Oliiki Blog

Thinking of things to do with your baby can be tough, there are just so many days and hours to fill! On top of that knowing that what you are doing with your baby is helping them develop is a challenge.…

This morning I wondered how I would fit it all in.  It was Sunday morning, I had put a load of washing on, hung a load on the line, made the supper, dropped (and waited for) one child to have a swimming lesson, dropped that child home and picked up a second child to take them in the other direction to play rugby.  I wanted to get into the garden before the rain came and I had work to do on my business.  I really needed to clean the house and as tomorrow the kids are back to school things needed to be organised and sorted for that.…

Parenting used to be a job for the village with the parents taking the lead and the village being there to support and guide the new parents. New mothers were expected to care for the new-born baby while others helped around the home.  All the while, without it being said, parents were learning from the others around them.…

Doing maths with your newborn baby is certainly not something I would have consciously thought to do with my baby when they were tiny.  I knew that I needed to read to them and play with them but I never for a minute considered the importance of maths.…

Sometimes hearing from other people can really help.  That's why we wanted to share this short interview with an Oliiki mum. Katie bought the Oliiki app as a full app in her second trimester.…

Can we all be creative?  Is this something all children are born with or is it just a talent for a privileged few?  Can creativity be taught or at least encouraged in our children?   Is creativity something that is inbuilt in our genes or do we all inherit this potential?…

I thought I would tell you a little bit of history to the Oliiki app.  I became a teacher because the education system and I just didn’t get on! I finally left school with lots of qualifications, but not one of them was on the same certificate as the others, I had taken exams every year, twice a year from 14 – 19 years old! I wanted to make sure that no other child would have to struggle in the same way.  So, I trained to be a teacher.  I knew with a history like that, if I could pass the course, I would be a brilliant teacher! I passed and got a distinction in my final teaching practice!…

Children love having books read to them, but do you love reading them to your child? Especially the same book, again and again, and AGAIN! But do you love reading it again, and again, and again? Is your child even learning from hearing the same book more than once?…

We have all seen them, and far too many of us have been them... one harried and busy parent, one 18-month old child in the shopping trolley.  The child is bored and restless.  The parent is stressed and everyone is looking...…

Water and children, always a great combination! But is it just fun or is there more to splashing about in the fun stuff? From bath time to playing in the garden, paddling in a stream to swimming in it, kids love it!…