A Time to Be Thankful

Another year is almost over and while much has changed, it’s very clear that the importance of wellbeing at the heart of children’s education is a focus that is here to stay.

This can only be a positive thing, as we as educators, teachers, parents and human beings strive to nurture children’s wellbeing, build their resilience and teach them through the power of music.

For Bonkers Beat, 2015 has been spectacular – we’ve grown, we’ve learned and we’ve developed. We will continue to do all of these things, just as we all should. Of course, none of our success at Bonkers Beat would be possible without the early childhood education community and everyone’s dedication to the wellbeing of young people. For your commitment and passion, we say THANK YOU. Thank you to all of the Centres committed to the Bonkers Beat program and the parents. Thank you to all the attendees of our events. Thank you to the organisers of the conferences Galina was welcomed at and the participants.

We also send our best wishes to you all for a happy Christmas and New Year! At Bonkers Beat there is plenty we love about Christmas, but you won’t be surprised to learn that we find that there is something so special about the music surrounding this time of year! Everywhere you go there are those familiar songs and carols filling the air. Some of these songs take us back to childhood or remind us of a Christmas occasion from years ago, connecting us with the past.

With the exception of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ or the national anthem, we as a society probably don’t get together and sing with our families very often, but belting out Jingle Bells with your loved ones really does bring a smile to your face. And there’s science behind that – “Researchers have worked out that singing seems to produce the perfect mix of both calming and energising based on what it does to the brain” (Wendy Sadler, Science Made Simple) thanks to endorphins – the happiness chemicals produced by our bodies, and oxytocin – known as the love drug or cuddle hormone.

Whatever you love best about this time of year, we hope you enjoy it! As we push through this busy couple of weeks, reward yourself at the end of it all with good food, some extra rest, and plenty of special time with those you love most. Don’t forget to throw in a couple of Christmas carols for good measure!

We’ve collated a year of memories from our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in a collage, so take a look on Facebook and if you have a special memory of Bonkers Beat in 2015, share it with us.

Our next blog will be at the end of January – our goal is to provide you with valuable resources for your journey in early childhood education or as parents, so please email us or get in touch on Facebook and give us your feedback, ideas and suggestions.

We can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store for us all and we wish you and your families nothing but laughter, light and love for Christmas and the New Year.

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