It also introduces children to spacial and material concepts, allowing them to recognise hardness, softness, solids, liquids, textures, form, colours and so on. Such concepts are important as foundations upon which to grow — as people and educationally.

Encouraging Independent & Team Working

As well as using messy play to practise independent working, it can also be done in small groups. In this way, children will begin to understand the power and importance of team work and co-operation, also learning things about leadership, communication, negotiation and problem-solving. That’s all incredibly important as they grow older, ultimately helping them at career level. Also, of course, it’s a great way for them to bond with peers.

Messy Play at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

We fully understand the many benefits of messy play at Little Cedars Nursery, of course. Indeed, it’s part of the curriculum. Under-fives are encouraged to learn through messy play using an enormous wealth of resources, equipment and materials at the setting. That’s both indoors and in our outside play areas. From paint and paper indoors to sandpits and water play outside, toddlers and preschoolers have a wonderful time with messy play at Little Cedars, all in a safe, structured, fun and educational environment.

Nursery Places in Streatham, Near Furzedown, Balham & Tooting

Little Cedars is one of the best nurseries in Streatham, near Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park and Furzedown as well as Balham, Tooting, Tooting Bec, Norbury and Colliers Wood. If you’d like to explore the opportunity of your baby, toddler or under-five child attending the setting, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to tell you more or even show you all around. Please select an option:

Apply for a Place Here Arrange a Visit or Message Us Here Telephone 020 8677 9675

14 August 2021/by Mark

Activities, Childcare, Early Years, Early Years Education, Early Years Foundation Stage, EYFS, Nurseries, Nursery, Parenting, Parents, Pre-schools, Preschool, Preschoolers, Streatham, Under-5s

Screen Time for Children – How Much is Too Much?

Recent studies show that use of connected screens and devices by children, including under-fives, is growing fast. The pandemic appears to have increased kids’ screen use too, as children have spent more time indoors and less time playing ‘in person’ with friends.

The big question for parents is: is all this screen time healthy for children? In this article, we’ll take a look …

First, Some Recent Statistics

According to Childwise, the leading research experts for children and young people, children are spending more and more time on connected devices. These are devices like mobiles, tablets, smart TVs, virtual assistants like Alexa and so on. Most feature a screen but all can connect to the Internet, to other devices and/or to people via Wi-Fi or data connection.

Here’s what the recent research has to say about children’s use of connected devices:

50% of all children aged between 5 and 10 own a mobile.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of all children own a mobile, with the majority of them having one by the time they’re 7. Pretty much all of them are mobile phone owners by the age of 11.
Over 75% of children under five have access to a connected device, with up to 60% of preschoolers actually owning their own.
Under-fives were found to be using tablets on average for 9 hours a week.
Over a quarter of preschoolers were also found to have access to games consoles.
83% of children have access to the Internet in their bedrooms.
Over half of children surveyed stated that they kept their phone next to their bed when sleeping.
11 and 12-year-olds spend, on average, 4.2 hours per day online. This has grown significantly since the preceding year’s report, when it was 3.3 hours per day.
Over a quarter of all children surveyed are spending 4 to 6 hours per day online.
Children are watching, on average, 3.3 hours (under five: 3 hours) of video content every day, with TikTok and YouTube being their favourite video platforms.
The number of homes with a virtual assistant (e.g. Alexa etc.) has risen to 39%.
Due to the Pandemic, 45% of school children surveyed said they were worried that they might be falling behind at school, while 62% said that they were feeling lonely.

Most figures in the surveys had increased in the last 12 months, although there were occasional exceptions.

Are Parents Choosing the Content Their Children Access?

According to findings of the research, half of preschoolers found online content without parental input and 60% of children aged 3 to 4 are more than capable of deciding which apps they wanted to use.

“Parents have always played a huge role in curating what [under-fives] consume and how their time is spent, but toddlers are now confidently navigating digital platforms for themselves, and using touchscreen devices with purpose and determination.” (Childwise)

Is Screen Time All Bad?

It’s generally accepted that too much screen time for children is not healthy for them. There are many reasons for this and we explore a few of the issues below …

Children need to keep fit and active rather than spending too much time inactive, in front of electronic screens. Exercise is incredibly important for children, whether they’re under five or older.
Also, it’s not healthy for them to disengage from the real world too much. Few ‘real world’ skills like physical, social interactions and honing of gross motor skills are possible when reliance is placed only on the virtual world through handheld and connected devices.
Screen time undertaken close to bedtime is also known to be a brain stimulant and that can adversely affect sleep patterns and the quality of sleep. This, in turn, can adversely affect concentration and energy levels and ultimately their ability to function and to learn optimally.
Some medical professionals and scientists say that the ‘RF wireless radiation’ emitted by Wi-Fi connected screens and devices may carry potential health risks particularly, they argue, for pregnant women, their unborn foetuses and the young. The very young, of course, have brains that are still at a critical development stage. For this reason, the experts concerned advocate that access to devices like mobile phones should be limited, removed from children’s bedrooms at night or, at the very least, placed in Flight Mode when possible. Using devices wired instead of using Wi-Fi apparently reduces risks. Use of them in hands-free mode is another useful approach, so that the devices are not so close to youngsters’ heads. We’re not experts ourselves, but these measures seem like sensible precautions.
Given the statistics about children, even toddlers, being able to access what they want on connected devices, some automatic Parental Controls would also seem sensible. For example, software from security companies like Norton allow great control over which websites can or can’t be accessed by children, and for how long.

“The battle to forge a healthy digital lifestyle is now a very real consideration for parents” (Childwise).

While time spent by children on connected screens and devices is rising, it’s not all bad news. The pandemic has also seen an increase in the time that parents have been spending with children, including on shared screen viewing as well as on other pastimes like baking, crafts and family activities. At the end of the day, it’s all about a healthy balance and, of course, adult supervision to ensure children’s wellbeing at all times.

Indeed, despite the sometimes alarming statistics, parents are in a prime position to influence what their children are exposed to on screens and connected devices. As such, that’s a golden opportunity to encourage content that’s not only stimulating and fun, but also educational. Programmes about nature or science are obvious examples, but there are many others.

Technology & Screen Time at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

When it comes to screen time for under-fives at Little Cedars Nursery, we understand both the benefits and the pitfalls. Technology has a great many benefits when used correctly and indeed is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum at the nursery. However, for obvious reasons, any time spent online or with electronic screens is stringently monitored and controlled by our childcare professionals. We aim to maximise the positive benefits of technology, while at the same time keeping children as safe as possible. We also, of course, know the importance of physical activities and active play at the setting so, at the end of the day, it’s about getting the balance right.

Nursery Places in Streatham, Near Furzedown, Balham & Tooting

If you are looking for a high quality nursery or pre-school place for your baby or child in and around Streatham, please do consider Little Cedars Nursery. We’re in Aldrington Road, SW16, so we’re also suitable for those looking for nurseries and pre-schools near to Furzedown, Balham, Tooting, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill and Streatham Park. Please choose a contact option below to get in touch:

Apply for a Place Here Arrange a Visit or Message Us Here Telephone 020 8677 9675

30 July 2021/by Mark

While most people have heard of dyslexia (see our recent guide), fewer are aware of a condition called dyspraxia. In this rough guide we give an overview as to what dyspraxia is, how it affects children, how to spot the signs of it and what can be done to mitigate its effects.

Please note: Dyspraxia is a form of Developmental Co-ordination Disorder or ‘DCD’ for short. Indeed, because there are different forms of dyspraxia, medical professionals generally tend to refer to the condition as DCD rather than dyspraxia. For the purpose of this guide, we’ll use either of the terms interchangeably to mean the type of dyspraxia that people are born with or develop naturally (not other types that may be the result of physical trauma like stroke or injury).

What is Dyspraxia/DCD?

In essence, dyspraxia (DCD) is a condition that causes problems with movement and co-ordination. When children have this, they may appear more clumsy than their peers and the condition will adversely affect how well they execute physical activities. For this reason, they may reach some of their key developmental milestones later than expected. There are varying degrees of the condition, so children who have it may exhibit symptoms sooner, later or more/less severely than others.

The condition cannot be cured, so needs to be managed (usually right into adulthood) in order to mitigate its effects.
Dyspraxia affects 3 to 4 times more boys than girls.
It’s not usually possible to get a definitive diagnosis before a child is at least 4 to 5.
The condition is also sometimes referred to as Specific Developmental Disorder of Motor Function (SDDMF).
Children with dyspraxia often have other conditions including ADHD, autism, dyslexia and/or sometimes problems with speech.

How Does it Affect Children?

Although dyspraxia usually has nothing to do with intelligence or the ability to think, the condition can really hold children back. As well as the innate inconvenience of not being good at co-ordinating movements and physical tasks, it can leave children prone to being less fit. This is simply because they’re not naturally co-ordinated enough to be good at sport and physical activities, so are less likely to partake in them.

Children with dyslexia/DCD may also have trouble with concentration, low attention spans, following instructions, copying information and organising themselves or other items. Due to the issues around the condition, they are often slower at picking up new skills. All of this can be very frustrating for them, so sometimes they develop behavioural problems too. Dyspraxia/DCD can make a child feel different, feel isolated, sometimes become the focus for bullying and often have trouble making friends. All of this can lead on to give sufferers a low sense of self-esteem.

Signs to Look Out For

Babies and toddlers with dyspraxia may start to exhibit a delay in starting to crawl, roll or sit. Before they’re one, they may also end up in odd body positions or have strange posture.

As they develop and grow older, they may show difficulty when they eventually walk, feed themselves, dress, draw and/or write. They may have trouble stacking things, playing with certain toys, using pencils, using cutlery, eating and generally co-ordinating their movements. Playground activities like running, jumping, and kicking or catching a ball may be difficult for them to co-ordinate correctly. Trouble with buttoning clothing when they’re older and tying show laces is also a classic sign.

Why Children Develop Dyspraxia

It’s not known why children develop dyspraxia/DCD but children are more likely to develop it …

if they were born prematurely;
if they were low in weight at birth;
if they come from a family with a history of it;
if their mothers drank alcohol or took illegal drugs whilst pregnant.

Diagnosing Dyspraxia/DCD

If you suspect that your baby, toddler or child may exhibiting possible symptoms of dyspraxia/DCD, you should consult your GP, Health Visitor or the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child’s educational setting. Your child may then be referred to a specialist healthcare professional who can assess them. Diagnosis itself is usually undertaken by a paediatrician, often in tandem with an occupational therapist who will later be involved in treatment if the diagnosis turns out to be positive. Much more detail about dyspraxia/DCD diagnosis is available on the NHS website.

How to Help Children with Dyspraxia/DCD

While dyspraxia cannot be cured, there are ways to help children with the condition and indeed they may well require help for the long term. A tailored help plan is usually generated by a combination of healthcare and educational professionals in tandem with parents and the individual concerned. The plan will be designed to mitigate the specific challenges that a child is facing, so will differ from case to case. For example, a child may need help from a paediatric occupational therapist to master use of cutlery, writing, playing and dressing etc. And/or a clinical psychologist may be needed to help with the child’s mental health. An educational psychologist may be able to help the child overcome barriers to them progressing their education … and so on. Learn more about the types of treatment available for children with dyspraxia here.

The following video may also be useful as an illustration of how one family deals with childhood dyspraxia.

Dyspraxia & Special Educational Needs at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

It’s important for nursery staff, education professionals and parents to look out for the signs of possible dyspraxia, and any other conditions, in children under their care. The earlier symptoms are spotted, the more likely the child can be helped to best effect. While it’s not possible for children under 4 or 5 to be positively diagnosed with dyspraxia/DCD with full certainty, should a positive diagnosis be suspected, then a tailored learning and development programme can be put in place at the earliest opportunity. In this way, the child will be supported where needed and any adverse effects of the possible condition can be reduced to a minimum. Using this approach means that even children with special educational needs can thrive, achieving personal bests as they progress through their learning and development milestones.

Little Cedars is one of the best nurseries in the area around Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting and Balham. We’re based at 27 Aldrington Road, Streatham, SW16 1TU and offer outstanding, weekday childcare services for babies, toddlers and preschoolers up to the age of 5. So, if you are looking for a high quality nursery or pre-school in any of these south west London areas, please make contact with us while a few places are still available (please choose a button):

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

15 July 2021/by Mark

Famous People, History, Nursery, Preschool, Streatham, SW16

Streatham’s Famous People

You probably thinking “Brad Pitt … in Streatham?” … but bear with us! In our last post, we discovered that a Prime Minister was based in Streatham Park back in the 18th Century and Sir Henry Tate, founder of The Tate Gallery and synonymous with the Tate & Lyle sugar empire, also lived here. Continuing with our famous ‘Streathamites’ theme, we now take a look at some of the other famous, influential or important people who lived, worked, or were born in Streatham. As it turns out, it’s quite a long list with some very illustrious names — and yes — the list genuinely includes Mr Pitt! Take a look:

Famous ‘Streathamites’

Streatham was the birthplace, home or workplace of a huge number of famous people. Just a few include:

Sarah Beeny, the TV presenter and entrepreneur, lived for a while in Streatham before moving to Somerset.

John Torode, the co-host of MasterChef, lived in Streatham.

Simon Callow, the actor famous for films like Four Weddings & a Funeral, was born at Pinfold Road in Streatham in 1949.

Henry Robertson Bowers, one of the explorers on the ill-fated Terra Nova exploration of the Antarctic with Robert Falcon Scott (better known as Scott of the Antarctic), lived in Streatham and attended Streatham High School for Boys in Pinfold Road.

Super-model Naomi Campbell was born in Streatham in 1970, the maternal daughter of a professional dancer, but never met her father.

Rapper ‘Dave’ Orobosa Omeregie, also known as ‘Santan Dave’ was born in Streatham and has since scored several top-20 records and a number 1 single, as well as winning several high profile awards. One of his top ten singles was even called ‘Streatham’.

Actor Peter Davison was born and raised in Streatham, attending Granton Primary School and later, of course, becoming Doctor Who and starring in many successful films, TV productions in theatre and on radio.

The fashion designer John Galliano lived in Streatham from the age of six, until moving later to Dulwich and subsequently other parts of London.

Edward Stanley Gibbons, founder of the now famous Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue used by most philatelists, lived in later life at Stanhope Road in Streatham.

Comedians Eddie Izzard and Paul Merton both have links to Streatham. Eddie used to host a comedy club there, in the White Lion pub. Apparently he often practised his lines when walking around Streatham Common.

007 Actor Roger Moore lived in Streatham, with his then wife Doorn Van Steyn and her family, when he was just 18.

Those who remember TV’s Ready Steady Go from the 60s will remember one of its co-presenters, Cathy McGowan, was also from Streatham.

Ken Livingstone was born at 21 Shrubbery Road, Streatham, in 1945 and also later attended the Philippa Fawcett Teacher Training College there. He was an MP, leader of the GLC, and later Mayor of London.

The actor and presenter David Harewood MBE, also lives in Streatham. He is most famous for his role as a CIA operative in the popular American series Homeland.

Even Brad Pitt has connections to Streatham! He was filmed during a fight scene for the movie Snatch at what was then Caesar’s Nightclub at 156 Streatham Hill.

Previously, of course, Caesar’s Nightclub was known as The Cat’s Whiskers, hosting such legendary names as Glen Miller, Laurel & Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Rod Stewart, The Small Faces, Audrey Hepburn and The Rolling Stones. Apparently the Krays also frequented the club and Ruth Ellis, the last female to be hanged in the UK, also apparently worked there circa 1948. The venue was also the site of the first Miss World contest. Sadly the building no longer exists. It had originally been opened as The Locarno Dance Hall and was opened by Billy Cotton, the famous band leader, back in 1929. Check out the Pathé video below, which was filmed at the location in 1938.

Speaking of The Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman, their bassist, worked for a time as a storekeeper and progress clerk. He earned £11 per week at John A. Sparks, the diesel engineers at Streatham Hill.

June Whitfield, the actress, was born in Streatham in 1925 and later attended Streatham Hill High School.

The notorious madame Cynthia Payne held her infamous ‘parties’ in Streatham at 32 Ambleside Avenue.

Famous comedian Tommy Trinder was born at 54 Wellfield Road, Streatham, in 1909. Many will remember him for his catchphrase, “You lucky people!” from the pre- and post-WW2 era.

Another former Prime Minister, John Major, also lived for a time in Streatham with his wife, Norma, at Primrose Court. He had bought the property in 1969.

There are many more famous people who have close links to Streatham, including more TV personalities, presenters, comedians and many important historical and military figures. We hope our snapshot above highlights just how important Streatham has been to the historical, political and cultural background of south east London and indeed to the UK as a whole. Discover more famous people from Streatham here.

Little Cedars: a Famous Nursery in Streatham!

Are you looking for outstanding nurseries near Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting or Balham? If so, we’d love to show you and your little one(s) around the nursery here in Aldrington Road, SW16. Places are limited for this high quality childcare setting, so please get in touch while there’s still some availability. We offer weekday childcare for babies and children up to five. Interested? Please choose a button:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

^{Photo Credits: Main image: by Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0. BP Signature on main image: reproduced by Gatoleiteiro, CC BY-SA 4.0. Simon Callow: by Ash, CC BY-SA 3.0. Henry Robertson Bowers: by Bowers, H. R. (Henry Robertson), 1883-1912, Public domain. Naomi Campbell: by Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 4.0. Santan Dave: by SamuelWren98, CC BY-SA 4.0. John Galliano: by SALLIANCE, CC BY 3.0. Eddie Izzard: by Giuseppe Sollazzo, CC BY-SA 2.0. Roger Moore: by Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0. Ken Livingstone: by World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0. David Harewood: Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV, CC BY-SA 2.0. Brad Pitt (small photo): by Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0. Bill Wyman: by Jacco Barth, CC BY-SA 2.0. June Whitfield: by Slapstick Festival, CC BY 2.0. Tommy Trinder: by Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer, Public domain. John Major: Attributed to PFC Tracey L. Hall-Leahy, Public domain.}

29 June 2021/by Mark

Childcare, Early Years, History, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-schools, Preschool, Streatham, SW16

Streatham’s Surprising History

Streatham has a long and interesting history stretching back almost 1000 years. On taking a look, we came across some interesting facts that we thought we’d share:

The Meaning of Streatham

Streatham was called Estreham at the time of the Doomsday Book (1086). The name meant The Hamlet on the Street, which was a throw-back to it lying on the path of an important Roman trade route, explained below.

The Roman Road to the South Coast

Image: Harper, Charles G. (Charles George) / Streatham Common

Streatham, as it’s known today, lies directly on the “The London to Brighton Way”, which marks the route of an important Roman road that stretched all the way from London (Londinium back then), through Streatham, Croydon, Caterham, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hassocks (then the site of a large Roman cemetery) to the south coast. It ended up somewhere between Portslade and Brighton. It’s highly likely that, during Roman times, the southern-most arrival point was at an important port, possibly then known as Novus Portus, but which has long since been lost to the sea. This route from Streatham to the south coast eventually influenced the route of what is now the A23 – an incredibly important route today.

Streatham was in Surrey

It may be a surprise to learn that Streatham used to be in Surrey. Subsequently, in 1889, it became part of the County of London and then later, in 1965, part of Greater London. Now, of course, it’s mostly part of the London Borough of Lambeth with a few parts of it extending into the London Borough of Wandsworth.

Streatham’s Springs & Wells

Streatham has several wells & natural springs

Image: Nicky Johns / Rookery Well, Streatham

Streatham boasts its own natural springs, first discovered when a farmer was ploughing a boggy field. Places like Wellfield Road are, indeed, so named because of their important position along the main route from the village to one of the busier natural springs. Another spring was located at the southern side of Streatham Common in the spot now known as The Rookery. These Streatham Wells, first became popular during the 18th Century. Although not pleasant to taste or smell, the spring water was believed to be good for health and soon the surrounding area began to be gentrified due to the popularity of the spa. Wealthy London merchants were attracted into the area from places like the City and soon many had what were then country residences in Streatham, this period being before the advent of the urbanisation of the area.

Prime Minister, William Petty (Lord Shelburne)

Image: Jean-Laurent Mosnier.

Streatham Park, the Prime Minister & the Peace Treaty of 1783

Streatham played its own part in the securing of peace, which ended the American War of Independence. The Prime Minister between 1782 and 1783 was Lord Shelburne. He leased Streatham Park (then a Georgian country mansion) at that time, using it as the venue for early peace negotiations during this time. Ultimately, he succeeded in reaching a peace agreement in Paris via the Peace Treaty of 1783. The treaty was designed to encourage close economic ties between Britain and the United States, an aim that remains important to this day.

Links to the Tate Sugar Empire

Image: Tristan Forward / Stained glass above the main entrance to Streatham Library

Another large historic property in Streatham, this time one that still survives today, is Park Hill, located in the northern part of Streatham Common. At one time, this was owned by Sir Henry Tate. The name may ring a bell with those who are familiar with the Tate Gallery, for which he was the founder. More popularly, though, the Tate name will remain forever synonymous with sugar, e.g. via Tate & Lyle sugar packets that, for a long time, could be seen in kitchens throughout the world. The enormous wealth that the Tate family accrued filtered down, in part, to Streatham, which benefited from £5,000 funding to build Streatham Library. Many other libraries across South London were also funded by Sir Henry.

Park Hill later became a convent, following Sir Henry Tate’s death in 1899, and much later was refurbished for use as private housing.

The UK’s First Supermarket

Did you know that Streatham was the site of the UK’s first supermarket? This makes total sense because, back in the 1950s, Streatham boasted the busiest and longest shopping street in the whole of South London. It was Express Dairies who opened the 2,500 square foot store, right back in 1951.

Lightning Strikes Not Once But Twice!

Image: Robert Cutts / St Leonard’s Church, Streatham

Some say that lightning never strikes the same place twice, but they’re wrong —St Leonard’s Church in Streatham has received multiple strikes! The first time was in 1777 when the bell tower was struck. Falling masonry even took the arms off an effigy of Sir John Ward, who had rebuilt the church back in the 14th Century. Then, in 1841, lightning struck again, causing what was then a wooden spire to burn down. It was later rebuilt, but this time in brick, as we can see today.

It’s amazing to think of there being almost a thousand years of history to Streatham, the home of Little Cedars Nursery. There is so much that has gone on in the area, one that used to be open countryside, for a short time a tiny hamlet and then much later the busy, urban area that we know today. Some of Streatham’s varied history has had a surprisingly wide impact stretching, no less than all the way to the American War of Independence and forming a key location in the peace negotiations that ended it — that’s incredible when you think about it.

We hope that this little spotlight on Streatham has been of interest. We certainly enjoyed researching it.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is one of the best nurseries you’ll find in the area around Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting or Balham. If you need a high quality nursery place for a baby, toddler or under-five child in the London SW16 area or nearby, do get in touch while space remains available. We’ll be delighted to tell you more and to show you and your little one around:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

14 June 2021/by Mark

Childcare, Dyslexia, Early Years, Early Years Education, Education, Health, Nurseries, Nursery, Pre-schools, Preschool, Reading, Special Needs, Streatham, SW16, Under-5s

Dyslexia – How to Spot the Early Warning Signs

Despite many dyslexic people being highly intelligent, dyslexia makes it difficult for them to recognise words and/or be able to break them down into their smaller components. It is recognised as a Specific Learning Difficulty (‘SpLD’) and can seriously affect their education if not recognised and addressed early.

A dictionary defines dyslexia as “a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence”. When it first came to the attention of doctors in the late 19th Century, it was more commonly referred to as “Word Blindness”, which pretty much sums up how dyslexia affects people afflicted by it.

The Adverse Effects of Dyslexia

Such an affliction can have profound implications for a person. It will adversely affect their reading, writing and comprehension, thereby limiting their overall learning capability and hindering overall literacy. These are particularly critical skills during their early years as that’s at the start of their education, when the knock-on effects of such limiting factors will be at their most significant. It will slow down their progress in many topics and areas of education, also leading potentially to lower self-confidence and possibly even getting them mislabelled as ‘slow’ or ‘lazy’ by the unenlightened. Ultimately, it can severely limit their potential careers and life outcomes.

Those are incredibly unfair ramifications and that’s why we are taking a closer look at how parents, carers and education professionals can learn to spot the signs of dyslexia early, so that dyslexic children can be helped as soon as possible.

“The earlier a child with dyslexia is diagnosed, the more effective educational interventions are likely to be.” (NHS)

Early Warning Signs of Possible Dyslexia

In pre-school children, there are several things to watch out for. These include:

Children finding it difficult to learn the alphabet;
Little interest in attempting to do so;
Difficulty pronouncing multi-syllable words (or phrases) including jumbling the the order of them — ‘flutterby’ instead of ‘butterfly’ for example;
Difficulty with rhyming words and even nursery rhymes;
Slower speech development compared to others in their year group;
Finding it difficult to express themselves verbally, including jumbling word order in sentences and having trouble recalling appropriate word(s) to use;
Slower development of fine motor skills, for example maintaining a regular rhythm on a percussive instrument.

We should add, though, that having any or even all of these problems does not, in itself, definitely mean that the child has dyslexia — they are just possible signs of it. Many children without dyslexia may have some of these symptoms, so it’s important not to jump to incorrect conclusions. The symptoms of dyslexia also vary greatly from person to person, so diagnosis is not easy.

Dyslexia Signs in School-Age Children

It may become easier to diagnose dyslexia in children once they start school, as they will be reading and writing more by that time. Signs of possible dyslexia to add to the list above may then include:

The child describing words and letters as visually jumbling, blurring or even moving around when they try to read them;
Giving poor written answers but good verbal ones;
Difficulty learning common sequences of words like months of the year, days in the week and, as we mentioned before, letters of the alphabet;
Difficulty following a sequence of instructions given at the same time (e.g. ‘put the fork on the plate, then take it to the kitchen’), but being OK if they are given separately;
Inconsistent spelling and incorrect letter order;
Mistaking numbers and letters for one another, for example using p instead of d or 9 instead of 6;
Slow reading and writing speeds, poor quality of handwriting and making mistakes when reading out loud;
A lower-than-average grasp of phonetics, phonology and ‘word attack’ skills, that might otherwise have helped a child to work out the possible meaning of multi-syllable/multi-part words through attention to the individual parts.

Learn more about assessment and diagnosis of dyslexia on the NHS site.

Is There a Cure for Dyslexia?

There is no cure for dyslexia, but measures to mitigate its effects can be taken by education professionals, parents, carers and even those affected by it. It’s incredibly important, though, for both parents and education professionals to try to recognise it early, for example at nursery or pre-school, so that a suitable teaching programme can be introduced as early as possible.

Dyslexia & Special Needs at Little Cedars Nursery

If staff or parents of children at our nursery suspect that a child may be dyslexic — or have any other special needs — it’s important to discuss it together as early as possible in the child’s education. In this way, an appropriate learning and development programme can be agreed; one that is tailored to suit the individual child’s needs, in the best possible way. Doing so as early as possible, ideally starting in their pre-school years, will help to limit any adverse effects caused by the condition. When properly addressed, there is no reason why a child with dyslexia shouldn’t be able to absolutely thrive, despite the condition. It goes without saying that we are always happy to discuss any concerns parents may have about their children — indeed we encourage it so that we can work together to address such concerns.

Little Cedars is an outstanding nursery in Streatham SW16, near Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting and Balham. If you are looking for high quality nurseries or pre-schools in any of these areas, please get in touch and we’d be delighted to show you and your child/children around, so you can see the wonderful nursery facilities, happy children and exceptionally professional staff for yourself. Please get in touch, while a few places are still available, via one of the following:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

27 May 2021/by Mark

Early Years, Health, Nursery, Parents, Streatham, Teething, Under-5s

Rough Guide to Teething

Teething can be an uncomfortable and painful stage for babies. As teeth start to come through, gums can become sore. Because of this, the little ones can become irritable and emotional, without really understanding why they’re feeling as they do. Every parent will know that having an irritable, tearful baby can be stressful for parents as well as for the baby. With all of this in mind, our Rough Guide to Teething should help parents to help their babies through this difficult stage.

When Does Teething Start?

Teething is the process of the milk teeth beginning to “erupt” (protrude) through the gums into plain sight. It usually begins when children reach the age of about 6 months. It varies, though, with some children even being born with one or more teeth. Usually, though, teething follows a general pattern, as follows:

First, the central incisors in the lower jaw are usually the first teeth to appear. This normally happens at the age of about 6 to 10 months.
The upper central incisors follow closely behind, at 8 to 12 months on average.
Between 9 and 13 months of age, the top lateral incisors usually come through with the those in the lower jaw appearing between 10 and 16 months of age.
The first upper molars come through between the ages of 13 and 19 months, with the first lower molars appearing from 14 to 18 months of age.
The canine teeth usually appear between 16 and 22 months of age in the upper jaw and between 17 and 23 months in the lower.
Finally, the second molars usually come through between 23 and 31 months of age in the lower jaw and between 25 and 33 months of age in the upper.

For each tooth that erupts, the teething process takes about 8 days, including roughly 4 days before the tooth is visibly protruding through the gum and 4 days where it moves through and into plain sight. During the 8 days, an “eruption cyst” (a bluey-grey colouration) may be visible on the gum in the area concerned. Of course, all of this can be uncomfortable and painful for the baby, particularly when the larger, back teeth come through — but it’s something we all go through. Ultimately, babies will usually end up with 10 milk teeth in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower by the time they’re 2½ to 3 years of age.

What are the Signs of Teething?

Along with the bluish-grey colouration in the gums mentioned above, other signs of a teething baby include drooling, sore-looking gums, red cheeks, the baby being tearful, rubbing their ears or chewing hands/toys more than usual. If the baby does drool, ensure that their faces are regularly wiped so as to avoid painful rashes causing further discomfort.

How Can You Help a Teething Baby?

Parents can help teething babies in several ways. Distraction is a powerful tool, so anything that will distract the baby from their discomfort can help — for example, playing with the infant.

If the baby or toddler is chewing things, giving them a commercially-available teething ring can give you greater control over exactly what they are chewing and allow you to ensure that you are keeping it clean for them. Always follow safety instructions, of course, and buy only from an appropriate, high quality, safe source.

The NHS also suggests giving teething children (6 months to 1 year or older) sticks of apple, carrot, breadsticks or bread crusts to chew on but this must be done under close adult supervision otherwise they could be a potential choking hazard.

Teething can be painful for the baby, so gently massaging affected areas of the baby’s gum with a clean finger can also soothe them to an extent.

Beware Unlicensed Teething Gels

Some parents may be tempted to buy Teething Gel for their infant. The NHS warns parents to be careful if doing so, as there are some dangerous products out there, particularly on the Internet and particularly when it comes to ‘homeopathic’ teething products. They state that there is no known evidence to suggest that teething gels work in any case, whether they’re licensed, unlicensed or homeopathic gels. However, if parents do decide to use them, they should only purchase them from proper UK pharmacies whilst ensuring that the gels are licensed for use in the UK. NHS information about the potential dangers of teething products, particularly homeopathic ones, can be found here.

Teeth Showing? Start Brushing!

Once your baby has one or more teeth showing through the gum, you should start brushing their teeth right away. This typically happens at the age of about 6 months. Take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Brushing Teeth for Babies & Children for much more information, including when to start, how to do it, what fluoride content the toothpaste should have, what to use as a brush — and much more.

Share if you Found This Useful

If you found this Rough Guide to Teething useful, please feel free to share it on social media or on other sites. You can link to this article, bookmark it in your browser or share this link in your social media accounts so more babies can benefit. Thank you.

We are a High Quality Nursery in Streatham

If you are looking for outstanding nurseries in Streatham, please do consider Little Cedars Nursery. We are a nursery and pre-school, offering the very best childcare services in the Streatham, Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park, Tooting, Furzedown and Balham areas around London SW16. For a nursery place for your baby, toddler or child under five, please get in touch via one of the contact options below:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit Message Us 020 8677 9675

12 May 2021/by Mark