We’ve all witnessed the excitement in a child’s eyes when they run like a maniac during a game of chase. Or how proud they look waving back from that tree they just climbed. Activities like this challenge their physical strength and help them discover their limits, often involving a slight risk of injury (which, of course, they bravely ignore!)  These activities are examples of what is known as ‘risky play’. [...]

Christmas is the perfect time to show love and affection, share, and help the less fortunate. Christmas is the time of giving. But have you considered that you might be giving...too much? Because while all the above is true, there’s no denying that Christmas is also the time of year when consumerism peaks. Us grownups tend to forget that children are not that hard to please or wow, we also [...]

In a previous blog of ours, “Using ‘The Hand Model of the Brain’ to Explain our Reaction to Stress”, we discussed how children can get overwhelmed by big emotions and throw tantrums. Today, we’re going to give you practical tips to help your kids manage these big feelings and develop self-regulation skills through a process known as co-regulation. What Exactly is Co-Regulation? Co-regulation is not about temporarily calming a child [...]

Life is pretty busy and chaotic when raising children. When things get hectic, we often struggle to juggle all the demands of family life: keeping our children healthy and safe, juggling study, work, school, appointments, running a household, extracurricular activities and showing up where you need to be on time. Children need time and a whole lot of energy. It’s not enough to be merely physically present with them. Children [...]

We all know that the wiring of the human brain is extremely complicated, and its functions are versatile. Luckily, scientists are doing their best to explain brain functions in simple terms so that we can all understand our brains a little better. An example of such simplification is the left and the right brain. If we had to describe each side in just one adjective, we’d say that the left [...]

There are four primary chemicals in our brains that affect happiness. These are Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. These are the chemicals that, when combined, create desirable brain states and emotions we seek to experience again and again. A brain that regularly produces these chemicals is hardwired for happiness in the long run. Then there are other brain chemicals, like Cortisol and Adrenaline that are induced in stressful situations that [...]

Historically, play has been a significant part of cultures all over the globe, and continues to be a crucial part of childhood for most animals (humans too!). Play helps us develop healthy brains and nervous systems, nurtures our imaginations, develops problem solving skills, resiliency, creativity and pro-social traits and generally, keeps us happy and healthy. Before we get into more about the history of play, if you haven’t read our [...]

Thrive, not just survive. That’s one of our core principles here at Artistic Revolutions. Who would want to just survive, when you could truly thrive! Some of the most crucial factors needed for healthy brains to thrive are safety and connection. A secure attachment and feeling safe are two of the most important factors in developing a healthy, resilient brain, and who better to support this than yourself as the [...]

Having children is probably the most rewarding, yet demanding experience one can go through. Being a parent is certainly a rollercoaster of mixed emotions! From the positive feelings when your child speaks their first words, falls asleep in your arms, makes their first steps, starts school, smothers you with hugs and “I love yous”, to the daily stress and battles that can occur... Ironing uniforms, packing lunch boxes, driving them [...]

The Guard Dog and the Wise Owl Teaching children about their brains and emotional responses to situations can sometimes feel a bit complex. Where do we even begin? But as parents and caregivers it is important for us to support and empower our children to learn about the power of their amazing brains! In today’s blog post we’re going to talk about two of the most important parts of the [...]