Parenting

Have you ever wondered why some of the children hates wearing socks?  At times, as parents or teachers, we would always ask our children to wear socks because of various reasons. Some of these are for the children’s safety against hazardous objects on the floor and mainly because we don’t want our children to be dirty. However, studies show that being barefoot actually benefits brain development. Going barefoot has multiple benefits that most of us didn’t really pay attention to. When children have the opportunity to explore and play in their feet, they have much more access to sensory experiences

Play is children’s work. Every time your child chooses and picks up a toy, and plays with you, “he works” at improving different aspects of his development which includes motor, speech and social skills. However, playing with toys is often harder than it looks, and all children vary in their ability to do their so called “work”. This is where choosing of toys comes in. Often times, parents would buy the most expensive toys. Some has this idea of “the more expensive, the better.”, but this does not apply to toys. There is a wide range selection of toys in

Focus is something that requires regular exercise for it to be strengthened. For some, focusing is very natural while for some, it can appear as a challenge. One thing is for sure: focus in children does not come easy. This is one of the issues most teachers struggle with. It is the same sentiments of the parents. In Bridging the Gap, we have a number of kids who have challenges in focusing and concentration. Given that they all have different and individual needs, we have various ways to help each of them to be more focus and more attentive in

With Singapore’s Circuit breaker which ran for almost 2 months, the government still calls and encourages everyone to stay home. Your “bedroom” as your office, “delivery services are the normal meal, and all social gatherings & interaction are limited to zoom and online chats. For the first few weeks, yes, it’s nice to stay home and be with your family but as it goes longer, the story changes. It’s not easy. It’s not easy to juggle your job in your company and your responsibilities at home – all at the same time! Imagine having a very important meeting with your

How to handle kids Tantrums? You as a mom or dad, especially first-time parents, how do you handle the tantrums of your children? Here is a fact: Our children are not robots. Like adults, they also have feel different emotions and we should give them time to feel it, and we should let them vent express their emotions. Even babies have their frustrations too, especially when they can’t express themselves because they can’t really talk yet. If us adults get annoyed or frustrated, the children are also the same. If they want to feel sad, let them be. If they

Before reading this through, don’t forget to greet your fathers on this special day! This is the time in which we recognize fathers and father figures and their contributions to their children, as well as in society. Children in general often see their fathers as a superhero. A man who is strong, brave and someone who can protect you from danger. Often times, we generalize our fathers as someone who does heavy work or “manly” job at home such as: fixing faucet, building chair or repairing a car. We are not mistaken. These are the usual things our fathers do

One of the biggest decisions every parent must do is to select which preschool their child would be attending. Preschool-aged children usually have separation anxiety from the parents as it is a big step for a child to be outside of his or her comfort zone. This is why it is very critical to choose an environment for our children especially if it’s their first time to be away from home. Regardless of the list of preschools, we believe that placing them in an inclusive environment would be most beneficial to them. Keep reading to find out why. What is

Being healthy is the most important part of our lives. A healthy life is a happy life they say. There are different aspects in living a good and healthy life but the most important one is what goes into our body. Whatever we intake will affect the performance of all the systems in our body. This also goes for children with special needs. Whatever food they intake can actually have effects on their behaviour. Some kids with hyperactivity must cut down the sugar intake while other kids with special needs might need more iron-filled food. Having a balanced diet is great

All children either at home or in school need some type of routine, a way to get things done and a sense of security. While change is a learning opportunity, it can also be stressful for children. Find out why routines and schedule matter. What is a Routine? It is basically what we do every single day. Everyone needs it. Either child or adult, everyone has their own routine that needs to be followed across different settings: school, home or work. Routines help to establish a structure on how to get things done every single day. This is very critical to

Toddlers and Preschool-aged children have a very short attention span. At their age, they are curious and eager to explore. They would shift from one activity to another activity when they get bored. One moment they are so engaged with lego blocks and the next moment, they would just go roam around the classroom and find another toy to play with. This is because learn best through hands-on activities and concrete manipulatives as they cannot yet grasp abstract concepts. Teaching this age group is not easy as the engagement should be the top-priority. If they aren’t even looking at you