Have you ever reflected on how much you’re actually listening? Active listening matters: builds trust, reduces miscommunication, and makes teamwork smoother. When we truly listen, we honour others’ views and pick up on needs, emotions, and priorities that guide better decisions. Sometimes it can be so easy to talk TOO much! To fill awkward silences with chatter. But as HEART driven leaders we have to be consciously aware of our own actions! Are you ACTUALLY listening ? Sometimes we interrupt people, sometimes we rush conversations and sadly sometimes we don’t take TIME to LISTEN 👂🏼😱 How you can practice ‘active listening?’ ▪️Create a distraction-free moment and use warm eye contact and open posture. ▪️Suspend judgment and paraphrase to check understanding. ▪️Ask open-ended questions to explore deeper. Pause before replying, then summarise key points and next steps with clear owners and timelines. With a bit of practice, listening becomes a natural, calm habit that strengthens relationships and makes collaboration feel easier and more joyful. Let’s consider more ways to practice active listening ▪️It’s important to pick up on what members of your team are saying Why it matters? When you really listen for the details, you catch needs, concerns, and ideas that aren’t shouted aloud. This helps you understand the full picture, not just the loudest voice. ▪️Practical approach: Tune in to both content (what they’re saying) and context (why it matters to them). Notice pauses, tone, and emphasis; ask clarifying questions to surface specifics. ▪️Be a friend, not a judge. Why it matters? People share more openly when they feel safe from judgment. Offer a friend-like stance as this will lower your team members defensiveness and invites them to engage in an honest conversation. ▪️Practical approach: As a leader the art is to hold space, what that means is to validate feelings, and separate the person from the problem. It can be easy to label or quickly criticise, especially if you’re feeling triggered ; focus on understanding first, then on collaborative problem-solving. REFLECT on YOUR emotions, even if that staff member is driving you potty ( HOLD SPACE)

In our nurseries and childcare centres we all check the physical safety of our settings! We PAT test, check fire extinguishers, have food hygiene inspections, we lock gates, doors and ensure resources, equipment are safe to use! The PHYSICAL safety of our nurseries and childcare centres We clean surface, anti bac and ensure we prevent cross contamination and prevent the spread of infectious diseases or childhood illnesses That everywhere is physically CLEAN, the physical hygiene! But who is checking the EMOTIONAL hygiene of your environment The mood, energy, culture of your team? Is it emotionally SAFE ? Recently I delivered a presentation for @ChildcareBusinessGrowth - all about the emotionally safety of your setting and saying “enough is enough” to Gossiping, negativity and staff who cannot get along! “Enough is enough” to a negative culture of bitching, backbiting and backstabbing! We are ‘role models’ to children! How can we teach PSED if our team, our educators can’t model these skills Children SEE everything we do, HEAR everything we say and FEEL the atmosphere, energy and vibe of our settings How can children learn emotional intelligence, conflict resolution if WE the adults aren’t modelling and demonstrating ourselves What’s your settings emotional hygiene like? Comment below 👇🏽

Today, I want you to reflect on something that’s often overlooked but absolutely crucial: emotional fitness. We all know about physical fitness, running, lifting, keeping our bodies healthy. Emotional fitness is much the same, but for the mind and heart. It’s about building resilience so we can handle whatever life throws at us, especially in the fast-paced, sometimes chaotic world of early childhood education. 🤪 Jo Shane from Matters Magazine describes emotional fitness beautifully: it’s the ability to manage our emotions effectively, bounce back from setbacks, and stay grounded even when things get tough. Think of it like a mental and emotional workout. The more you practice, the stronger you become. What Does Emotional Fitness Look Like? ▪️Self-awareness Recognising how you’re feeling and understanding why. ▪️Managing emotions: Learning to respond rather than react, keeping your cool even under pressure. ▪️Adaptability Knowing when to pause, breathe, and reset. As Jo Shane highlights, emotional fitness isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you develop through intentional practice. And in leadership, it’s a true game-changer. When you’re emotionally fit, you’re better equipped to connect with your team, handle tricky situations calmly, and make decisions with clarity and confidence. If your emotional muscles are strong, you’re more resilient to stress, less likely to burn out, and far better at inspiring those around you. That’s leadership that truly leads with heart, courageous, confident, and compassionate. Leading with Heart ❤️ Building emotional fitness isn’t a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing practice, like going to the gym, but for your mind and heart. When we invest in it, we become more effective, compassionate, and courageous leaders. We’re better equipped to lead with HEART, courage, and confidence, and to create workplaces where everyone can THRIVE. As Jo Shane so beautifully says: “Emotional fitness is about cultivating the resilience and self-awareness needed to navigate life’s challenges with grace and strength.”

Today I wanted to tell you something, Have a little listen to the video below. 👇🏽 If you have a question, comment on the group, Do you need support? ♥️ Let’s start a conversation. Let’s build a community that cheers each other on, encourages each other and makes being an Childcare owner fun and enjoyable again 🎉

Quiet quitting! 😱 Let’s consider the situation, are you tired of dealing with educators who are pulling apart instead of pulling together! Those staff members who do the absolute bare minimum, whilst leaving other jobs to be covered by your most hardworking and diligent members of the team 😢🥺 Did you know by not addressing quiet quitters, by not leaning in and finding out why. You run the risk of losing your most hardworking team members 💔 Then what ? You’ll be left with a team who are all half arsed 😭 😩🫣 Quiet quitters can be the most dangerous members of your team, WHY because they impact moral, they deplete positive cultures and fellow educators start to feel undervalued Want to learn more ?