The Parent Collaborative

01/09/2025

The beginning of September marks the beginning of the new school year.

Many children will be returning to school. Some starting school for the first time, some moving up to a new class, others moving from primary school to a senior school. Other children will be staying at home, some to be homeschooled, others because they can't go to school.

We are hoping that, Instead of the typical "Back to School well wishes" for a good term, it is more inclusive to wish all children a positive school year. One which sees as many children as possible flourishing in their learning, alongside reaching their full, unique potential - whatever that potential may be.

26/08/2025

The August Bank Holiday has come and gone and it feels like the start of getting ready for school "proper" has begun.

The Start of school or Back to school will feel different for all parents (and all children).

We thought it may be helpful for parents to have a few Practical Tips to help them and their children navigate this time which is why we have put them up on our website. Check out Practical support for Starting school over on:

https://www.theparentcollaborative.co.uk

22/08/2025

Ordinarily I would have my school hat on at this point in the holidays. This year however, it’s my turn – from the other side of the fence. A first-time Mum sending her toddler off.

We visited the setting where we hoped our daughter would attend Nursery, what feels like a lifetime ago! My first and overwhelming observation was how wonderfully the teachers spoke to the children. There was respect, there was love, there was laughter and joy. There were also boundaries and fairness, and the children all seemed happy.

As a teacher we used to spend so much of our time discussing new activities and things we could do with the children. Friday afternoons were spent talking about the children’s progress, areas we could improve on to enable a specific child’s learning. But as a new mum, my priority was a nurturing and loving environment, with people who would allow her to be herself and above all somewhere where she felt safe and happy.

So, fast forward a year and a half and we were going back to the Nursery.
Without any doubt I was feeling slightly anxious. Would it be how I remembered it? Knowing her as we do now, would it still the right fit for her? I needn't have worried!

I just don’t think I realised quite how bittersweet I would find it all. Our whole Nursery experience has been so positive in the build up to her starting, and Mags seems to be taking it in her stride. I just can’t believe how much I miss her even if it’s only for a few hours. The house it too tidy, too quiet and when I go to show her things and she’s not there, it breaks my heart a little bit. It’s the whole side I didn’t see or really appreciate when I was on the other side of the door at school. But then comes the joy when I pick her up and she is tired and messy and I remember just how special settings can be. I remember the magic of being with a group of children, all the learning, laughter and progress these amazing little children make. I know firsthand just how much children love going to Nursery and what a positive experience it can be for them.

And that is what I need to hold on to when, as it turns out, Mags starting Nursery is far more a “me” issue than I had imagined!

20/08/2025

Head over to www.theparentcollaborative.co.uk/blog to read our latest blog on School Readiness.

10/07/2025

As we head towards the summer holidays, we wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone in Bath who has continued to offer us support throughout this year. Bath is definitely a city that keeps on giving and we are enormously grateful🙏

We also wanted to thank every single parent who has reached out over the past year. We are very aware of how much courage it takes to admit to wanting to initiate change. We are constantly blown away by parents who look to find the support that is right for their family, so they in turn can offer support to their own children. It is such a privilege to work with parents and it is one we never take for granted.

We wish you all a very happy summer and look forward to re-connecting, in person, in September.

04/07/2025

03/07/2025

Thankful Thursday

Our theme this week has been looking at the end of the school year.

This without doubt brings up a certain amount of emotions and feelings for our children – not for all children by any means, but certainly for some. For some, it may have taken a long time for them to feel settled, for others the safety of what they know and trust is about to be tested as they move on to another setting. What we know as adults, is that all emotions need to be accepted and our children listened to and heard.

What about us, the parent though? Change, in whatever form, can feel unsettling and in some cases even threatening.

So – on , let’s hold on to the fact that the end of term may bring up feelings for us that we hadn’t anticipated. Whatever those feelings are – let’s look at what they are, how they show up and how they make us feel. We need to sit with the emotions in order to try to understand them. As with all feelings, they will pass – but they do first of all have to be acknowledged!

Here's to all parents out there – the end of term has a habit of gathering pace and a certain intensity – and is upon us before we have really had time to register it’s approaching! A bit like the morning routine in fact – who doesn’t believe that time in the morning when we are trying to get to school, goes quicker than during any other part of the day?!!

02/07/2025

With you Wednesday

As we come towards the end of the Summer Term, we come towards the end of working with the parents we have been helping to support this term. As with many goodbyes, there’s a real mixture of emotions. Parent have come along, looking for a whole range of different types of support and once this support is fully in place, they are then in a position to run with the next stage of their parenting journey.

This was one of the many reasons The Parent Collaborative came into being – to stand alongside parents – cheering them on whilst giving them knowledge and empowerment to parent in the way that they instinctively wanted to, but maybe weren’t sure how to do.

From what parents tell us, we know that things need to change – that people are struggling – it’s totally understandable – we get training in pretty much every other area of life! So, we applaud parents for reaching out and asking for support. If we are a small part of making change happen and helping parents see that they can be the parents they want to be, we would feel truly honoured.

On , check out some of the ways in which we can help, by clicking the link in our bio. We are here for you, to work collaboratively with you, to help you parent joyfully – find us at The Garden Apartment, 8 The Paragon, Bath BA1 5LX.

01/07/2025

Top Tips Tuesday

A few top tips on helping our children deal with the end of the school year:

· Have the conversation with our children about the end of the school year. We can often be surprised by answers they give us. Avoiding the conversation means we can miss out on understanding about how our children are feeling. Reading books with them on the topic can be a really helpful way for children to process the event

· Let our children be and feel sad about saying goodbye – it’s okay to be sad when something we value comes to an end, feeling sad for something is a way of showing empathy, it’s a positive thing. However, don’t be surprised if a child doesn’t appear to have any really strong feelings at all!

· Look to mark our children leaving a setting by making something with them. This could be a thank you card for a teacher for example or making a snack for all the children in the class

· Show them how much they have changed and grown – spend time with a photo album or two, showing them times when they started something new or said goodbye to friends in one place and made new ones in another. Talk to them about visible change (such as loss of teeth/new haircuts) as well as invisible change, such as being more confident or having new skills

· If a child is moving schools, it can help to work on something like a scrap book or journal with them over the summer, putting together things that they do in the holidays alongside building up an understanding of what their new setting is going to be.

30/06/2025

Montessori Monday

As we approach the end of another academic year, we thought it would be helpful if we looked at endings – and in particular the end of the school year.

Every school is different, they mark the end of the year in their own way. For some children, it is the end of Nursery, for others it is a move from one school to another. For some children, endings are harder than they are for others. Whatever and however our children are feeling about the end of the school year, it’s important that it is acknowledged in some way.

In many Montessori settings they have a ‘graduation’ for all those children who are moving on – it is a celebration of development, of all the things that the children have accomplished to get them to this point – it’s not about academics.

As teachers, the end of the year was a real mixture of emotions. Sadness at saying goodbye to children, mixed in with huge pride at seeing all the different ways the children in our setting had developed over the year. It’s the same for children – they will be processing what is going on in different ways. That’s why it’s important to talk about the emotions that come up, alongside talking about how endings can be exciting. They are definitely worth celebrating because more often than not, they lead to growth!

27/06/2025

Fun Friday

However much thought and planning goes into family life, there are always going to be moments when the question “REALLY?” just pops out😂 (It’s normally followed by the name of one particular child!!!)

On , we are not in any way advocating not looking to understand what is going on behind behaviour – what we try to encourage everyone to remember, is to hunt out the good stuff – and laughter is definitely part of that package!

So, to all parents as they head into the weekend, here’s to you and hoping that in amongst all that needs to get done, there are plenty of opportunities for time together and as much laughter and fun as possible🤗

26/06/2025

Thankful Thursday

For many parents, managing expectations over the summer break is a huge exercise in juggling and one which can leave parents exhausted before the holidays even start.

That’s why remembering to hold on to one really important fact can be a godsend. Our children don’t need perfection – whether that’s the (non-existent) perfect parent, a perfectly tidy house, a perfect holiday or doing perfect activities. They want us – their parent – we are the parent they need. So, whilst managing expectations can, without doubt, leave us questioning and sometimes a bit unsure, that’s ok. Invest in the relationship we have with our children by giving them our time – as much of it as we can.