Aunt Annie's Childcare

Advice and observations from a qualified carer and educator to help parents and childcare professionals maintain a loving, respectful relationship with their children.

So who is Aunt Annie?

Aunt Annie: Aunt Annie is a teacher, composer, poet and writer who has taught music, personal development, craft, maths and English to adolescents and primary school students and has worked with children from birth to 5 years in long day care. She has accidentally become something of an internet guru for her younger friends with children (many of them her own ex-students), due to her extensive experience of handling 20 or 30 kids at a time for hours on end on a daily basis, managing ridiculous feats like single-handedly producing a musical with 60 teenagers or creating a re-enactment of a favourite storybook with 23 5-year-olds (all of whom had a wonderful time), and having a grown-up child who still chooses to talk to her as recreation rather than duty. Annie currently works in Early Childhood, and holds nationally accepted childcare, primary and secondary education qualifications. She is also a fount of knowledge on the subject of gifted children, having had one of her own and having taught gifted teenagers for over 20 years.

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Pages

Reflecting on your children's environment

On being consistent and fair- or not: the stories of Hiroko and Mia

Helping your children hear praise and gratitude

The value of telling our stories

Advocacy versus 'professionalism': Aunt Annie pays the price

The power of music to soothe the troubled child

Breaking the nagging cycle

Being a role model: a 24/7 challenge for parents and carers

Being 'in the zone' with babies: an accidental 'tummy time' story

No danger money: dealing with violent preschoolers

Bert, Ernie and homophobia in childcare- is it an issue?

Katie bit me

A letter to Chris Bowen regarding the 'Malaysian solution'

Coping with toddlers joyfully

DON'T DO THAT! -how to drive a child crazy with your own fear

Stop saving me, you're holding me back!

Children's rational fears

Children's irrational fears

Bringing music into your children's world- EYLF friendly!

Play-based learning misinterpreted: how a free-for-all approach failed a gifted child

The limits of our responsibility for abused and neglected children

Coping with criticism of our parenting or care philosophy

Play-based road safety activities and a song for preschoolers

The preschooler who hits- what do you say?

Extending children's play, and the joy of red herrings

What we can learn from children

Stencils are not the Devil Incarnate: dogma and the EYLF

Does your little one walk on their toes?

Notes for Early Childhood Educators: Australian Aboriginal inclusion

The teachers who changed my life

What we want for our children- and is the EYLF the answer?

I hate preschool rest time! -an alternative system for courageous carers

Whistle-blowing and parent awareness in childcare

Literacy, little boys and fairy tales

The value of taking tantrums seriously

Thoughts on Mothers' Day

Measuring excellence in your child's teachers

The preschooler as author: first steps in creative literacy

What will your kids' childhood memories be?

How do you handle PARENTS?

Stop the pregnancy, I want to get off!

Teaching your children life skills

An insight into a mother-daughter relationship

Teacher-bashers: the dangers of over-supporting your children

On not being a Wicked Stepmother

Toxic Mothers

New childcare legislation: prejudice against our own culture?

Three things I wish my parents had taught me...

Naming your baby: it's not about you!

Moving house with children

Anger management for young children

Teaching children to think for themselves: subject choice in the secondary school

The power of a child's home language

Prejudice against gifted kids, pressure on carers: the dangers of dumbing down your communication

Children who sue their parents: the dangers of over-permissive parenting

The myth of the perfect parent/carer

Physical challenge versus physical safety: the dangers of boring an active child to death

Are our kids getting ruder?

Mat time puppet show script: Cleaning Mr Crocodile's teeth

What makes a parent resilient?

Focus at mat time, plus a funny handwashing song

A tidy room versus creative chaos

A prejudice-busting story for Valentine's Day

Modelling happiness: broken families

Fighting with your ex- a child's view

The Seven Deadly Sins of daycare parenting

The first day at daycare: let's get it right!

The parent as cab driver: after-school activity overload