Tannie Net’s Daycare

PARENT TIP:

Co-regulation is one of those parenting words that gets used a lot... but what does it actually mean?

It doesn't mean calming your child down.

It means lending them your calm nervous system while theirs is temporarily overwhelmed. It means sitting next to a disregulated toddler who is rolling around on the floor and just staying absolutely calm. Mostly quiet... No negotiations, no blowing candles, just staying present and calm.

When a toddler is flooded by frustration, fear, excitement, disappointment, tiredness, or sensory overload, the part of the brain responsible for self-regulation isn't fully available. In that moment, they can't simply "choose" to calm down. Your steady voice. Your predictable presence. Your gentle touch (if they welcome it). Your slow breathing. Your calm body. These become an external regulation system until their own brain can take over again.

The goal is not a child who is always calm.

The goal is a child who learns, over hundreds and thousands of these moments, what calm feels like. Every time we consistently co-regulate, we are quietly building the pathways that eventually allow children to self-regulate.

First they borrow our calm.
Then, one day, they carry their own.

Co-regulation isn't about stopping big feelings. It's about making sure a child doesn't have to face those big feelings alone.

🐾👶 Meet Amanda – Caring for more than just little people! 💚

Many of you already know Amanda as the gentle, patient face behind Tannie Net's Daycare. Every day she spends her time on the floor playing, reading stories, comforting little ones, changing nappies, wiping tears and celebrating milestones.

Now she's making that same caring heart available to families after hours and on weekends.

Whether you need:
🏡 Someone to look after your home while you're away,
🐕 A reliable dog walker,
🐾 A loving visit for your pets,
👶 A trusted babysitter for date nights, weddings or weekend events,

Amanda is here to help.

One of the things I admire most about Amanda is that she genuinely cares. She doesn't simply "watch" children or feed pets—she builds relationships. She treats every child with kindness, every animal with patience, and every home with respect.

As her employer, I have the privilege of seeing her work ethic every single day, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to my own family.

If you're looking for someone dependable, trustworthy and kind, please keep Amanda in mind.

📍 Serving Bellville, Durbanville, Welgemoed and surrounding areas.

Feel free to save this post or share it with someone who might be looking for a helping hand over weekends.

📞 WhatsApp Amanda directly on 068 492 4573.

💚 Supporting Amanda means supporting a young educator who is working hard to build a brighter future while making a real difference in the lives of families in our community.

Ever watched a toddler count perfectly... and then somehow get the wrong answer?

This week on the blog, we're talking about what I like to call **"The Counting Glitch."**

One of our little explorers could count confidently to twenty, identify every numeral, and happily recite counting songs. So why did she insist there were *three* objects when there were clearly four?

It wasn't carelessness.
It wasn't stubbornness.
And it certainly wasn't because she "couldn't count."

It was a beautiful reminder that there is a huge difference between memorising information and truly understanding a concept.

As educators and parents, it's easy to celebrate the correct answer. But sometimes the most fascinating learning happens when children get it "wrong."

Read the story behind one of my favourite little learning moments and discover what it taught me about how young brains build understanding.

https://www.tannienetsdaycare.com/post/the-counting-glitch

The Counting Glitch "One... two... three..."Lion smiled proudly."...five!"Where did four go?Like many toddlers, Lion can happily count. Or so it seems. If you ask her to count from one to twenty, she'll often recite the numbers confidently. To an adult, it sounds as though she's mastered counting, but then we start wat...

🪺 This Week at Tannie Net's Daycare: Animals & Their Homes! 🐢

This week we'll be discovering the amazing places animals call home! From bird nests and spider webs to rabbit burrows, beehives and ponds, our little explorers will be learning that every animal needs a safe place to live—just like we do.

Through stories, songs, sensory play, art, movement and plenty of imaginative adventures, we'll build habitats, rescue animals, follow tracks and explore the wonders of nature together.

While we're having fun, we'll also be developing language, problem-solving, fine and gross motor skills, and learning new words in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Most importantly, we'll be talking about something close to our hearts: everyone deserves a safe home where they feel loved, protected and free to grow. ❤️

We can't wait to see where this week's adventures take us!

🎉 Happy Birthday Week at Tannie Net's Daycare! 🎂

What a joyful week we've had celebrating birthdays! 🎈

This week wasn't just about cake and candles. Through play, songs, stories and hands-on activities, our little ones explored what birthdays mean, practiced taking turns, celebrated each other's special moments, and discovered that everyone deserves to feel seen and loved.

We counted candles, wrapped and unwrapped pretend presents, sang our hearts out, made birthday-themed art, and enjoyed plenty of imaginative play. Every activity helped build language, early maths, fine motor skills, social confidence, and, most importantly, kindness.

Watching the children cheer for one another and celebrate together reminded us that some of life's biggest lessons happen during the smallest moments.

Happy Birthday to everyone who celebrated with us this week!

Why pretend birthday parties teach more that you think...

"I like orange, I like orange, I like orange!" "Toddlers learn through play." We hear that phrase all the time, but what does it actually mean? Is play only about learning colours, numbers and letters, or are children learning something bigger?We have been introducing autonomy and freedom of choice over the past few months. We also use it as a d...

Always build the scaffolding to support the development FIRST.

Children don't always repeat behaviours because they need a bigger consequence.

Sometimes they repeat them because they're missing a skill.

A child who struggles to stop, wait, cope with frustration, manage disappointment, or communicate their needs isn't choosing to lack those skills—they're still developing them.

When we shift from asking, "How do I stop this behaviour?" to "What skill is missing?", our response changes.

Instead of only correcting the behaviour, we start teaching the skill that makes the behaviour less necessary.

That's where lasting change happens.

What skill do you think is most overlooked in children?

Parent Tip

Children don't need expensive toys to learn.

Wrapping paper
Cardboard boxes
Plastic containers
Wooden spoons

Often these simple everyday objects encourage far more creativity than battery-operated toys.

The best toy is one that allows your child to do the thinking.

🎉 Happy Birthday!!! 🎉

This week at Tannie Net's Daycare wer're celebrating birthdays!

But birthdays aren't just about cake and balloons. They provide wonderful opportunities to explore counting, colours, turn-taking, pretend play, friendships and so much more.

We'll be wrapping presents, singing songs, blowing bubbles, throwing balloons, making birthday cakes and discovering that learning happens best when children are having fun.

We can't wait to share this week's adventures!

🦁🎁🎈

What looked like a child playing with sand turned into one of my favourite observations of the week.

This week one of our toddlers accidentally designed her own little gravity experiment, reminding me why children need time to investigate before adults rush in with answers.

I hope you enjoy this first observation from Tannie Net's Daycare.

The Great Sand Confusion: How Toddlers Learn Through Curiosity Take a look into the world of toddler thinking and explore gravity through Elephant's eyes.