3 Ways to Get Your Child Excited About Learning!

We all know how hard it can be to get our minis excited about hitting the books and studying for their tests. Sometimes, kids would much rather be playing with their toys, watching TV or playing video games. We’ve all been there. But it doesn’t have to be like that! We need to be showing our minis that learning is fun and that even adults are constantly learning every day! Here are our 3 effective ways to make learning fun and exciting!

1.      Know your mini’s learning style

 There are seven main learning styles: Visual, Aural, Verbal, Physical, Logical, Social, Solitary. Every child has a different learning style that is best suited to the way that they learn things. Finding the relevant learning style and then creating activities in correspondence with what they react to the best, will ensure that they have an effective and fun study session. It is also beneficial to combine several of these learning styles together to allow your child to develop in all of these areas. Below are the descriptions of each of these learning styles with tips on how to manage these, so that you can get the most out of your study session!

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Visual

Visual learners learn best with images, videos or other cues to help them process information.

o   Tip: Get them to write out their thoughts or draw a brainstorm map for them to process what they are thinking.

Aural

o   Aural learners learn best with sounds and music to process information.

o   Tip: Make up songs and rhymes that will help your mini remember all of the information – make sure to include them in the writing process and have some fun with it!

Verbal

o   Verbal learners learn best under verbal instruction and writing.

o   Tip: Get your mini to write out their thoughts and focus on learning a new word every day to increase their vocabulary.

Physical

o   Physical learners learn best by doing hands on activities and keeping active.

o   Tip: Create fun activities that are relevant to the topic that your mini is learning. These can be puzzles, maths games, activity booklets etc.

Logical

o   Logical learners learn best when they understand the reason behind the content they are learning.

o   Tip: Try to explain the reasons behind everything they are doing and give real world examples.

Social

o   Social learners learn best when talking with others about what they are learning.

o   Tip: Talk to your mini about their favourite subjects to help them remember the information and to create a positive attitude about learning.

Solitary

o   Solitary learners learn best when they are by themselves in a quiet space.

o   Tip: Make sure your mini has a clean and quiet space to study in and try to keep anything that might cause a distraction out of the study space.

 2.      Set goals and make a weekly diary

It’s so important to set goals for your mini - these can be daily goals, weekly goals or monthly goals. When goals are clearly written out, it is a big encouragement to your mini when they complete something on the list. It also gives them something to work towards and they won’t be feeling like the work they are doing is irrelevant or unimportant. Make sure to celebrate every time your mini completes a goal, it will give them the motivation to do even more work! Also try to keep a weekly diary that sets out all of the tasks for the entire week broken down day by day. This will turn a big mountain of work into manageable piles and will take the dread out of study and homework sessions when there is only a little work to focus on at a time.

3.      Give constant encouragement

It has been proven by many different studies that when a behaviour is reinforced it strengthens and occurs more often and when it’s not reinforced it weakens and the behaviour fades out eventually. Thus, positive reinforcement is crucial in the children’s learning process as it makes them want to engage more so that they can get even more positive reinforcement. So, how do you use positive reinforcement to motivate your mini to learn? It’s easy! Tell them that you are proud of all the hard work that they have put in so far and that they are doing a great job so far. This will uplift their spirit and will encourage them to keep going. 

And remember, if it just isn’t working and your mini is not responding well to the learning process – take a breath and break to reset! Sometimes children are so overloaded by all of the information they are presented with every day and just need bit of fresh air to settle their thoughts before they tackle more learning!

With a Mini nanny, your fur baby can enjoy your holiday, too!

Meet Katie Delimon, an inspiring Yogi and wellness expert that trust Mini Nanny Agency every time to care for her fur baby! Find out how she felt about our services (spoiler: it’s love!).

- The Calile Hotel

With a Mini nanny, your pet can enjoy your holiday, too!

If you’ve been keeping up with our blog posts, or following mini’s Insta page, you already know that it’s a ‘must love dogs’ kind of situation down at Mini HQ. We adore our all the fur babies!

We also know (from personal experience!) how our fur babies become more than pets – they’re really a part of the family. That’s why it was a really easy decision to offer pet nannying as part of our services.

At mini we treat our pet families just as well as we do our human ones. From finding the perfect nanny, to creating a super easy process, to ensuring reliable and loving care, we’re here to make your life easier, and your pet’s life more comfortable.

Katie Delimon is an inspiring yoga teacher and wellness expert, who has recently used Mini’s services to care for her excitable Miniature Bull Terrier, Shark. We sat down with her to find out how she felt about mini and our services (spoiler: it’s love!).

Katie, can you tell us a bit about your background, and how you first discovered Mini Nanny Agency?

My name is Katie Delimon and I have my own health and wellness business, Unify with Bliss. At Unify we mainly focus on yoga and meditation, but also offer Reiki, mindfulness courses and retreats.

I have lived all over the globe, in places such as Sydney, LA and New York City, but I am now based in New Farm and absolutely love Brisbane! Because I often need to travel for work, I was on the lookout for a trustworthy dog sitter, but being new to the city I wasn’t exactly sure where to go.

I was so glad I met Michelle, the owner of mini Nanny Agency at a yoga class I was teaching in New Farm. I immediately had a great feeling and knew I was in amazing hands!

Can you introduce us to your puppy?

My puppy’s name is Shark. She is a 16-month-old, red Miniature Bull Terrier. The best way to describe her is either very lazy or very crazy. She’s not to be trusted, but too lovable not to cuddle!

What do Mini’s nannies do for you?

Mini found me a sitter for Shark. I was away for 10 days researching places to hold my next retreat (exciting stuff coming soon). A wonderful sitter named Belinda stayed in our home and took extra special care of our four-legged fur baby.

How has Mini made your life and career easier?

The agency made my time away much more carefree. I could concentrate on my work without the guilt of my dog being locked in a cage all day at a kennel. It was wonderful knowing she had the comfort of staying in her own home. The sitter sent us daily photos and kept us up-to-date. It felt like she grew a special bond with Shark, and treated her as if she were her own.

We were very well looked after by Mini Nanny Agency. We had great communication and they put in lots of effort to ensure we got the right fit. We felt very comfortable with their placement, and were thrilled to have such a smooth process. Also, we didn’t have to break the bank to get such a great service! It was the same price, if not less expensive than a kennel and WAY better SERVICE!

I’m sure all dog owners will agree that our fur babies are just like our children, so we worry about them and miss them dearly when we are away. I highly recommend mini to anybody going away, especially those who don’t want to put their pets in a kennel.

Are the nannies really as good with dogs as with kids?

We don’t have any kids so I can only speak to the dogs, but Belinda was wonderful with our baby girl! She even bought her treats and took her to the dog park quite often. It was a fantastic experience and we wouldn’t hesitate to book a mini nanny again!

Thank you Katie! Katie is more than just a dog lover, she’s also an incredible yogi. Her yoga classes are amazing (just ask Michelle)! Definitely check out Unify with Bliss for yoga, meditation, mindfulness training, retreats or even incredible lavender scented eye pillows.

We love our fur babies at mini! Reach out here or contact our Mini team here. We’d love to love your fur baby too.

Nicola Bone brings the art of mindfulness to our local Brisbane schools!

We are on a mission to deliver one million mindful minutes by the end of 2020 - Nicole Bone, Sound Off For Schools.

Meet Nicola the inspiring Founder of Sound Off For Schools! A passionate teacher making waves in our Australian educational system!

At Mini HQ we are passionate advocates of mental health and wellness. Our personal self-care practices include yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises, and we have seen firsthand the benefits these can bring to daily life.

That’s why we knew that high school English teacher Nicola Bone, and her passion project, Sound Off for Kids, would be the perfect partner for Mini and our families. Nicola is changing the face of education by bringing mindfulness, contemplation and calm into the school environment.

Mini caught up with Nicola covering topics about mental health, mindfulness, education and how to implement mindfulness practices in our own homes.

Nicola, tell us… what is Sound Off for Schools?

Sound Off for Schools is a mindfulness education program for students and teachers. It delivers practical and engaging strategies and practices through wireless headphone technology to help young people and educators carve out deliberate time and space to be calm, to contemplate and to learn the skill of being present.

What prompted you to start working with mindfulness?

The program started in my own classroom where I witnessed so many of my students struggling with the crippling effects of mental illness and, therefore, unable to learn, grow or thrive in a classroom environment.

I started with students in my high school English classes by beginning each lesson with six minutes of mindful meditation and breathing. Over time this allowed students to settle, clear their minds of worry or stress and gain clarity for learning.

How can mindfulness help kids?

In Australia currently one in seven young people aged 4-17 suffers from mental illness. This can cause hyper stimulation of the brain’s limbic system leading to the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ reaction. When this part of the brain is stimulated, the frontal lobe, which controls executive function (essential for focus, attention and learning) is offline.

The Sound Off for Schools program combines scientifically proven practices in cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology and pedagogical teaching to teach young people strategies to become more aware of their cognitive habits. They are empowered by knowing that their thoughts, at any given time, are a choice, and they can begin to navigate their way through the complex world they are growing up in.

What is your mission at Sound Off for Schools?

Over the past 18 months, we have reached over 6,015 young people and teachers to cultivate over 342,760 mindful minutes in 51 schools. We are on a mission to deliver one million mindful minutes by the end of 2020.

Where can Mini families find your program?

Families can request an information pack via our website or bring the program to their P&F group meetings and suggest that their school implement it. Parents can also arrange a fundraiser event for their school that includes a Sound Off for Schools experience.

What are some ways our families can implement mindfulness practices in their homes?

Mindfulness practices can be implemented in the home as a daily ritual and time for reflection and calm. I would suggest starting out with a simple breathing time upon waking or before story time at night. Have your child place their right hand gently on the base of the belly, with the left hand resting on the heart and with their eyes closed, take three to 10 deep belly breaths (long and steady).

For older or more experienced children, a meditation ritual can be created using a candle, essential oils, poems or a family gratitude jar. The challenge is to make it a daily routine so that the practice becomes part of the family schedule.

What goals do you have for Sound Off for Schools in the future?

Phase 1: One million mindful minutes by the end of 2020.

Phase 2: Digitised content of the program for rural and remote schools to access all content by 2021.

Phase 3: By 2025, every student in every classroom in Australia picks up their own set of wireless headphones at the start of the school year, much like a textbook, to begin each school day with mindful moments to prepare the brain for learning.

Join Nicola by enlisting a school and becoming part of one million mindful minutes by the end of 2020. Reach out here or contact our team at mini Nanny Agency here, and we can hook you up!

Interview with Michelle Moloney

Infusing vibrant energy into the nanny industry

‘The perfect fit for you.’ – Michelle Moloney, Director of mini Nanny Agency

When Michelle Moloney, Director of mini Nanny Agency, stands up to greet you, it takes only a moment to see why she is breathing fresh life into the nanny industry. Her smile is warm and genuine and she is quick to greet you with a hug, and break out in laughter. She is vibrant and charming, with an effusive energy that is contagious – and when she sits down to chat, you know she is ready to put that energy into getting to know you.

These traits are perfectly aligned with mini where they adore kids, and pride themselves on making the journey of finding a nanny (both for the families and the nannies!) easy, personal and, above all, fun. Michelle, who has been at the helm of mini for the past four years, knows the value of personalised service and the team at mini will always take the time to get to know every family and nanny that they work with to ensure the best possible match.

It’s about time that we took that same approach, and got to know Michelle as well!

Michelle, tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

Well, I’m a yogi at heart, and obsessed with Dr Pepper (not the drink, my dog!). I love nature, which probably originated from my early childhood growing up in the villages of the Philippines. But really, I’m just a girl that has always had a burning desire to do something meaningful by building genuine relationships. That explains my career perhaps!

What brought you to mini?

It was an introduction that was truly one of the best things that ever happened to me. I had just finished a recruitment contract and started a new job working with a small boutique recruitment agency. During that time, I also began managing mini. Soon I realised where my real love was, and one year later, boom, mini became my baby!

What makes mini unique as a nanny agency?

mini is not for the ordinary! We live for fun, and aspire to have fun every single day. Our mini team is incredibly personable – an important trait as that’s what our business foundation was built upon. And we are responsive. There’s no waiting game here at mini, and our clients can vouch for that. But our most unique characteristic is that here at mini we genuinely want to build sincere, authentic relationships – these relationships are what enable us to find the perfect fit.

What value does mini bring to their clients?

The mini team is here to solve Australia’s number one problem – childcare – while at the same time helping lovely, qualified and trustworthy individuals find meaningful forever jobs with a genuine purpose.

How do you find such incredible, trustworthy nannies?

Well, I can’t tell you all of our secrets otherwise we’ll be out of business! But I can tell you that at mini our expertise lies in our talent sourcing innovation. Our clients often say, ‘If anyone can find a nanny, it’s Michelle!’ We have an extensive in-house database with over 800 registered nannies, and also utilise some of Australia’s top job portals (and no, we aren’t talking about findababysitter.com!). Nanny referrals also go a long way and we take our families’ opinions very seriously.

We  ensure that each of our nannies is recruited using a rigorous onboarding process. It starts with the family registration, which each family completes and which we use to start their personalised nanny search. Then we begin advertising, including contacting suitable nannies from our database. This leads to a shortlist of qualified potential candidates.

From here the real hard work begins because at mini we are meticulous in our nanny screening. First we have a phone call with the potential nanny. If this goes well, we meet them for a face-to-face interview to really get to know their personality. We run validation checks, including police checks, blue cards, first aid qualifications, social media checks and, of course, references. It is only after all this background screening that we begin coordinating family and nanny interviews.

Of course our job isn’t done at mini. We’re there to relay feedback, participate in negotiation (always the fun part!) and supply all the onboarding paperwork once the perfect fit is found. This ensures that our clients are set up for a successful nanny relationship.

Recruitment is an emotional experience for our clients and ensuring there is clear communication throughout the whole cycle is key. You never know who or how your candidates will meet you on your path again!

How does mini help manage and meet the expectations of families and nannies?

That easy – educate and share knowledge!

Personally, what has been your biggest success as an entrepreneur? Biggest failure?

I don’t refer to myself as an entrepreneur – I prefer the term business owner or director! I feel that after four years in business, it is wonderful that we’re still here and that that’s an achievement every day. I really am grateful. Sure I make mistakes (little ones!) all the time, but I’m an improvement seeker and always want to grow and learn from them.

Where do you see mini going in the future?

I appreciate the hustle and bustle of small business, so for now I think we’ll remain a small business!

If you’d love to know more about mini Nanny Agency or Michelle, reach out here. Michelle is always keen for a chat or a coffee or, even better, both!