Mabo Program (15 months – 2.5 years)
The "Toddler" Years This is the age of discovery, independence, and—let’s be honest—"Big Emotions." In the Mabo room, we don't just manage these emotions; we teach little bodies how to understand them.
What your child experiences:
Emotional Coaching: When the tears or frustration come (and they will!), our educators are there to validate their feelings and help them calm down, turning a meltdown into a learning moment.
Growing Independence: Your child is learning they are their own person. We encourage this spark of independence in a safe, supported way.
The Learning Focus: What’s happening in their brains? You might notice your child testing boundaries or chatting up a storm. This is a crucial developmental window where we focus on:
The Language Explosion: Their oral language is blossoming right now. We provide "literacy-rich" experiences (lots of reading, singing, and talking) to stretch that vocabulary every day.
Cause & Effect: They are learning that Action A leads to Result B. We provide play experiences that help them grasp this concept safely.
The Potty Training Partnership This is often the age where we open the door to toileting. We know this can be one of the hardest concepts for a child to master, and stressful for parents!
No Pressure: We are very sensitive in our approach. We watch for your child’s readiness signs—we don't force it.
Teamwork: We work with you to make sure the approach at home and at the centre is consistent, making success much more likely.
Why Eddie Mabo? "What is on the land... belongs to my people."
We named this room after Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo because of his courage and unwavering determination. He fought tirelessly for ten years to have Indigenous land rights recognized.
For our room: Toddlers are famous for their determination! We want to channel that persistence into confidence.
For your child: We seek to instill the values of standing up for what you believe in and having the strength to keep trying, even when things are hard.