Recent

The Balance Matrix
Monika Skuza
In our fast-paced, ever-changing landscape of personal and collective well-being, the quest for balance and fulfilment has become a central pursuit for individuals and organizations alike. The traditional understanding of wellness often revolved around physical health, but as our understanding of human flourishing has deepened, so too has the recognition of the multifaceted nature of well-being. The Balance Matrix invites us to embrace a holistic perspective – a view of wellness that transcends the limitations of siloed thinking and embraces the richness of our multidimensional reality. Whether you are an individual seeking greater fulfilment in your personal life or an organization committed to promoting the welfare of your members, this article offers a roadmap for embracing the holistic vision of wellness embodied by the Balance Matrix. The Balance Matrix stands as an extensive paradigm in the realm of holistic wellness, offering a comprehensive framework that transcends traditional approaches by addressing diverse dimensions of well-being across multiple levels of scale. At its essence, The Balance Matrix recognises that true wellness extends beyond mere physical health to encompass various facets of human existence, from the individual to the global community. Achieving balanced wellness is a transformative journey that requires a deep understanding of oneself, with the ‘self’ considered a complex and interconnected composition of various parts. It involves an integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, each of which complements each other. By fuelling our bodies, engaging our minds, and nurturing our spirits, all people can create a harmonious balance that inspires them to live their best lives.
26 Apr 2024 · 7 min read
Monika Skuza
Stages of Play
Monika Skuza
Nana K. Berghult
Play is a crucial part of child development and is best when it becomes a massive part of a child's life. It contributes to cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development, sensory integration, language skills, and interpersonal relationships, as well as creativity. Play also sparks communication and communication drives brain growth. Our brain is always primed to play. As children's first teachers, parents intuitively know the importance of play in a child's development. But despite its many benefits, we rarely associate play with learning. For most people, learning is perceived to involve gaining a specific new skill, such as memorizing the alphabet, counting, writing, etc., and play is intended to be fun. However, the developmental importance of play is well-documented. Play allows children to learn new skills, master newly acquired skills, as well as adapt the skills that have been learned and mastered and apply them to new situations. Providing your child with ample time and opportunity to engage in structured and unstructured play is essential. According to American sociologist and researcher at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development, Mildred Parten, as children grow and develop social skills, they go through six stages of play. Each stage is significant in their early childhood development and involves exploration, creativity, and enjoyment.
28 Feb 2024 · 4 min read
Monika Skuza , Nana K. Berghult
Types of Play
Monika Skuza
When a child is moving around, playing, learning about themself, and learning about the environment around them, the child is building their brain's infrastructure. It's important to stimulate children, to get them moving and interpreting the world through play and movement. We can do that by nurturing serve and return interactions, being responsive to their needs, or expanding their world knowledge through play. The number of connections between brain cells and the quality of those connections is dependent on the experiences the child is exposed to. So, the more varied experiences a child encounters, the better they are able to build their brain. In teaching, play is often seen as unproductive, wasted time and energy. However, research shows that appropriate play with parents, teachers, and peers is an amazing opportunity to promote the social, emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain. Play has been categorized in many ways and there are a lot of different types of play. Let’s explore more about some of them.
28 Feb 2024 · 5 min read
Monika Skuza
Be Careful About Saying Be Careful
Dr. Pamela Stoodley
“Strive to communicate specific safety instructions, encourage critical thinking, and empower children to take responsibility for their own safety. By fostering a sense of autonomy and competence, we can better equip them to navigate the world confidently and securely.” Dr. Pamela Stoodley As mums, dads, babysitters, or teachers, our top priority is looking out for the children we’re responsible for. We’ve got this instinct to keep them safe and help them make smart decisions. But you know what phrase we often use? “Be careful.” It’s like our go-to when we want them to stay safe and sound. Here’s the thing: it’s not always the best way to get the point across. There are some pretty good reasons why we might want to rethink dropping that “be careful” bomb on our little ones. So, instead of just using this catch-all phrase, here are some practical alternatives that can make a real difference in your little one’s safety and learning journey:
2 Dec 2023 · 4 min read
Dr. Pamela Stoodley
Myths About Creativity
Monika Skuza
Creativity is a very mysterious thing for lots of people. Myths usually rely on a grain of truth that gets twisted and taken out of a wider context. There are a lot of misconceptions about creativity still floating freely all over the world, which suggests that the scientific research we know on this subject has not yet received the recognition it deserves. Let’s look closer at some creativity myths. Creativity is limited only to artCreativity is very often associated with art disciplines, such as music, painting, graphic design, or dance, but in fact, creativity itself is not subject-specific. Creativity is a free form of self-expression involving making new connections between ideas in any area. This means that we can be creative in maths, science, physics, and many other subjects. In every single discipline, creativity will be expressed differently. Creativity is a rare gift reserved for a talented fewEach one of us has a different combination of abilities, personality traits, and experiences that make us more or less able to express our creative potential. And creativity isn’t magically granted to us at birth. Recent research shows that when it comes to creativity, practice is extremely important and with proper training, anyone is capable of delivering new and creative ideas. Some people can indeed express themselves very easily and create innovative ideas or products very quickly; however, that does not prevent each one of us from becoming more creative in the area that we are interested in.
11 Sep 2023 · 3 min read
Monika Skuza