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Emotional validation was brought to wider awareness by American social worker Naomi Feil while working with elderly people with dementia. She found that people don't need to be constantly corrected, but rather understood, accepted and respected. When their emotions were acknowledged, they gradually subsided, while ignoring or devaluing them led to worsening difficulties. The same principle applies very well in parenting and working with children.

Emotional validation is one of the key skills for building healthy relationships – whether in partnerships, friendships, or the parent–child relationship. It means recognising and accepting another person's experience. This sends a clear message to the child that what they feel is understandable and that their feelings have a place. Acknowledging emotions helps reduce the intensity of unpleasant experiences and supports a sense of security. The opposite, emotional invalidation, can have a long-term negative impact on a child's development. If a child repeatedly experiences their feelings not being taken seriously, they may carry greater stress, low self-esteem or difficulties regulating emotions and impulsivity into adulthood.

Emotions don't disappear by being ignored, suppressed or avoided. When a child hears phrases like "it's nothing", "it'll pass" or "don't be so sensitive", they may feel misunderstood and quietly learn that their feelings are inappropriate or wrong. It is important to convey to children that there are no good or bad emotions. Every emotion has a function and brings information about what the child is experiencing and what they need. Long-term emotional invalidation doesn't teach children how to work with their emotions, but rather leads them to distrust and suppress their feelings – depriving them of the chance to find healthy and effective ways of coping.

Morning play at kindergarten is not just waiting for the programme to begin. For children, it represents the key start to the day that shapes how everything unfolds. During these moments, the child adapts to the new environment, learns to say goodbye to their parent and gradually integrates into the group. For teachers too, this time is very important – they observe the child's current mood, their needs, whether they feel safe, and they watch interactions with other children. Morning play is therefore not merely a transition phase but a valuable moment in which the child prepares for the entire school day.

Free play holds great significance – it is just as important for the child as, if not more important than, structured guided activities. It gives children the space to choose for themselves who they want to play with, what they want to do and how long they stay with a given activity. This freedom of choice builds independence, teaches cooperation, problem-solving and communication, while also developing creativity and imagination. Through free play, a child can also process their own experiences, emotions and memories from home or the previous day, which supports their psychological well-being.

The 2025/2026 school year at EduArt kindergartens was marked by gradual and meaningful changes to children's nutrition. Across all three branches we ran a project focused on improving and diversifying snacks, with the goal of supporting healthier eating habits and expanding children's taste experiences. The project kicked off in October 2025 with a snack audit prepared for us by nutritional therapist Alena Boukalova, and we gradually introduced the recommended changes. We added legume and fish spreads, fruit smoothies and nut butters to the menu, and increased the proportion of fresh and wholegrain bread.

The housekeeping team played a key role – a practical workshop led by a chef and nutritional therapist was prepared for them, allowing them to try out the new recipes and gain confidence in preparing them daily. The shared effort and openness to change enabled the new approaches to successfully enter everyday practice.

Children gradually adapted to the changes. Fruit smoothies were the biggest hit and quickly became a favourite snack. Legume spreads needed more time and repeated offerings, but through playful presentation the children gradually found their way to them. At the Prague 9 branch, giving spreads fairy-tale names proved very effective in encouraging children to try new flavours.

A re-audit in May confirmed the changes are having a real impact. The proportion of fresh and wholegrain bread increased, the range of nuts and nut butters expanded, and legume and fish spreads appear more frequently. Improvements were also made in the way food is served, better supporting children's independence.

The project also included educational activities. A workshop called Journey to a Happy Tummy for children and parents took place at the Prague 2 branch. Given the high interest, we plan to continue it at the Prague 4 and 9 branches. Going forward, we want to expand the range of fish spreads, introduce homemade granola, healthy fruit desserts and popular porridges. A big thank you to all the housekeepers, teachers, children and parents whose cooperation made it possible.

Children love sweet things! And that's no coincidence. We are programmed to enjoy sweetness from birth. The first thing a baby tastes is breast milk or infant formula – and both are naturally sweet. Since ancient times, sweetness has signalled that food is safe, energy-rich and will help us survive. But while sweet energy sources were once rare, today we live in an age of abundance. Food is available at every turn, often in enticing colourful packaging. No wonder many parents look for healthier treats or alternative sweeteners for their children. Not everything that sounds like a better choice actually is.

White, cane, coconut… the differences are smaller than they seem

When it comes to sweeteners, you can reach for classic white sugar, cane sugar, date or maple syrup, or for example xylitol and chicory syrup. You may be surprised to learn that most sweeteners have very similar compositions – they consist mainly of glucose and fructose. White beet sugar, or sucrose, is made up of half glucose and half fructose. It makes no pretence and is simply there to sweeten our lives. By contrast, its brown natural variant often carries a reputation as a superhero packed with minerals and vitamins.

Cane and coconut sugar follow the same pattern. This may be your first disappointment, but the golden colour does not make it a hero. The mineral content that marketing usually boasts about is present in such trace amounts that it is meaningless – and to feel any benefit, we would have to significantly increase sugar consumption, at which point the negative effects would outweigh the benefits.

Then there is the group of syrups such as maple, date or agave. These appear healthier largely because they carry the label natural. However, they are a very concentrated natural energy source that must be used sensibly.

What about honey?

Honey has an almost identical composition to ordinary sugar. To benefit from the enzymes, vitamins and minerals it contains, we would have to consume it in kilograms.

Sugar alcohols

An interesting sweet group is sugar alcohols – erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol and isomalt. Despite having alcohol in their name, there is no need to worry about children getting drunk from them. Their advantage is a negligible rise in blood sugar after consumption, and they don't contribute to tooth decay. A winner then? Not quite. Sugar alcohols can be included in the diet in limited amounts, but in higher quantities they can have a laxative effect – and children may be even more sensitive than adults.