I’m a walking contradiction and confidently identify as an
introverted, extrovert who loves to socialise but hates groups of people. Put
me in a room with strangers and I'll disappear into the background as fast as
possible, but in front of my friends I
can talk all night long. For me writing on the internet feels like being in a
room full of friends.
I live in Australia with my partner and our two girls. The girls and I love getting messy with play as much as possible, their Dad doesn't love it, but has learnt to accept there will likely be rainbow rice scattered across the floor or paint on the table... after all it's nothing a vacuum cleaner and baby wipes won't fix!
Our love affair with play began when our big girl started speech therapy at 18 months old. I learnt a lot about play therapy and we utilised it in speech sessions and at home. It really helped her come out of her shell and cemented a love of learning through play in our household, which lead to lots of sensory play, small world play, nature play, bookish play... basically all the play! We've done thousands of different play activities and I'm working my way through blogging them all, so you can try them with your kids {or students} too.
Our love affair with play began when our big girl started speech therapy at 18 months old. I learnt a lot about play therapy and we utilised it in speech sessions and at home. It really helped her come out of her shell and cemented a love of learning through play in our household, which lead to lots of sensory play, small world play, nature play, bookish play... basically all the play! We've done thousands of different play activities and I'm working my way through blogging them all, so you can try them with your kids {or students} too.
FINDING MYSELF YOUNG THEN & NOW
I started my blog way back in 2012. It was a
particularly tumultuous time in my life and I felt like I needed an emotional outlet,
which happened to be in the form of blogging. Writing has always been very
cathartic for me and this blog was my space to get my thoughts out of my head
and onto paper {or in this case a computer screen} where for some reason they
made more sense. I also hoped that by sharing my feelings I would not only help
myself, but also help others who were facing similar experiences.
These days my blog would probably be classed as a
mummy blog by some, however it started out as a personal blog before I even had
kids. Then once I became a mum I kind of unintentionally fell into the mummy
blogging niche. Because as all parents know, once you have kids your whole
world revolves around them for the first few years… and you can’t help but talk
about them, and only them - all the time. #sorrynotsorry. As
my girls have gotten older I’ve shared less personal stories and changed my
focus to my passion for learning through play and the activities we do
together.
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| Activities pictured: Dinosaur egg small world | DIY lava lamp | Turtle life cycle small world | DIY playdough stamps |
I’ve
always had an innate desire to work with children in some way. I wanted to be
an early childhood teacher in my early 20’s, but because I knew I had fertility issues I never pursued it as a career. I didn’t think I could handle
seeing children every day when I was longing for my own {especially when there
was a very real possibility I would never have any at all}.
Now that I've had my own children, I'm even more passionate about helping children learn and play, so I plan on
going into teaching once my youngest daughter is at school. For now by sharing
my ideas here I hope I’m helping parents and children in some small way even
though I’m not physically in a classroom.
WHY THE NAME FINDING MYSELF YOUNG?
When I started my blog I felt like I was going through an emotional metamorphosis and reclaiming who I really was. I felt like I was rediscovering who I was as a person and getting in touch with my inner self for the first time in years. I was moving forward with life, but I also felt like I was winding back the clock a few years to my younger self when I was happier. So it was a combination of the cliché saying finding myself again and a nod to how I felt like I was going back in time, hence the moniker Finding Myself Young.
Many people who start a blog and end up pivoting their
focus often regret their original blog name, but I actually still love my blog
name and still think
it’s completely relevant. I’m still finding myself young, because I’m
reconnecting with my inner child every day, and creating the childhood that I always
wanted, but for my own girls.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER HERE AT FINDING MYSELF YOUNG
- Play Activities for children of all ages
- Children's Book Reviews & Activities
- Honest Parenting Moments
- Toy & Kids Product Reviews
- Craft Ideas for many occasions
- Discounts & Sales from our favourite stores
I hope you'll find lots of ideas here to get you inspired to spend time with your children and connect and learn alongside them. To keep up to date with my latest posts and play activities you can sign up to my email list or follow me on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook. I'd also love for you to join our Facebook community of parents from around the world.
Toni x
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