If you missed previous webinars or perhaps you just want to take another look at some of the topics discussed, you can view the videos below. Find videos on:
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Eating Together as a Family – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
Slide 2
In this webinar, we’ll explore practical advice on being happy and healthy through mealtimes together. We’ll discuss the benefits of eating together, mealtime atmosphere and helpful tips to make mealtimes easier. We’ll also look at some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Mealtimes together can look different for every family:
• You may choose to eat together every dinner time.
• It could be that with your family’s schedule, you have one dedicated time of the week when everyone can eat together.
• It might also be something you do just on special occasions.
However, making time to eat together as a family is okay.
Slide 3
Eating together as a family has lots of benefits. It gives children the opportunity to practice a range of skills that they’ll need throughout their lives.
Family bonding:
• Eating a meal together allows family bonding. During meals times, children build their understanding of who they are and where they fit in within a family. Try to protect this time together. If possible, try to keep meals free from screens or other distractions so everyone can enjoy time with each other.
Build relationships:
• Distraction-free mealtimes allow families time to build relationships. Families can talk about their day, what they would like to do for the evening or anything fun they have planned. Having open conversations as part of your daily routine can encourage children to freely share how they’re feeling, including anything they’re worried about.
Improved communication and social skills:
• This time, talking together can benefit children by improving their communication skills. Being able to practice this in a safe, positive space can lead to better language and listening skills.
Model healthy eating:
• While eating together as a family, you can role model to your children, setting a positive example for table manners, trying new foods and healthy eating.
Supporting mental health:
• Studies have shown that eating together can help improve the mental health of both children and adults. It can increase self-esteem and support children to achieve more at school.
Slide 4
Making a positive atmosphere can help everyone in the family enjoy meals together:
• Making time to share a meal as a family shows children that mealtimes and eating together are important.
• You can support this by establishing a mealtime routine to help children know when they’re going to be eating.
• Thinking about where you have mealtimes together is important. Try to be somewhere where everyone can be comfortable and have the right amount of space to eat.
• Try to involve everyone in the family in mealtimes. This could include getting the room ready for your meal, setting the table, getting drinks for everyone or bringing the food to the table. This will help everyone feel included and start to give children a sense of responsibility and independence.
• By building a routine of eating together, you can create a positive mealtime atmosphere that can help you bond as a family.
However, mealtimes can be difficult too, with work or school stress, the ups and downs of life – and that’s okay.
Slide 5
Family life can already be very busy. Thinking of ways to help your family be healthy and eat nutritious food can feel like quite a daunting task. There are some practical things you can do to make this easier.
• Batch cooking is a great way of making sure you have tasty and nutritious food during the week. This means cooking extra food when you have more time, maybe during the weekend. You can then refrigerate or freeze these meals, ready for days when you have less time.
• Planning and thinking ahead to what meals you and your family are going to eat can help take the stress away during the week.
• One-pot recipes are a great way of preparing fresh ingredients and cooking at the same time. It will also save time on the washing up!
• Slow cooker recipes are great as you can put in all the ingredients and a few hours later you’ll have a fresh, healthy meal.
• You can also find lots of cookbooks or websites that offer free, easy meals and recipes. You can find lots of these in our libraries.
Slide 6
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about eating together as a family. If you’d like further advice, you could search ‘Healthy Lifestyles’ on our Just One Norfolk website. You can also call Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 and one of our Healthy Child Service team members can give you some advice.
Slide 7
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 8
Just One Number (0300 300 0123) is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services. You can contact Just One Number to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing. You can get in contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles. You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have. Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 9
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 10
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Moving On Up – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore practical advice on children moving up into nursery or school. We’ll discuss how to prepare for this transition as a family and some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
When we talk about children moving up into nursery or school, we sometimes call this ‘transitions’.
Transitions describe moving from one thing to another.
As adults, we experience transitions when we move to a new area, start our first job or live on our own for the first time.
For children, we also use this word to describe the changes in their lives throughout education. Whilst this may seem a smaller change for us as adults, this can be a very big change for a child.
Slide 3
When your child goes to nursery, pre-school or school for the first time, it can be a big change for the entire family. Parents may feel worried or anxious, younger children may miss their brother or sister, you will all have to get used to a new family routine and your child will be in a new environment with new people…
And you might not just face some of these feelings with your first child. Each child is an individual, and some will be more confident than others, so you may worry more about one child than another. It’s very normal to experience lots of different emotions. All families will be facing their own journey with this as well.
So let’s think about what will help you get your child ready for this big change.
Slide 4
Arrange to visit the setting with your child. Lots of nurseries and pre-schools will have taster days where you can visit with your child. You can both see what it’s like and ask any questions you have.
It’s important to tell the staff about your child’s needs, including if they need help with things like toileting or dressing or if they have a regular nap time. Sharing this information will allow the setting to support your child fully.
While you’re visiting the setting, it’s a good idea to find out their routines. For example, where do they put their coats and bags, where does their lunchbox go, who will be greeting your child everyday, when are snack and mealtimes. All these things will help you support your child.
This is also a really good opportunity to practice getting ready for school together with your child, including getting used to the journey and walking in with you. It might seem like a small thing but this part can feel really scary at first. You might have felt something similar on your first day at work or you might have your own memories of starting school. It’s very normal to feel nervous butterflies that get worse as you approach the door! Visits to the setting ahead of time will help that first day feel a lot less scary for your child.
Slide 5
In addition to taking your child to visit their new setting:
• You can take your child to buy their lunchbox and bag for their new setting. This can be a fun way to involve your child, give them ownership and get them excited about this new experience.
• You can talk about nursery or school as a family. There are lots of good books about starting school. Your local library will have some of these. You can also play games and play pretend about going to school, including getting ready in the morning. This allows children to experience some of the feelings they may have about going to school so you can then reassure them.
• It's important to be positive about this new step in your child’s life. It’s very normal to be worried or anxious about this. But children are very intuitive and will pick up on things, even if it doesn’t seem like they are paying attention or listening. Try to think about how you’re feeling and find a private space for you to share any worries with friends or family.
Slide 6
Change is a normal part of life but children can have big feelings and may not be able to tell you what they’re worried about. It’s very normal to have some wobbles along the way – for you and for them.
So let’s think about what will keep everyone steady before their first day.
Slide 7
Listen and hear each other:
Younger children may not be able to tell you how they are feeling. But you can look for signs that they are worrying or feeling wobbly. They may be more unsettled than usual, restless, weepy or angry. Your younger child may also become closer to you or their siblings, not wanting you to leave, if they are worried about what will happen.
Talk about it:
Making time to talk it through together can help. Offer lots of reassurance and hugs and try not to minimise their worries by saying things like – ‘’it will be alright on the day’’. Try to imagine what they may be feeling, put yourself in their shoes and see it from their perspective. Then you can offer calm and loving guidance, such as – “It’s normal to feel scared about new things but mummy and daddy are here to help you”.
If you child is old enough, you could ask them what they are worried about and talk through it. They could make a worry box and put their worries in there after you’ve talked about them.
Be prepared and calm, and try to make it fun:
You can use some of the things we’ve talked about already, like playing games and reading books about starting school. It’s also good to practice putting on shoes and coats. The morning routine is calmer, and you don’t need to rush. These things are something the whole family could get involved in and support your child with.
Seek support:
If you are worried, talk to your friends and family, and lean on their support.
Talk to the nursery or school staff about any worries you have. They will have supported many parents on the same journey so will have great advice for you.
You could also ring Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 for support from the Healthy Child Service or access the Early Childhood and Family Service.
Slide 8
When you finally get to that big day, there are some things you can do to help it run smoothly.
Preparation is key to everyone feeling calm.
Getting ready the night before will avoid any rushing in the morning. This could include making sure clothes are set out (and this could include you as a parent!), bags are packed, shoes are ready by the door, packed lunch and snacks are done.
You could also get your child involved in this to help them feel independent.
Doing these things ahead of time will allow you to have quality time together over breakfast before leaving the house.
You can also signal to your child what the next step is for them to take while getting ready. For example:
• Once we’re done with breakfast, it’s time to put your clothes on, ready for school.
• Now that we’re all dressed, it’s time to put our coats and shoes on, ready to go to school.
And some general advice, try not to worry about small things. For example, if your child wants to wear wellies then let them, just take their school shoes with you so nursery will have them if they need.
Slide 9
Leaving your child at nursery or school makes lots of parents feel anxious.
Try to be mindful of how you’re feeling as your child will pick up on it. Try to keep calm, get down to their level, give them lots of smiles and positivity, and say something like “Mummy and daddy will pick you up later. Have a lovely time”.
Remember that the staff in the setting are there to help you both. They will be very experienced in looking after children who are upset and can usually soothe or distract children quite quickly.
When you collect them, give them a big hug and ask about their day. Don’t worry if they don’t want to tell you, or they don’t tell you very much – they have a lot of new things to process!
Praise anything they bring home and put it on display proudly – they will be pleased to see it and hear you say how wonderful it is.
Slide 10
Then it’s time to do it all over again.
Make sure to continue talking about school.
Let them know if they are going to school again tomorrow or not. It can be very confusing for children at the beginning.
Try to keep to your morning routines.
Give them lots and lots of praise – for getting ready on time, putting their bag and coat on the peg, anything they have made at nursery or school and anything the teacher says they have done well that day.
And lastly, give yourself a pat on the back! This is a big moment in your child’s life and you should feel very proud of everything you’ve done to get them ready for it.
Hopefully that’s given you some initial thoughts on moving on up. If you’d like further advice, you could look on our Just One Norfolk website. You can also call our Just One Number team on 0300 300 0123 and one of our Healthy Child Service team can give you some advice.
Slide 11
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 12
Just One Number (0300 300 0123) is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get in contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 13
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 14
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Ready for School – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore getting your child ready for school. We’ll discuss how you can support them with this and some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
Starting school is a big milestone for children. It is a proud and exciting time seeing your child become more independent.
So what does being school ready look like for you and your child?
Spend a few moments thinking about your child and the things that will help them be ready to start school.
Slide 3
And what about if your child has additional needs?
Many children with additional needs will be able to join their mainstream primary school with their friends and siblings. This should be a happy and planned transition, where each child can learn and make progress alongside their peers. It is sometimes helpful to think about the school being ready for your child, rather than your child being ready for school. The things we will cover today are just as relevant for your child but may need to be adjusted in conversation with the school to meet their specific needs.
Slide 4
So let’s talk through some of the key areas that you can support your child with.
Developing their independence is our first key area.
This includes:
• Being able to get themselves dressed for things like PE and taking their coat off and putting it back on again. You might want to think of clothing that helps them with the level they are at, like Velcro on shoes
• Going to the toilet and washing and drying their hands
• Being able to feed themselves with cutlery
There are lots of ways you can support your child with these:
• Role modelling these things with your child is very helpful. Allow your child to learn from you and talk to them about what you’re doing.
• Practice these things when you’re at home and comfortable. There are lots of parts to all these tasks, so it’s okay to spend time breaking them down to whatever level your child needs and supporting them to try all parts. For example, toileting involves learning how to pull down their pants, get on the toilet, get the right amount of toilet paper, wipe, flush the toilet and pull their pants back up, to then wash their hands.
• You could even make a game out of hand washing.
• When children give these things a go themselves, give them lots of positive praise – even if their shoes are on the wrong feet!
Slide 5
Our second key area is your child being emotionally ready.
You can help this through playing games and role modelling, sharing and taking turns at home. You can start this one-on-one with your child, for example, by taking turns to turn the pages in a book. You can also include turn-taking in everyday activities, for example, brushing hair, cooking and tidying up.
You could arrange play dates with children of a similar age, allowing them to start learning about making friendships. You can then start supporting turn-taking with other children.
You can also help your child start to understand their emotions and feelings by gently naming these. Talk about how you think they are feeling: “I can see you’re feeling sad”, or “Wow, you’re happy today!”. Start with simple emotions such as happy, sad and angry. In time, this will give your child words to express how they are feeling. This will help them explain their feelings more easily. It can feel scary to have big feelings when you’re little – by talking about them from early on, they can learn it is ok to feel like this.
And it’s important to recognise any feelings you might be having as well. You may have found your own school days hard, making you worry that your child won’t have a good experience. Try not to show them any of the worries you might have. They will take their lead from you. And remember, children like to listen to adult conversations too.
Finding space to privately talk about this with other adults in the family or friends can help you navigate your feelings and support your child to be excited and positive about school.
Slide 6
Our last key area is some of the other skills to develop to support them in the school environment.
This is good practice for when they will be listening to their teacher.
Slide 7
So, what are some other practical things you can do?
Talk to your child about the change ahead of them. There are lots of very good books about going to school. You could visit the library together to pick some out and read them together.
You can also talk to your child about how it’s normal to feel worried about something new. Find a special time that you can spend together and let your child talk to you about how they feel. Give them lots of praise for sharing their feelings, and help them feel proud about being brave if they are worried.
Having a good routine at home will also help them succeed. This includes bath and bedtime so they are well-rested for school. Try to keep to your routines and help your child feel secure through this change.
Make sure they know who will pick them up and where from. Be there a few minutes early, especially to begin with. This will help build your child’s confidence that you will return.
Slide 9
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about being ready for school.
If you’d like more information or support, you can access this in lots of ways.
Let the school team know if your child struggles. They will help your child and be around to support you both. They will have seen this before and be able to suggest ways to help.
If you’d like further advice, you can also call our Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 and one of our Healthy Child Service team can give you some advice. The Early Childhood and Family Service can also support you and your child. You can also search ‘Starting School’ on our Just One Norfolk website.
Slide 10
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 11
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services. You can contact Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get in contact with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles. You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have. Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 12
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 13
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Summer Sun and Safety – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore how to keep your child safe when it’s hot and sunny, and some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
Being in the sun is a nice way to spend time with our families. It gives us the chance to play and be active together or relax and enjoy our surroundings. It is good for our physical and emotional well-being to get out and about.
But too much sun can be bad for us, so we need to take extra care. This is because the sun gives off harmful rays of radiation called Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B, or UVA and UBV. These rays beat down and can cause harmful, long-lasting changes to the skin. The need for sun protection is important for everybody and all skin tones.
Too much sun can also cause heat exhaustion. This happens when bodies get too hot and can’t cool down. It’s important for children to stay cool, especially when it’s hot outside. Babies in particular cannot regulate their body temperature as well as an adult.
Slide 3
So, what are some of the steps you can take to keep you and your family safe in the sun?
Sunscreen is part of how we can protect ourselves from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. It varies in strength – this is known as the SPF or Sun Protection Factor. The higher the number, the stronger the sunscreen. You need to use at least SPF 30 to protect from UVB.
Sunscreen should say on the bottle that it protects from UVA rays.
And the most expensive sunscreen is not always the best. There is a star rating to help you choose. A star rating of 4 and above gives the best protection.
Sunscreen should not be too old – most bottles last for two years before losing strength.
To use sunscreen effectively, you should apply this half an hour before sun exposure and then apply again when you get out and about and then reapply roughly every two hours after this.
You will also need to be mindful to reapply after swimming (even if it is water resistant) or any time if it may have rubbed off.
When you apply, make sure you use plenty – if it is not thickly applied, it does not give the correct SPF protection.
Clothing can protect skin from the sun.
Long-sleeved cotton tops, loose trousers or dresses will help you keep cool and protect you. Try wearing light coloured clothing that is loose fitting and breathable.
Wearing a hat with a wide brim will protect the skin on the head and face.
There are also special UV protection tops, suits and swimwear available.
Our eyes also need protection.
If you wear glasses all of the time, make sure they have a UV filter of at least 400.
And when you wear sunglasses, look for the ones with the British Standards Kite Mark or the European CE mark to be sure of quality.
Staying in the shade can also help.
If you and your family are outside on a hot day, try to find some shade. Trees, umbrellas and buildings can help keep everyone cool. If you're playing sports or running around, take breaks in the shade to cool off.
Keep paddling pools or blankets that children are laying on in a shaded space.
And always keep your baby out of direct sunlight if they are under 6 months of age as they can burn very easily. To keep them in the shade, don’t drape a sheet or blanket over the pram – this causes heat to build up inside and can be very dangerous – use a parasol instead.
The sun is usually most powerful between 11am and 3pm. This is a time when you will need to be particularly mindful of keeping safe in the sun. Make sure that everyone is using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing.
Dehydration is also something to be mindful of. Dehydration happens when our bodies don't have enough water.
Drink lots of water: Drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated. It's important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you're playing sports or running around, make sure to drink extra water.
Eat foods with water in them. Foods like fruits and vegetables can help keep you hydrated, so make sure to eat lots of them. Some examples include watermelon, oranges, cucumbers and carrots.
Avoid sugary drinks: Drinks like soda, juice and sports drinks might taste yummy, but they're not the best for staying hydrated. These drinks can actually make you more dehydrated! Stick to water and milk instead.
If you are breastfeeding your baby, they will want to breastfeed more in hot weather – just let them go to the breast more often to prevent dehydration.
If you are formula feeding, you could offer cooled boiled water to babies under 6 months as a drink in between their other feeds and tap water to babies over 6 months.
And at the end of the day after being out in the sun, give your child a cool bath and put on cool bedclothes. Keeping the bedroom windows closed and the curtains shut during the day will help to keep bedroom temperatures down.
Slide 4
So now to think of water safety.
Enjoying water together, like paddling pools, can be a fun activity for the whole family. But we know that most accidents involving children and water happen at home in the bath, garden ponds or paddling pools. This can happen very quickly and in very shallow water, even as little as 5cm.
Slide 5
The most important advice is to never leave your child alone in or near water.
Babies, toddlers and even older children are at risk and should always be supervised, even if they are confident swimmers.
Don’t forget to keep paddling pools and ponds covered at all times when they are not in use. If you have children, you might consider turning your pond into a sand pit until they are older. Empty the paddling pools after use and refill them the next day. And when you do refill, always add cold water first and then hotter water until you get a tepid temperature, which you can then test with your elbow. Water in paddling pools and hosepipes can get extremely hot if they are left out in the sun – make sure to check the temperature of the water before your child gets in or you start spraying.
Learning to swim is a great life skill and can be a lifesaver.
Learning to float, in particular, can save a life by keeping the airways clear of water and controlling breathing. You can find a brilliant video from the RNLI, linked on Just One Norfolk.
Teach your children about water safety from an early age and never leave them unattended near water, even if they are using armbands or rubber rings. If you are at a public pool or beach, use ones with lifeguards and make sure your child understands where it is safe to swim or where it is not safe to swim, Always swim between the safety flags on beaches and if taking part in water sports, ensure your child has the correct safety equipment on.
And although we’re talking about summer right now, make sure that they are also aware of the risks of stepping onto frozen lakes or ponds, too, for when winter comes.
Sometimes walking around shoeless at the pool can result in your children or you getting the virus that causes verruca. These can be painful, so always wear soft shoes such as jelly shoes and use the foot baths at the entrance and exit to the changing rooms
Be aware of the risk of slips and falls on wet surfaces.
Keep walkways and decks clear of tripping hazards, such as lounge chairs, toys, and equipment.
Use handrails where appropriate
Remind children to always walk and not run near the pool
And encourage your child to wear sandals or other footwear when walking around the pool.
When you’re enjoying time at the beach:
Wear sandals or soft shoes to prevent cuts to their feet or burns from very hot sand.
Don’t use inflatables, especially in strong winds or rough seas. It’s very easy for a child to drift offshore using an inflatable and be too far out to get back safely, even in calm water.
Know the tides by checking the timetables before venturing out to the beach – you can get cut off very easily on some Norfolk beaches.
Again, supervise your child at all times, and if they are separated from you, report this immediately to the lifeguard or police. Arrange a central meeting point with your child where they should go if they can’t see you and wait until you get to them – make this clearly visible, for example, the lifeguard station itself.
And remember, reapply sunscreen after getting out of the water, even if it’s waterproof.
Slide 6
We also have some good tips to keep children safe from some of the risks they may face when you’re enjoying summer.
Slide 7
Burns and Scalds –
• In summer, we love to play and eat outdoors when the sun shines. Barbecues are often the order of the day! Always supervise any barbecue or fire pit, as these remain hot for a long time and can cause some very serious burns. Teach your children that the areas near firepits, patio heaters and barbecues are not for playing round in.
• We often like to finish outdoor festivities with some fireworks.
• Don’t hold your baby or child whilst holding sparklers as they may reach out and grab them.
• Don’t give children under 5 a sparkler to hold themselves – they reach temperatures of 1600 degrees whilst burning – this is 16 times hotter than the boiling point of water!
• Make sure older children are supervised with sparklers and do not wave them around or run while holding them.
• Always use a long taper to light fireworks and stand well back. Do not return to a firework that does not go off once lit.
• Make sure children are standing well away from the fireworks, that they are supervised and if they are wearing dressing-up clothing, make sure it is safety assessed with a CE mark.
Food Poisoning –
• Barbecues and outdoor cooking can lead to food poisoning if meat is not well-cooked – make sure there are no pink parts left after cooking
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling or eating food, and never use anything that smells or looks like it has gone off.
Playing with Pets –
• Always remember that however lovable your pet is, they can be sensitive to heat, become stressed, and in situations where children are running around, your pet may behave unpredictably.
• Let them lie in a cool place in the house and check on them regularly. It is better they stay indoors for them and for you.
Play Equipment –
• Outdoor play in the sunshine often means the park, swings, slides and trampolines, and this can be at home or in bigger amusement parks.
• Follow all safety guidance at venues and follow the rules of age and height restrictions for rides. They are there to keep everyone safe, not to spoil anyone’s fun.
• Be careful around the use of bouncy castles on windy days
• Make sure your trampoline has safety sides and is age-appropriate for your child, and supervise them at all times
• If they are playing on bikes, scooters or moving vehicles such as electric cars or motorbikes, make sure they wear helmets, knee and elbow pads
• Buy age-appropriate slides, swings and play equipment for the garden and upgrade as your child grows
• At the park, make sure they are using the age-appropriate equipment with supervision and make sure that it is not too hot, as little legs can be burnt easily on very hot metal, such as slides or swing seats
• Remember – young children have no sense of danger and just want to have fun, so they need you close at all times to keep them safe while playing outdoors
• If your child falls call 111 for advice if you are concerned it is more than a bruise or scrape.
• Always seek immediate advice if they have hit their head. If they are knocked unconscious, call 999.
• You should also call 999 if you think your child has sustained a serious injury or is seriously unwell.
What’s in Your Garden?
• Some plants, flowers and trees are poisonous. Make sure you check your garden for dangerous plants and remove them. The Royal Horticultural Society has excellent advice on what isn’t safe. Just search ‘potentially harmful garden plants’ on their website.
Holiday Hazards
• One of the biggest risk factors when it comes to holiday safety is that parents are off guard.
• Many incidents happened on the first or last day of a family holiday, possibly because parents are distracted by packing and unpacking and the general excitement of children.
• It might sound obvious, but remember to exercise the same caution in holiday accommodation that you do at home.
• Keep medicines and cleaning things out of children’s reach.
• Move furniture away from windows, and if the hotel room has a balcony, ensure young children are supervised.
• Tie blind cords out of reach of young children.
• Don’t let children under six sleep on the top bunk of a bunk bed.
• Check the smoke alarms are working when you arrive. We also highly recommend a carbon monoxide alarm.
Slide 8
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about summer sun and safety.
If you’d like further advice, you can call our Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 and one of our Healthy Child Service team members can give you some advice. You can also search ‘Summer Safety’ on our Just One Norfolk website. Our Early Childhood and Family Service can also help you with practical advice.
Slide 9
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 10
Just One Number (0300 300 0123) is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get in contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 11
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 12
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Toddler Tears and Tantrums – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore what to expect with toddler behaviour and what you can do as a parent to manage tantrums. We’ll also talk through some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
First, let’s talk about what behaviour we would expect in toddlers.
Tantrums or meltdowns are part of growing up. We expect them in the toddler days - small children let us know loudly about their frustrations and attempts to be independent.
This can include:
• Hitting, kicking and biting
• Throwing
• Running away
• Climbing on things
• Challenging parents and carers at mealtimes
• Having tantrums
• Saying no
• Shouting and screaming
• Wanting specific order or details
• Struggling with sharing
Often tantrums happen less as children develop the language to explain their feelings and find other ways to manage their emotions. It is common for children and young people to still have ‘outbursts’ from time to time though.
This can be affected by developmental stages and temperament, as well as a reaction to other difficult or stressful things happening in their life. It can also be down to things like tiredness or hunger. For some children with additional needs this can be an ongoing struggle for them and their families.
Slide 3
Understanding what is behind a child’s behaviour can help us know how best to support them. All behaviour is a way of children expressing how they are feeling. By tuning into this, you can listen to the voice of your child, even if they can’t tell you in their own words yet.
We can see these sorts of behaviours as happening for one of two reasons.
Sometimes children’s behaviour is a way for them to facilitate their learning. These learning behaviours are a way for them to explore the world and question ‘What if?’.
These behaviours include:
• Throwing
• Running
• Climbing
• Saying “No” to everything. No is a powerful word and sometimes they may be exploring what happens if they refuse something.
For example: toddlers may throw because they are exploring movement, speed, distance, time, and cause and effect. What they don’t yet understand is that it’s unsafe to throw indoors, towards people or with heavy objects. In this case, you can encourage them to be safe while they’re throwing, rather than not to throw, offering for them to use a soft ball or to throw outside.
Behaviours can also be an emotional response. These emotional behaviours are a reaction to some of the things they are feeling. They may not be able to identify and name these emotions yet or might not be able to tell you in their own words.
These behaviours include:
• Tantrums
• Hitting and kicking
• Biting
• Wanting specific order
For these behaviours, being curious about what’s driving the behaviour can help find ways to support your child.
Slide 4
We can also consider behaviour as being influenced by internal or external factors.
Internal reasons could be that:
• They have a headache
• They’re in pain or have toothache
• They’re tired, hungry or bored
• They’re experiencing some big emotions, like being angry, sad, overwhelmed, scared, worried or excited.
• It might be caused by the impulsivity that children developmentally have.
External reasons could be that:
• There’s lots of noise going on
• They’re having friendship difficulties
• They’re unable to communicate effectively how they are feeling or what they want
• They are struggling at school or in a social situation
• They are feeling overwhelmed by too much information
• They have food issues or sensory needs
• They are finding changes to plans difficult to manage
• They are finding it difficult to ask for help
• They are exploring their independence and control over things
When you see your child having a tantrum, can you identify something going on around them that’s making them frustrated or is it something internally, for example are they hungry?
Slide 5
We’ve already talked about some of the emotions they may be feeling.
Take a few moments to think of a time you’ve seen your child have a tantrum. What do you think they may have been feeling in that moment or the time leading up to the tantrum? Can you name some of the emotions they may have been feeling?
Any emotion a child is just beginning to understand can be overwhelming. They may not know how to express it or how to manage it. They might also not know the words to describe how they’re feeling, which can be very frustrating and distressing for them. Their behaviour sometimes becomes the only way they can express those feelings.
You can help your child start to understand their emotions and feelings by gently naming these during the day. Talk about how you think they are feeling: for example “I can see you’re feeling sad because nanny had to go home” or “Wow, you’re happy today!” or “I can see you are angry because it’s time to leave the park“. Start with simple emotions such as happy, sad and angry. In time this will give your child words to express how they are feeling. By doing this, you will help them explain their emotions more easily. It can feel a bit scary to have big feelings when you are little – by talking about them from early on they can learn it is ok to feel like this.
Slide 6
So what does your child need from you in these moments?
First, calmness
It’s really important to your child that you remain calm. They will feel any stress that you are feeling, and this can heighten the situation. Keep your voice low and calm. Try get down to their level so you’re not standing above them.
Tantrums and meltdowns are hard on everyone - keeping calm and being kind, but firm is a good approach.
There may be times when the stress gets to you – this is not surprising. If you are with others and feel your own frustrations building up, ask someone to take over.
If you are on your own, make sure your child is safe then give yourself a few moments of head space to breathe slowly and allow yourself to feel calmer again.
When your child is having a meltdown in public, it can also feel embarrassing. It can feel like everyone is watching. Remember every parent is likely to have experienced this and they are usually sympathising with you.
Try and keep calm, find a quieter spot until it has passed. If it is lasting a long time, and you are struggling, you might decide to head home.
Second, consistency.
Stick to the boundaries you set. If you react one way one day and differently another day, your child will get confused.
It’s also important that everyone in your family deals with your child's behaviour in the same way.
This consistency can also apply to routines and family rules. Most children (and especially those with behavioural difficulties) feel more secure when every day has an expected pattern.
Third, containment.
When we talk about containment, we are talking about a parent being able to hold how their child is feeling, even when it’s negative emotions. This makes children feel safe, loved and held emotionally.
By thinking about their development and their emotional experiences, and reacting in a kind way, you will be doing this.
Slide 7
So what can you do to support your child’s behaviour?
First, anticipate what might cause a tantrum.
Spend some time thinking about things that are a trigger point for your child so you can try reduce how these impact your child. Step into their child’s shoes, think about how they are feeling, what would make things better or worse for them. Try to imagine what they would tell you if they could fully express how they are feeling. You could then make steps to improve the situation.
Second, pick your battles.
During some developmental stages, it feels like you could probably spend all your time trying to keep on top of all your child's negative behaviours. This is stressful for you and your child.
Ask yourself:
• Is this about keeping my child or someone else safe?
• Is this behaviour against our family rules and beliefs; for example, being rude or unkind
• Are my expectations too much for my child’s age; like expecting a toddler to share with their friend.
You can then take a moment to decide if this is a battle you need to have. This can make a big difference in how effective you will be and you can save your energy for the rules and boundaries you know are most important.
Be patient and realistic. If your child is not managing a situation, it is OK for you all to leave. You and your child have done well to give it a go.
Slide 8
Hopefully that’s given you some initial thoughts about toddler tears and tantrums.
To summarise some of the key tips we’re talked about today:
• Stay calm
• Be consistent and don’t change the goal posts
• Step into their shoes and think how they would think
If you are finding your child’s behaviour hard to manage, you could speak to their nursery or preschool.
You can also get more advice by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 and one of our Healthy Child Service team can give you some advice. You can also search ‘Behaviour Troubleshooting’ on our Just One Norfolk website.
Our Early Childhood and Family Service can also help you with practical advice and support around your child’s behaviour.
Slide 9
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 10
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get in contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 11
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 12
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Toilet Training – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore some of our top tips to get your child ready for toilet training. We’ll also talk through some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
So when you’re getting ready to toilet train, how soon is too soon? How do you know when is the right time for your child?
There is no set age for when to stop using nappies, but children normally show they are ready to toilet train between 18 months and 3 years.
Every child is different. Only you will know when it’s the right time for your child.
Tune into your child. All children will reach readiness at different stages.
You don’t have to potty train just because other people are. Don’t feel pressured to train earlier than you think your child is ready for. Follow their cues and be led by them.
Get everyone on board and ensure that your child gets a consistent response. Make sure everyone caring for your child is aware of what you’re doing and how you are doing this so that they can do the same.
Slide 3
We’ve broken down toilet training into building blocks to start your journey.
These are the initial blocks to success and where you should start
Clothing
Ensure before beginning potty training that your child is able to competently manage taking trousers on and off themselves. Encourage them to learn this skill and become independent.
When buying their first pants, bring them with you and let them choose which ones they would like – and buy lots of them!
The Potty
Decide with your child whether they would like to use the potty or the toilet
Then choose together which potty you will buy or which children’s toilet seat
If using a toilet seat, make sure you also have a step for them which is high enough for their feet to touch and rest flat when sitting on the toilet
Is your child constipated?
A child being constipated is one of the most common barriers families experience in relation to potty training
Your child should pass soft stools at least 4 times a week
If they are not, you should see your GP
Constipation will prevent successful potty training
The right hydration:
Don’t restrict drinks to help them stay dry
Children need to experience a full bladder to understand when they need a wee
Water, milk and well diluted squash are best for bladder health and function
Avoid sweetened, fizzy or caffeinated drinks
Timing:
Have you for the time to do this now?
Potty training is often most successful when a parent has got time to commit to it
If you are able to spend the first few days with your child nappy free at home and with them, this will make for an easier experience for both of you
Slide 4
Our next building block will help you get going with toilet training.
Say goodbye to the nappies and that includes pull ups too. For children, they won’t understand the difference, they are just another type of nappy to them.
Leave the bathroom door open and let them see you on the toilet so they know what to do! Talk to them about what you are doing.
Give lots of praise. You can do this for every part of toilet training, for example, for sitting on the potty and for telling you they need a wee. Being dry and clean is not going to happen instantly so praise for small steps along the way will encourage your child. Rewards can also be good, maybe a sticker chart that they can feel proud of.
If you are using a potty, make sure it’s in the room they are playing in to start with –
you may have a short window to catch a wee or poo to begin with!
Encourage boys to wee sitting down or they may forget to poo.
Another practical tip is to dress them in easy clothing, without complicated snaps or buttons.
You can also read books together about potty training to make it more fun!
Slide 5
Our last building block shows the final steps of toilet training. These can take some time for children to master.
Night times:
Children are not expected to be consistently dry through the night until the age of 7
So it’s likely that this won’t happen when you first begin toilet training
To begin this stage, get them used to not have a drink for 1 hour before bedtime and sitting on the potty or toilet before sleep
Wiping:
It will take some time for your child to learn how to wipe themselves effectively and to know how much toilet paper is the right amount
It takes lots of practice and encouragement from you
Going out:
Being dry at home or in another familiar place is one thing
Being dry whilst out and about is another
Keep your first few trips out short, make sure you know where the nearest toilet is and have spare clothes with you
Slide 6
What are some of the challenges you might face?
Frequent accidents:
If your child keeps wetting their clothes, that is okay and is a sign they are not quite ready. Try again a few weeks later. If your child was dry and is now wetting again, it may be caused by a wee infection, constipation or a change in their life. It’s okay to take time to get back on track. If you are worried, reach out for support.
Night times:
As we’ve already covered, being dry at night may not be something you see early on and isn’t an expectation reliably until age 7. This will affected by tiredness and illness.
Constipation:
We’ve also already covered that constipation is one of the most common barriers to toilet training. Make sure that you get support for your child if they are constipated.
Children not wanting to sit on the toilet or potty
Your child may not always want to stay sitting on a toilet or potty, even if they are showing signs of being ready. Encourage your child to sit on the toilet or potty, even if they don’t use it, but only for a couple of minutes at a time.
Make sure they feel secure and safe if using the toilet. Use a toilet seat and a footstool so they feel steady.
You can try to distract them using books or a favourite toy. You could play music or blow bubbles while they are on the toilet.
Children who only want to poo in a nappy
This is a very common challenge. Pooing in a toilet can be a big change for them and feel very different to using a nappy. You could try placing a clean dry nappy over the potty and let them sit on this. This helps them gradually move towards pooing without the nappy there.
Slide 7
If your child has an additional need or disability, it doesn’t necessarily mean they cannot be toilet-trained or that they will be a lifelong nappy-wearer.
Children with additional needs may not be able to show some of the signs of readiness to train, such as talking about the toilet or having the physical ability to manage their own clothing. This doesn’t mean you should not start training, as having additional needs may impact these areas, but does not mean they cannot successfully use a toilet.
It may take longer to achieve full dryness, but it’s absolutely possible.
It can be tempting to wait until they are older to start toilet training. However, the longer they have their nappy for toileting, the harder it can be to introduce somewhere new to wee and poo.
Start by trying to identify a pattern of when your child wees and poos, for example, after a meal.
Encourage them to sit on the potty or toilet around these times and play games such as bubble blowing or singing songs together.
Make sure your child is well supported if their ability to sit is affected by their additional need. If they feel unsteady or unsaf,e this can make them nervous about using the potty or toilet
Slide 8
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about toilet training.
You can get more advice by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 and one of our Healthy Child Service team can give you some advice. You can also search ‘Toilet Training’ on our Just One Norfolk website.
Our Early Childhood and Family Service can also help you with practical advice and support.
Slide 9
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 10
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get in contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 11
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 12
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Introducing Solid Foods – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore some of our top tips to introduce and wean your baby onto solid foods. We’ll also talk through some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
Weaning is when you introduce solid food into your baby's diet, alongside their usual breast, formula or combination milk feeds.
Experts recommend that babies be exclusively fed with milk by breast, bottle or a combination of these for their first 6 months of life. Up until this point, babies get everything they need to grow and be healthy from their milk.
The advice on when babies are ready to start solid foods has changed over time. It can feel confusing. You might be advised by people who weaned their babies before the recommendation changed. We now know more about the way babies digest food, as well as the nutrition they need.
It may be difficult to know if your baby is ready to move on to food. They may start to show signs they are interested in your food, they may be chewing on their fists, or they may be waking up more at night or be asking for more milk.
For 6 months, these are often normal signs that your baby just needs more milk. These are stages most babies go through and are not signs of weaning readiness.
Weaning is easier, safer, and babies enjoy it more if the time is right, so it’s best to wait until they show they are ready.
Wait until your baby reaches these 3 clear development milestones:
1. They can hold their head and sit steadily
2. They can pick things up and put them in their mouth
3. When you try giving your baby food, they swallow it instead of pushing it back out with their tongue
These milestones tend to happen around 6 months of age and show that you baby might be ready to try enjoying solids
If your baby isn’t quite doing these things yet, don’t worry, there’s plenty of time
Introducing solid food too early can increase the chance of your baby becoming an overweight baby or child. Being overweight greatly increases the chance of health problems such as diabetes in childhood and later in life. It is also important to wait until your baby can eat food safely to reduce risks such as choking.
Slide 3
As your baby approaches 6 months, you may want to start getting ready to introduce solid foods. It is a really exciting time as your baby starts to try their first foods alongside their usual breast milk or first infant formula.
Being prepared will make weaning easier and less stressful for both you and your baby, so you can all really enjoy this new experience together. It is messy but fun!
Making sure you have the right equipment before you start to wean your baby will help make this important time in their lives much smoother.
Here is a list of equipment that you may need when starting to wean your baby:
A highchair:
Your baby needs to be sitting safely in an upright position so they can swallow properly. Always use a securely fitted safety harness in a highchair. Never leave babies unattended on raised surfaces. Do not feed your baby in a baby bouncer or propped on a soft surface such as a sofa as this is a choking hazard
Plenty of bibs:
It's going to be messy at first!
Soft weaning spoons:
These are gentler on your baby's gums.
Small plastic bowls:
At first, you might find it is easier to place food directly onto the tray of the highchair that has been thoroughly cleaned at first. There are also bowls with non-slip bases in most supermarket baby aisles that you can buy.
Their first cup:
Introduce a cup from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals. Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn to sip and is better for their teeth.
There are also other helpful items
An old shower curtain is great to place on the floor to catch any spills and can be wiped down easily when mealtime is over.
Plastic containers and ice cube trays can also be helpful for batch cooking and freezing small portions.
Slide 4
To begin with, your baby may not seem to eat much. Don't worry, as at this stage, babies are getting most of their nutrients from their breastmilk or first infant formula. Start small and build from there.
Some key things to remember with your baby’s food:
• Do not add salt or sugar to your baby’s foods, and be aware of the sugar and salt content of ready-prepared baby foods.
• Too much sugar will damage teeth even before they erupt from the gums and increase the risk of childhood obesity, which is a significant factor in developing health conditions such as diabetes
• Salt can cause damage to the kidneys and should be avoided.
• Water and milk are the only drinks babies should be offered
• Many baby foods and drinks will claim to be sugar-free but contain high amounts of free sugars, which are still sugar!
• Let them play with their food – they will be learning how to eat independently.
• Eat together when you can – babies learn from watching you and enjoying the sociable aspects of eating as well as the food!
When you begin, your baby only needs very small amounts of solid food, once a day, at a time that suits you both. This is just to get them used to the new tastes and textures that they have never experienced before.
You can start with single vegetables and fruits – try blended, mashed, or soft-cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear.
Ensure any cooked food has cooled right down before offering it to your baby.
Let your baby have soft finger foods alongside a spoon to play with, too, and expect some mess!
Offer your baby’s usual milk feed following the food, as they eat more, they will naturally want less milk.
Introduce other meals as your baby settles into weaning
At around 7-9 months –
Your baby will have started to get used to the new flavours and textures you have been giving them every day.
They should start to gradually move to three meals a day.
Try and let them eat when you eat. They learn from watching other people eat.
Try and offer a variety of different foods so they can get all the nutrition they need.
Try not to worry if your baby refuses some foods. It can take up to 10 tries or more for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures. There'll be days when they eat more, some days when they eat less, and then days when they reject everything! Be as patient as you can and keep offering them a variety of different healthy foods.
By the age of 1 year, your baby will be having 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks a day
Slide 5
There are some foods to avoid giving to babies and young children
Salt:
Babies should not eat much salt, as it's not good for their kidneys.
Don’t add salt to your baby's food or cooking water, and don’t use stock cubes or gravy, as they're high in salt.
Remember this when you're cooking for the family and you plan to give your baby the same food.
Avoid salty foods like:
bacon
sausages
chips with added salt
crackers
crisps
ready meals
takeaways
Sugar:
Your baby doesn’t need sugar.
By avoiding sugary snacks and drinks, you'll help prevent tooth decay.
Saturated fat:
Do not give your child too many foods that are high in saturated fat, such as crisps, biscuits and cakes.
Checking the nutrition labels can help you choose foods that are lower in saturated fat.
Honey:
Occasionally, honey contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines, leading to infant botulism, which is a very serious illness.
Do not give your child honey until they're over 1 year. Honey is a sugar, so avoiding it will help prevent tooth decay.
Whole nuts and peanuts:
Whole nuts and peanuts should not be given to children under 5 years old, as they can choke on them.
You can still give your baby nuts and peanuts from around 6 months old, as long as they're crushed, ground or a smooth butter.
If there's a history of food allergies or other allergies in your family, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing nuts and peanuts.
Some cheeses:
Cheese can form part of a healthy, balanced diet for babies and young children, and provide calcium, protein and vitamins.
Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. This includes hard cheeses, such as mild cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese.
Babies and young children should not eat mould-ripened soft cheeses. There's a higher risk that these cheeses might carry a bacterium called Listeria.
Many cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk. It's better to avoid these because they contain the risk of listeria as well.
Raw and lightly cooked eggs:
Babies can have eggs from around 6 months.
If the eggs have the red British Lion Quality stamp on them, it's fine for your baby to have them raw (for example, in homemade mayonnaise) or lightly cooked.
Eggs that don’t have the red lion mark should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid.
Rice drinks:
Children under 5 years old should not have rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula, as they may contain too much arsenic.
Arsenic is found naturally in the environment and can find its way into our food and water.
Rice tends to take up more arsenic than other grains, but this doesn’t mean that you or your baby cannot eat rice.
Raw jelly cubes:
Raw jelly cubes can be a choking hazard for babies and young children.
If you're making jelly from raw jelly cubes, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Raw shellfish:
Raw or lightly cooked shellfish, such as mussels, clams and oysters, can increase the risk of food poisoning, so it's best not to give it to babies.
Shark, swordfish and marlin:
Do not give your baby these. The amount of mercury in these fish can affect the development of a baby's nervous system.
Slide 6
You may have heard about baby-led weaning.
Over the last 10 years, there has been a growing interest and use of Baby Led Weaning. This is because there are believed to be benefits to letting your baby feed themself:
Your baby leads, which encourages independence and confidence
They can explore foods themselves
It can help hand/eye coordination skills through finger feeding
It reduces the risk of obesity as they are in control of stopping eating when they are full
It reduces the risk of ‘fussy eating' when they are older
It supports the development of jaw muscles through chewing, which supports their speech development
Most importantly, Baby Led Weaning allows your baby to copy you! They can feed themselves, holding their own food, putting down things they don't like or want and throwing them away. It allows them to get messy and learn to enjoy food in a social and safe environment.
Make sure the room is warm, strip them off down to a nappy, pop a shower curtain under the highchair to catch any mess and let them loose!
After 6 months, if you choose to baby-led wean, try to keep the same feeding routine with breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Babies still get most of their nutrition from their milk through the first year.
Slide 7
However you choose to wean your baby, there is some key safety advice to follow.
Never leave your baby alone with food
Choking is always a possibility when your baby is weaning, whichever method you choose. Make sure you are always with your baby when they are feeding and reduce the risk by ensuring they are seated upright, finger foods are soft, there are no bones in the food offered, and small round foods are cut in half lengthways.
Prepare food according to your child's age:
Start by giving your baby sticks of food that they can grasp in their hand. About twice the length of their hand is a good measure for food sticks. As they get older, they will be able to pick up smaller chunks of food.
Practice good hygiene:
Make sure you clean the highchair or bowls that the food is being served on. This will stop any germs multiplying, which could make your baby sick.
Choking:
The risk of babies choking when baby led weaning is no different than when being spoon-fed. The good news is that all babies are born with a gag reflex. This lets them push food forward in their mouth. You may notice your baby gagging more when baby led weaning. Don't worry, this is because they are in control of their own feeding.
It is important to make sure that any small, round foods, such as grapes and cherry tomatoes, are halved lengthways. Remember to also check that any meat or fish you are giving doesn’t contain any bones.
Let your baby take their time to explore what you have offered, and let them finish eating when they want to. Offer their usual milk feed after the meal and water in a cup beside their food.
Slide 8
What about if your baby was born prematurely?
The signs that your baby is ready to start enjoying solid foods are generally the same as they are for a full-term baby, but corrected for their prematurity.
You should wait until your baby is 6 months corrected age.
Your baby's corrected age is the number of weeks or months since their original due date. So for a baby who was born 10 weeks early and is now 12 weeks old, their corrected age would be 2 weeks.
You should avoid starting before 5 months corrected age.
And you should introduce mashed textured food by 7 months corrected age.
However, if your baby was very ill while in the neonatal unit, or has additional long-term medical or developmental needs, you may need more specific support with weaning. Speak to a health care professional if you have any questions or worries.
BLISS also have very good advice around weaning your premature baby. Simply search ‘weaning’ on their website.
Slide 9
If you are choosing to wean your baby onto a vegetarian or vegan diet, the early stages of introducing solid foods should be no different.
Fruit and vegetables can be offered as spoon feeds or finger foods.
You will need to ensure your baby receives enough vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats.
Before weaning, it might help to take some advice from a health professional.
You can also find information from First Steps Nutrition Trust. They have information and recipes for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and cultural diets.
Slide 10
Some foods carry a higher risk of allergic reactions than others. It's important to introduce foods that can cause an allergic reaction one at a time, in very small amounts, so that you can spot any reaction. These foods can be introduced from around 6 months as part of your baby's diet, just like any other foods.
Foods that can trigger an allergic reaction are –
Cows’ milk
Eggs
Foods that contain gluten, including wheat, barley and rye
Nuts, peanuts and seeds
Soya
Shellfish
Fish
Introduce these foods from 6 months one at a time, and if they are tolerated, they can become part of your baby’s usual diet.
Evidence has shown that delaying the introduction of peanut and eggs beyond 6-12 months may actually increase the risk of developing an allergy to these foods.
If your baby has a diagnosed condition such as cow’s milk protein allergy, ask your dietitian for advice on how to introduce solids.
How to tell if your child has a food allergy
Allergic reactions usually happen quickly
They can cause:
sneezing
a runny or blocked nose
red, itchy or watery eyes
wheezing and coughing
a red, itchy rash
worsening of asthma or eczema symptoms
Allergies can also cause a rare and severe reaction called anaphylaxis. This is a medical emergency and you should call 999 immediately if you see any of these symptoms in your baby.
Do not be tempted to experiment by cutting out a major food, such as milk, because this could lead to your child not getting the nutrients they need.
Talk to your health visitor or GP, who may refer you to a registered dietitian.
Slide 11
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about introducing solid foods.
You can get more advice by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123, and one of our Healthy Child Service team members can give you some advice. You can also search ‘Weaning and Moving On’ on our Just One Norfolk website.
Our Early Childhood family service can also help you with practical advice and support.
Slide 12
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 13
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 14
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 15
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Winter, Warm and Well – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
Winter bugs and viruses are usually mild, but can sometimes become more serious, particularly in younger children or if an infection spreads to a vulnerable family member. It can be hard to know what to do when your baby or child is ill, and when you can manage this at home or need to see a doctor or nurse for more help.
With the cost of living rising, keeping your home as warm as you usually would in winter may be a worry for you. Living in a cold home could lead to an increased risk of illness or make a current health condition worse.
In this webinar, we’ll explore some of our top tips to stay warm and well in winter. We’ll also talk through some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
Getting your child vaccinated is the best way of protecting them from different illnesses. In recent years, there has been a drop in the uptake levels of children getting their routine vaccinations. It’s never too late for children to catch up on their childhood vaccines, even if they have missed them in the past, or you are unsure about your child’s vaccination history.
Check your child's red book or contact your GP to make sure that they are up to date with all of their vaccinations.
Getting vaccinated will not only protect your child but also protect others by stopping outbreaks in nurseries and schools and reducing the risk of spreading to your family and friends. It may also help you avoid having to take time off work or having to arrange childcare as a result of your child getting ill.
Slide 3
The flu vaccination programme runs annually
The flu vaccine is the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus. Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children, causing:
fever
extreme tiredness
aching muscles and joints
stuffy nose
dry cough
sore throat
Complications of flu include painful inflammation inside the ear, and pneumonia that makes breathing difficult.
Over winter in 2022 and 2023 more than 10,000 children were taken into hospital with flu.
The vaccine reduces the risk of having to go to the hospital with the flu by two-thirds!
All parents with a child in an eligible age group get an invitation to bring their child for a flu vaccine.
Booking your child’s flu vaccine prevents the spread of flu. Protecting your child, family and others
Slide 4
Some illnesses, such as coughs, colds, or tummy upsets, can spread from one person to another very easily. There are some simple things that you can do to reduce the risk of this happening.
You should also teach your child these things:
• Always wash hands well, using hot water and soap
• Cover mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing
• Use a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, then throw it away afterwards.
• And keeping away from others when feeling unwell, so you don’t spread germs.
These things will help to reduce the risk of picking up or spreading infections.
Slide 5
We are now going to talk about the most common reasons for illness in the winter months:
Temperatures
Tummy Pain
Coughs, Colds & Bronchiolitis (which is sometimes called RSV)
Slide 6
Tummy pain is very common in children, but it can be worrying. Most children will not need any specific treatment, and the pain will get better by itself. Tummy pain can be caused by;
Constipation
A wee infection
A tummy bug
Reflux or colic in babies.
Sometimes there is no cause, but the pain goes away by itself.
In older children, tummy pain might also be caused by;
Period pains
Anxiety
Sometimes, the pain can be caused by something more serious, such as appendicitis or a twist in the testicles of boys known as testicular torsion.
If your child has tummy pain, there are a few things you can do at home to help them;
Consider giving paracetamol if they are over 2 months, ensuring that you follow the advice from the pharmacist and information on the packaging.
Offer your child a normal diet and plenty of fluids. Avoid fizzy drinks and fruit juices, and offer your child bland foods.
Encourage them to go to the toilet to do a poo or pass some wind.
Let them lie down and relax for a period of time.
And give them lots of reassurance.
Slide 7
You should call your GP or 111 for advice if your child;
Has a swollen tummy.
Has blood in their poo or wee.
Has constant pain for more than 1 day despite painkillers.
Has a fever or symptoms continuing for more than 5 days.
Is increasingly thirsty or is weeing more or less than normal.
They have yellow skin or eyes.
They have had weight loss or poor growth.
Slide 8
You should go to the nearest A&E Department or phone 999 if your child is;
Is pale and floppy
They have cold hands and feet
They are drowsy or difficult to wake
They have green or blood-stained vomit
They have severe pain despite pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
They have testicular pain or testicular swelling
Slide 9
When babies and children are poorly, they often have a high temperature, sometimes called a fever.
A normal temperature in babies and children is around 36.4°C but this can vary from child to child.
In children, a fever is considered to be 38°C and above. If your baby is under 6 months old and has a high temperature, it’s very important to seek advice from a health professional.
If your child’s temperature drops below 35°C this could indicate they are seriously unwell. Please contact your GP or 111 for advice.
If your child has a high temperature:
Try to get your child to drink lots of fluids, offer breastfeeds more often if you are breast feeding.
Dress your baby or your young child in their normal clothing or nightwear whilst they are feeling poorly.
Do not try to control your child’s temperature with tepid sponging or fans. This may disguise their true temperature.
Check your child’s temperature regularly. If you are worried get some advice from a health care professional.
Keep your child as comfortable as possible. Consider giving paracetamol if they are over 2 months, following the advice from the pharmacist and the information on the packaging.
Check on your child often during the night.
Slide 10
Call your GP or call 111 if your child –
Is finding it hard to breathe
Seems dehydrated, with sunken eyes, being drowsy or no wee passed for 12 hours
They are becoming drowsy or irritable – especially if they remain drowsy or irritable despite their fever coming down
They have extreme shivering or complain of muscle pain
Has had chickenpox in the past few days and they are now getting more unwell with a high fever and spreading red rash
They have swelling of a limb or joint
It’s too painful for your child to stand
They have a swollen eye
They continue to have a fever of 38.0°C or above for more than 5 days
Slide 11
Go to A&E or call 999 if your child has any of the following:
They become pale, mottled or feel abnormally cold to the touch
They have blue lips
The have severe breathing difficulty
They have a fit or a seizure
They become extremely agitated or very lethargic or confused
They develop a rash that does not disappear with pressure
Slide 12
Babies and children often get a lot of coughs and colds - around eight a year on average! As they get older and their immune system gets stronger, the number of coughs and colds will get less.
Colds and most coughs are caused by a virus. Most colds last for 5-7 days, but the cough can hang around for much longer.
It's hard to see your child feeling poorly and colds can make feel really miserable. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for a cold. Antibiotics don't work on viruses like colds, and your child will not need to see a doctor.
You can help stop the germs spreading by making sure everyone is washing their hands well. Having lots of tissues and making sure the dirty ones go straight in the bin.
Whilst a cold has to run its course, there are things you can do to help your child feel better.
Take time for cuddles. You might find your child wants you extra close for comfort.
Make sure that your child drinks plenty of fluids to keep hydrated and don’t worry if they don’t feel very hungry for a few days.
Warm baths and warm drinks can help stuffy noses and be relaxing before bed.
Consider giving paracetamol, again if they are over 2 months, ensuring that you follow the advice from the pharmacist and the information on the packaging.
You can also try saline nose drops or sprays to help your child breathe more easily – you can ask your pharmacist for details.
Bronchiolitis:
If your baby or child has a cold or cough that goes on for a while and their breathing seems noisier or faster than usual, your GP may tell you they have bronchiolitis. This is caused by a viral infection. The most common infection that causes this is RSV so your doctor may call it RSV instead.
It is easy to catch this virus, so many children (particularly the under 2's) might catch it every year or have it more than once in a year. This is most likely to happen in the winter months.
There is no specific treatment for RSV and most children will start to get better after 3 or 4 days. They may have a cough for some time. You can often care for your child at home while they have this viral illness, but you will need to get medical advice if it does not get better or gets worse.
If your child has symptoms of a cough or cold, is breathing more quickly or noisily and having difficulty feeding or you are worried, contact your GP. They will be able to advise and confirm if your child has bronchiolitis.
Slide 13
Speak to your GP or call 111 if your child has any of the following:
Their breathing is laboured or rapid or they are working hard to breathe
They make a harsh noise when they breathe in
They seem dehydrated, with sunken eyes, being drowsy or no wee passed for 12 hours
They are drowsy or irritable – especially if they remain drowsy or irritable despite their fever coming down
They have extreme shivering or complains of muscle pain
They continue to have a fever of 38.0°C or above for more than 5 days
Or they seem to be getting worse or if you are worried
Slide 14
Go to A&E or call 999 if your child has any of the following:
They have blue lips
Their breathing isn’t regular
They’re too breathless to talk, eat or drink
They have severe difficulty in breathing
They become pale, mottled or feel abnormally cold to touch
They become extremely agitated, confused or very lethargic
They have a rash that doesn’t disappear with pressure
Slide 15
So where can you get support around keeping warm and heating your home in winter?
Slide 16
Norfolk libraries offer lots of support, such as free bags of essential items for adults and children to stay warm and hot drinks. Warm and Well bags contain a scarf, hat, gloves, blanket, socks and a hot water bottle.
If you are struggling to heat your home, the Norfolk Assistance Scheme provides emergency financial help, essential household goods, and advice and support for all Norfolk residents in need.
You can also find more information on budgeting and money support on our Just One Norfolk website. Just search ‘Money Worries’.
Anyone can find themselves and their family in need of help for lots of different reasons. If you are struggling to feed your family, you can get help from a local food bank or a community fridge.
Most food banks will provide three days of emergency food and support to those in need. To use some food banks, you will need a voucher from a local support agency. Once you have your voucher, it can be taken to a nearby foodbank to be swapped for a food parcel.
Universal free school meals are provided to all children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2. You don’t have to apply to get these meals.
If you do receive benefits, you should still make an application because it can help raise extra funds called Pupil Premium for your child’s school. Pupil Premium funding can help your child’s school pay for extra tuition, teaching and after school activities.
Slide 17
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about saying warm and well in winter.
You can get more advice by calling Just One Number, and one of our Healthy Child Service team members can give you some advice. You can also search ‘Warm and Well’ on our Just One Norfolk website.
Our Early Childhood and Family Service can also help you with practical advice and support.
Slide 18
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 19
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can contact us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 20
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 21
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 19
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 20
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 21
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
Slide 1
Welcome to our webinar – Worried About Leaving You – offered by the Norfolk Healthy Child Service and the Early Childhood and Family Service.
In this webinar, we’ll explore some of our top tips to support your child with separation anxiety. We’ll also talk through some of the places you can get further advice if needed.
Slide 2
So, what do we mean when we talk about separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is how we describe the feelings some children have when they are apart from those who make them feel safest, often their parents or carers. Most babies and children will find separation hard at times.
Separation anxiety is an expected developmental stage. Some children will struggle with it for longer and at different times because of their life experiences or individual personality.
At around six months old, you will probably notice that your baby worries when you are out of sight. This is an ordinary stage of development as babies start to realise that they are their own person and are separate from you.
Young babies and toddlers can become anxious when their parent or primary caregiver leaves their sight. They are still learning that these separations are only temporary!
You will probably notice times when they seem ‘clingy’ and upset when they can’t be close to you.
Whatever the age of your child, your understanding of how hard this feels for them is important. The way you react and support them can help them feel better and less worried about being apart. It may take time to build their confidence but it is important they learn that they can cope and you are both still safe when separated.
Slide 3
For babies and toddlers, you are the centre of your child’s world, and they rely on you for everything. It’s not surprising that when they begin to understand that you could leave them behind, they feel worried and upset if you are out of sight.
So, how can we support children with separation and help them begin to feel confident?
Help your baby practice being apart from you at home first.
Games like peek-a-boo are good early ways of showing your baby you always come back.
Always tell your baby if you are leaving the room. For example: ‘Daddy is just going in the kitchen to get your drink – I’ll be right back.’
If your baby cries for you, let them hear your voice. For example: ‘Daddy is coming, I’m getting your drink.’
When you come back in the room, say, ‘Here I am – Daddy is back – you are fine.’ Then distract your baby with their toys.
Once your baby is mobile, they will probably follow you. Let them do this when they can do so safely; it will help them realise that you don’t ‘disappear’ when you are out of sight.
Slide 4
Leaving your child with others:
Settling your child into a new childcare routine – whether that’s with a relative, nursery, childminder or pre-school – it’s s a big adjustment. It can be an emotional time for both parents and children.
Try not to pass on your own anxieties, as your child can pick up on this. It is important that you seem confident, giving them the message that this is going to be ok.
We have some tips to support this:
When you first leave your child with family or friends, it should be:
With someone they know.
In a familiar place or with familiar things.
For as short a time as possible.
Always say goodbye (but keep it short and sweet) and always say hello when you return.
Always leave a contact number if you are leaving the house.
If your baby is really upset, go back to them – you can try again another time soon.
It is important that the number of different people who look after your child is kept as low as possible
Slide 5
Some children may find being left at nursery, child minders or playgroups hard.
Nurseries and child minders often have settling periods when your child first starts, and settling-in periods are often on a case-by-case basis. Speak to your nursery or childminder about what they can do to support.
If your child seems to be clingy or gets distressed when you are not close by, have a think about what is going on for them.
Read stories about children going to nursery. Talk to them about the characters and how they might feel. Point out the teacher caring for the children and the parent coming back
Allow plenty of time for drop off, and always be there at the time you said you would be to collect them.
Let your child take along a loved teddy or blanket or something of yours, like a scarf or a jumper – something that helps them keep their connection with you and with home.
Keep going – give them comfort and let them know you understand they are finding it hard. Show them that you believe they can do it. Given time, most children settle and feel confident that you will be back soon and can enjoy their time at nursery. Speak to the nursery if you are having problems.
Slide 6
Starting school is a big step for children and their families too.
Preparing your child for starting school can help them feel more confident about what to expect.
Again, try not to show any worries you might have about them starting school. They will take their lead from you. Remember, children like to listen in on adult conversations as well!
Visit the school together, and use all the school's open days to look around together.
Talk to your child about the change to come. Storybooks about starting school can help.
Talk through the new routines of the school day.
Having a short but special goodbye and the same for ‘hello’ at the end of the day.
Make sure they know who will pick them up and where from. Be there a few minutes early, especially to begin with. This will help build your child’s confidence that you will come back.
Have a small pocket-sized toy that you kiss and put in your child’s pocket or book bag each morning. Something that connects them with you and can help in wobbly moments.
Slide 7
Separation anxiety in children can be difficult for parents, so it’s important to look after yourself.
Try not to get frustrated or annoyed by your child’s need to be with you. Even though it might be difficult to understand why they are struggling. It may be hard for them, and they cannot help it. It will pass in time.
Maintain good communication with the nursery and school and share your concerns. They are used to giving extra support to children and can reassure you.
Be careful that you don’t pass on your own anxieties. Your child will pick up on your feelings, so it is important that you seem confident and give them the message that this is going to be fine.
Talk to friends and family to get support. You could also join our peer-to-peer online support community, Ask Norfolk Parents. People who have been through this with their own children will remember how hard it can be to begin with.
Seek further advice from Just One Number on 0300 300 0123.
Slide 8
Hopefully, that’s given you some initial thoughts about supporting your child with separation anxiety.
There are lots of resources on the Just One Norfolk website to support you and your child through separation anxiety.
There is a whole page dedicated to Separation Anxiety and Transition to School.
The Children and Young People’s Emotional Health pages also have lots of activities for you to do with your child at home, including breathing exercises.
Slide 9
If you’d like more information, you can access the free online Solihull Approach course. This is available to everyone who cares for children aged 0-18 years. It’s there to help you recognise emotions in yourself and your child, and helps you to see how these emotions can impact behaviour. Just search ‘Solihull Approach’ on Just One Norfolk.
There is also parenting support available for fathers through Dad’s Matter, offering a safe space for dads to express and discuss things that matter to them as parents, running over a 12-week course. Search ‘Dad’s Matter’ on the Norfolk County Council website.
Slide 10
Norfolk’s Early Childhood and Family Service offers support to families with children aged 0 to 5 years. They offer one-to-one or group support, face-to-face or online, at different times of the day. They provide practical support on parenting and supporting your child’s development. To request support, you can visit their website or call them.
Slide 11
Just One Number is the single point of access for Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People’s Health Services.
You can contact Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 to get advice and support from the Norfolk Healthy Child Service, which includes Health Visiting and School Nursing.
You can get in contact us with us for a large range of topics, including your child’s development, communication, infant feeding and diet, continence and toileting, behaviour, sleep, emotional health, dental health and healthy lifestyles.
You can also text Parentline with any questions you may have.
Our Just One Number team work closely with your Health Visiting and School Nursing teams and can also arrange extra support if you need.
You can also access our Just One Norfolk website. We have trusted information for every stage of your family’s journey, for you to access whenever you wish.
Slide 12
You can find more sessions like this on Just One Norfolk. Just search ‘Webinars’ to find other recorded webinars and dates for our live webinars.
Slide 13
Thank you for watching our webinar.
We’d love to hear your feedback and any thoughts on other webinars you’d like to see.
