Early Start Project

18/06/2026

🔥Electric Blanket Safety Reminder 🔥

With the recent house fire up North believed to have started from an electric blanket, it’s a good time to remind ourselves of some simple steps that can help keep our whānau safe this winter.

Electric blankets can make those cold nights much more comfortable, but they need to be used and maintained safely.

✅ Check for hotspots by turning your blanket on high for 15 minutes, then switching it off and carefully running your hand over the surface.

✅ Turn your electric blanket off before you go to sleep and whenever you leave the house. Never leave it running unattended.

✅ Use electric blankets that are less than five years old.

✅ Never place heavy objects on the bed while the electric blanket is in use.

✅ Make sure the blanket lies flat and that cords and controls are not twisted, trapped, or damaged.

✅ At the first sign of wear or damage, replace the blanket or have it checked by a qualified electrician.

✅ When storing your electric blanket, roll it up rather than folding it to help prevent damage to the wiring.

Winter is the perfect time to check your home’s fire safety too. Make sure your smoke alarms are working, test them regularly, and ensure everyone in the household knows what to do in an emergency.

He taonga te whānau – our families are precious. Taking a few simple precautions can help keep everyone warm, safe, and well this winter.

Noho mahana, noho haumaru – stay warm, stay safe. A few minutes spent checking your electric blanket could help prevent a fire and keep your loved ones safe.

For more helpful tips to keep your whānau safe, visit Safekids Aotearoa

16/06/2026

Mōrena

SPCA are hosting a vaccination drive today for Kuri 🐾 please see the link below for details 🐕

🐾💉 DOG VACCINATION DRIVE – CHRISTCHURCH💉🐾
We’re excited to be offering another free Parvo vaccination drive to help keep your dogs safe and healthy on the 17th June!

📍 Canterbury Indoor Bowls Assn
25 Kearneys Road, Wainoni
🕙 Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm (or while stocks last)

✔️ Eligibility:
You must hold one of the following:
Community Services Card
Gold Card
Current Student ID

💉 Parvo vaccinations available
Parvo is a serious and highly contagious disease – vaccinating your dog is one of the best ways to protect them and your community.

No bookings required – just come along!

Please note: this is a limited stock event, so get in early to avoid missing out.

Let’s work together to keep our dogs safe! 🐕💛

15/06/2026

Mōrena e te Whānau 🌞

Canterbury Plunket have a range of activities and experiences on offer today for you and your little one! See the link below if you feel like venturing out!

Kia pai tō rātu!

15/06/2026

👋 A reminder for Whānau in Rolleston...

If you’re in the thick of Toddler life right now 😵‍💫🫣🤪, experiencing those big emotions, constant boundary testing, sleep battles, meltdowns over the wrong coloured cup… you’re not alone. And you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself....

Early Start Project is bringing the Incredible Years Toddler Programme to Rolleston - AGAIN!

This is a FREE, evidence-based parenting course designed specifically for Toddlers (12-36 months)

This programme supports Parents and Whānau to:
🌱 build strong, loving relationships with their Tamariki
🌱 Encourage positive behaviour through play and praise
🌱 Support to navigate those BIG toddler emotions
🌱 Helpful ideas on setting routines and boundaries
🌱 Ways to support social and emotional development

It runs over 12 weekly sessions plus Morning kai is included too 🥙🌯

🗓 Tuesdays 9.45am to 12.45pm
📍 Salvation Army Generation House - 645 Springston Rolleston Road
📅 18 August to 24 November 2026
(No sessions during school holidays)

If this feels like something you need right now, or you know another parent who would benefit, please share this with them!

To register your interest or find out more, contact Kerry at Early Start Project:
📞 0275 678 158 or 0800 378 278
📧 [email protected]

11/06/2026

Have you noticed your tamaiti throwing kai from their high chair or tepu??

🧠 This isn’t because they’re being naughty or wasteful; it’s because their brain is learning cause-and-effect while their senses are seeking exploration and regulation.

They’re discovering gravity, texture, sound, and your reactions; all in one messy moment 🤯u🌱

Their mind is learning:
🤔“What happens if I drop this?”
🤔“What sound will it make?”
🤔“How does this feel in my hand?”
🤔“What will YOU do when I do this?”

And practicing this often looks like
letting peas roll off the tray, squeezing banana between fingers, watching rice scatter like tiny fireworks 🎆 or tossing a spoon just to see it bounce 🥄

Tamariki learn best through sensorimotor exploration like touching, tasting, dropping, squishing, and observing 🧠👅👀👃👐

Cause-and-effect is one of the earliest cognitive skills they build. So every time a tamaiti throws kai and watches what happens, they’re strengthening:

• Motor skills 👌
• Sensory processing 👀
• Cause-and-effect understanding🤔
• Impulse control (slowly, over time)🤪
• Emotional expression🤭

Tamariki who are allowed safe sensory exploration develop stronger self-regulation and more competent fine-motor and cognitive skills

Throwing isn’t chaos. It’s curiosity in motion and you can support thus by saying things like....
• “Food stays on the tray. If you throw it again, mealtime is done.”
• “You’re full so let’s clean up.”
• “You want to explore. Let’s do a sensory activity after we eat.”
• “Do you want to be finished? You can say ‘all finished'’”

You’re not feeding the behavior.
You’re shaping it💛

Think of it as you’re raising a learner.

One tossed blueberry at a time 🫐

10/06/2026

Mōrena e te Whānau

As the mornings are getting makariri 🥶🧊❄️, getting your tamariki buckled into their carseats whilst still keeping them warm, safe and secure can be challenging!

Here are some clever hacks & tips...

🧥The Backward Coat Trick: After your tamaiti is buckled in, turn their jacket around and put it on them backward (with their arms through the sleeves) so the back of the coat acts as a warm blanket over the harness.

👶Shower-Cap Style Covers: For pēpi, use "shower-cap" style covers that stretch over the outside of the infant carrier. Never use covers that go behind the back, as this interferes with the seat's safety design.

🧤Warm Accessories: Hats, mittens, and warm socks are totally car-seat safe and a great way to keep extremities warm without interfering with the straps.

If you have any questions regarding carseat safety, please reach out to your Whānau Āwhina as we have an AMAZING car seat technician with a wealth of knowledge that can support the safety of your little one whilst traveling on the road 🚗

09/06/2026

An important message and a gentle reminder that a safe sleep space for Pēpi is so important 🧡

Kia pai tō rā e te Whānau

08/06/2026

Pehea tō whakaaro... how do you feel? 🤔

Labeling feelings builds confidence, regulation, and self-awareness.

When tamariki say
“I’m mad,” “I’m scared,” or “I’m sad.”
They're building their emotional muscles 💪

In early childhood, naming emotions isn’t overindulgence. It’s regulation 😮‍💨

🧠 Their brain is learning....
“I can notice what I feel.”
“I can name it”
“When I name it, I can change it.”

Practicing this truth often looks like
pausing mid-tears to whisper, “I’m frustrated,”😡
drawing angry scribbles and saying, “This is how I feel,” 😖or needing your help to find words for what’s bubbling inside 🌋

Every time a tamaiti learns to say “I feel angry” instead of lashing out, their brain strengthens neural pathways for emotional regulation, problem-solving, and empathy.

Tamariki who are taught to identify and label emotions develop better coping skills, stronger social relationships, and can experience lower anxiety.

So when we tell them, “Don’t cry” or “You’re fine,” we don’t toughen them up; we cut them off from self-knowledge....

Why does this matter?

Because the tamaiti who can name their feelings today, is the adult who will one day:

🤎 pause before reacting
🧡 seek help when overwhelmed,
💛 communicate needs clearly,
and build secure, emotionally safe relationships.

Emotional labeling is coaching and we can guide it...

💬 “That feeling has a name, let’s find it.”
💬 “It’s okay to feel mad; it’s what you do next that matters.”
💬 “You’re sad because you care. That’s your heart working.”
💬 “Let’s take a breath and talk about what your body feels.”

You’re not raising a “sensitive child.”
You’re raising an emotionally intelligent one.

One feeling named at a time 🤍

02/06/2026

Mōrena Koutou 👋

If you’re in the thick of Toddler life right now 😵‍💫🫣🤪, experiencing those big emotions, constant boundary testing, sleep battles, meltdowns over the wrong coloured cup… you’re not alone. And you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself....

Early Start Project is bringing the Incredible Years Toddler Programme to Rolleston - AGAIN!

This is a FREE, evidence-based parenting course designed specifically for Toddlers (12-36 months)

This programme supports Parents and Whānau to:
🌱 build strong, loving relationships with their Tamariki
🌱 Encourage positive behaviour through play and praise
🌱 Support to navigate those BIG toddler emotions
🌱 Helpful ideas on setting routines and boundaries
🌱 Ways to support social and emotional development

It runs over 12 weekly sessions plus Morning kai is included too 🥙🌯

🗓 Tuesdays 9.45am to 12.45pm
📍 Salvation Army Generation House - 645 Springston Rolleston Road
📅 18 August to 24 November 2026
(No sessions during school holidays)

If this feels like something you need right now, or you know another parent who would benefit, please share this with them!

To register your interest or find out more, contact Kerry at Early Start Project:
📞 0275 678 158 or 0800 378 278
📧 [email protected]

26/05/2026

Mōrena e te Whānau

The amazing team at Clothed in Love - Christchurch are seeking support for some clothing items and books in specific sizes so they can continue to provide the wonderful support they do for our community. If you can tautoko, please see the information below 👇🤎