Little Puddings - Childcare Provider

21/05/2026

The enrichment industry is very good at making parents feel that more is always better.

More classes. More activities. More structured play. More stimulation. More doing.

But here is what two decades of working with young children has taught me.

The moments that matter most are rarely the planned ones.

They are the small ones. The ones built quietly, over time, through five things every child needs from the adults in their life.

Safety. Warmth. Freedom. Words. Wonder.

Each one is specific. Each one is observable. None of them require buying anything.

This article unpacks what each of the Five Builders actually looks like in practice, and why the simplest things are the hardest to protect.

Free to read, no sign-up needed.

groundedparenting.co.uk

29/04/2026

Less is More: the science of slow parenting. 🌿
If you've ever felt the quiet panic that you should be doing more (more classes, more enrichment, more clever activities, more documented moments), this one is for you.
Here's what the research actually shows about what young children need:
🌱 Boredom is not the enemy. It's the vital gap where creativity and self-direction are born. The fidgeting, the "I don't know what to do," the wandering around the garden — that's where the magic happens, if we don't rush in to fill it.
💛 Genuine presence beats curated activity. A warm, available adult who isn't constantly directing or instructing is worth more than any subscription box. Quality of relationships predicts outcomes better than the specific activities performed.
🔄 Repetition builds the brain. Reading the same book for the thirtieth time. Pouring water in and out of the same cup. This isn't a phase to push through. It's the work.
The hardest part isn't the doing. It's resisting the comparison.
Don't measure your ordinary Tuesday against someone else's curated highlight reel. The family on the sofa in their pyjamas is just as real as the one at the artisan craft workshop. Probably more so.
A small experiment for this week:
🔹 Cancel one scheduled thing
🔹 Leave the radio off in the car
🔹 Follow your child's pace, even when it's painfully slow
🔹 Notice what they choose to do when nothing is suggested
Read the full piece on www.groundedparenting.co.uk 💛
What's the one thing you've felt pressure to "give" your child that, on reflection, they didn't actually need?

28/04/2026

The enrichment industry is very good at making parents feel that more is always better.

More classes. More activities. More structured play. More stimulation. More doing.

But here is what two decades of working with young children has taught me.

The moments that matter most are rarely the planned ones. It is the walk where you stopped to look at a beetle. The breakfast where nobody was in a rush. The five minutes on the sofa where nothing was happening in particular.

Children do not need more. They need enough. And enough looks very different from what gets sold to families.

Free to read, no sign-up needed.

groundedparenting.co.uk/articles/less-is-more.html

27/04/2026

The 5pm Meltdown, and why it's not what you think.
You pick them up. They seem fine. Twelve minutes later, they're sobbing on the kitchen floor because the banana broke.
Sound familiar?
Here's what I wish more parents knew: your child has been wearing emotional armour all day. Sitting still. Sharing toys. Following instructions. Reading the room. Holding in tears. It's exhausting work for a developing brain.
When they walk through your door, they finally feel safe enough to put it all down. And sometimes, putting it down looks like falling apart.
The meltdown isn't a discipline problem. It's a regulation release.
In the new article, I've broken down:
🔹 Why "good days" (parties, trips, exciting outings) often cost the most
🔹 What to say, and what to skip, in those first ten minutes home
🔹 The simple decompression ritual that helps a child's brain settle
🔹 Why your calm body matters more than your wise words
Read the full piece on www.groundedparenting.co.uk 💛
Have you noticed this pattern with your little one? I'd love to hear when it hits hardest in your house.

16/02/2026

27/01/2026

Over the last two weeks we have made some bird feeders using a mini doughnut tray, bird seeds and coconut oil. All the children have had the opportunity to make some now and we have been to the woods twice to hang them up for the birds to eat. We have enough for everyone to bring one home too to hang in the garden.

19/12/2025

Is pleased to share that the book I contributed to has now been published 🥰

17/07/2025