Sometimes it Helps to Get Your Tongue in a Twist!
She sells sea shells on the sea shore. Can you say this sentence as quickly as possible whilst still articulating all the sounds clearly? How did you get on? Did you end up in a ‘muddy puddle’? This well known sequence of ‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds, is thought to be the first tongue twister, inspired by the life of Mary Anning, […]
Mindful Interactions: Tips for Encouraging Greater Awareness in the Present Moment
At Julia Gabriel Education, mindfulness has been an important part of our culture for decades. Being conscious of the way we behave, speak and interact with others is organically merged into our programmes, our approach to teaching and our relationships. As with all meaningful developmental practices, mindfulness is a work in progress, for us all; […]
Taking the Time for Mindful Moments
What exactly is ‘mindfulness’? What does it mean to be ‘mindful’? And how does the regular practice of mindfulness benefit our children? Whether ‘minding your Ps and Qs’ (an English expression for watching your manners, being careful with the language you use or being on your best behaviour), minding where you walk (being careful not […]
How’s It Going with that New Year’s Resolution?
It is a brand new year. Time to throw out the old and bring in the new. The time of year when we might do a personal spring clean as it were and set the intention to drop those ‘bad’ habits and adopt new, more healthy habits. Well, that’s the theory at least! How many of us […]
Mindfulness for Children
Mindfulness has been touted as the new yoga – the answer to mental wellness and all the stresses of modern life. What is it beyond the buzz? Literally “living in the now”, mindfulness focuses on paying attention to the here and now – not what might have been or could be – in an accepting, […]
Developing an Effective Voice
Benefits and Tips “Voice is rooted in the mind and body, an expression of a whole person. Voice is affected by our relationships with others, the environment and the impulse of the moment.” – Julia Gabriel One of the many skills we teach students at Julia Gabriel Centre is how to use their voice for effective […]
Ways to Encourage a Fussy Eater
Do you have a fussy eater? Does your child refuse to try new food? Do they pick at the food on their plate and take ages to eat just a few mouthfuls? Is it a struggle to get them to eat healthily? Mealtimes can be very stressful occasions for many parents. You might worry that […]
Grandparents as Childcarers
With the arrival of Queen Elizabeth’s latest great grandchild, ‘grannies’ have been big in the news of late. Just this June, the BBC posted an article on Instagram about a lady in the UK, aged 86, who recently became a great, great, great grandmother. Yes, three greats before the grand! Hard to believe but true! That means there are […]
The Positives and Pitfalls of Social Media
Vast numbers of children today have access to smartphones and social media networks. Child social media influencers, with their own accounts on Instagram and YouTube, some with over two million followers, have increased rapidly over the past couple of years. Children as young as six can be found giving makeup tutorials, testing out toys, demonstrating […]
Positive Discipline
The path to a deeper connection with your child and a more enjoyable way to live! It is ironic that the word ‘discipline’ stems from the Latin word ‘disciplina’ meaning instruction or knowledge (also found in the Latin word ‘discipulus’, one who learns), yet the modern verb ‘to discipline’ carries such negative connotations, conjuring up the concept of punishment, belittling correction […]
