Have you ever seen that cartoon where a monkey, elephant, fish, and penguin are all told to “climb a tree” as a test? It’s a clever and painful illustration of how the traditional education system measures everyone by the same yardstick – even if that yardstick doesn’t fit.
At Acacia Hill Childcare, we see this flaw clearly. Children are not robots programmed to perform on command. They’re individuals – with different strengths, challenges, personalities, and ways of learning. So why are we still asking them to all “climb the same tree”?
The Trouble with Standardised Expectations
Too often, education focuses on conformity: testing, ticking boxes, achieving milestones on someone else’s timeline. But that approach misses something vital – children grow best when nurtured as individuals. Expecting every child to succeed in the same way doesn’t just create stress; it overlooks their potential.
The fish in the cartoon? It might not climb a tree, but it could swim beautifully. The elephant might be a gentle leader. The monkey might be a creative problem solver. All these are real skills, but they’re not measured in a one-size-fits-all test.
Real Education Teaches Life Skills
That’s why at Acacia Hill, we take a different approach. Rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy, our childcare centres in Armadale and Stirling are designed to help each child discover their own path. Our focus isn’t just on ABCs – it’s on confidence, creativity, communication, empathy, resilience, and independence.
We build life skills – the kind that prepare children not just for school, but for life. Whether it’s learning to ask for help, share a toy, manage emotions, or simply tie their shoes, these milestones matter deeply. And they look different for every child, every day.
Every Child Deserves a Personalised Climb
Imagine a world where your child isn’t judged by how well they sit still at circle time – but by how well they explore, connect, think, and express themselves. That’s our world at Acacia Hill.
We observe, listen, and adapt to your child’s unique interests and needs. We don’t push them to “climb the tree” if they’re better suited to explore the garden. We guide them gently to try, to grow, to celebrate their own successes – however those might look.
The Outcome? Capable, Confident Kids
By prioritising life skills through play-based learning, we help children become well-rounded little humans who love learning, communicate with confidence, and approach life with resilience. That’s real school readiness.
So next time you see that cartoon, remember: your child doesn’t need to be like everyone else. They just need the right environment to become the best version of themselves. At Acacia Hill, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
At our Perth-based childcare centres, we believe in fostering a nurturing environment not only for the children but also for our dedicated staff. One of the ways we do this is through our robust volunteering program, which allows our team to engage with their favourite charities and make a difference in the community. The experiences shared by our staff highlight the enriching impact of this program.
Connie, one of our passionate educators, shared her excitement about volunteering at a local school and with Care Bags. “I loved the opportunity to volunteer at the school and with Care Bags,” she said. “It gave me an insight into what happens behind the scenes and the great work that gets done.” Connie’s experience underscores the value of understanding and supporting community initiatives from the ground up.
For Paramjit, the experience was both novel and fulfilling. “It was a good experience for me to serve food to other people in the community. I have never had this opportunity before, and it was great to do.” Volunteering gave Paramjit a chance to connect with the community in a meaningful way, fostering a sense of empathy and service.
Amy’s time with animals was a dream come true. “I loved having the animal cuddles and it gave me the opportunity to know what is involved in being a Veterinarian.” Amy’s volunteering stint not only satisfied her love for animals but also provided a glimpse into a profession she admires, enriching her personal and professional aspirations.
Hadeel, who has a passion for teaching, found joy in sharing her skills. “I felt so good to volunteer and help teach, being able to do what I love the most.” Her experience reaffirms our commitment to supporting our staff’s passions and professional growth.
These heartfelt stories are just a glimpse of the positive impact our volunteering program has on our team. By providing opportunities for our staff to engage with the community and pursue their passions, we create a supportive and fulfilling work environment. This, in turn, attracts passionate and dedicated individuals who share our commitment to nurturing the next generation.
If you’re looking for a workplace that values your passions and supports your growth, our childcare centres in Perth could be the perfect fit for you. Join us in making a difference, both in the lives of children and in the broader community. Together, we can achieve great things!
It has been a wonderful milestone to achieve. Our little family business that started out with 2 migrant sisters settling in Perth, Western Australia taking on a small yet quaint 23 place childcare centre in the Western suburbs to the well-known, respected and experienced, business Acacia Hill is today.
In the early days, Jean and Catherine (along with their husbands Hugh and Robert) put all their blood, sweat and tears into creating a home away from home for many children whose families wanted that personal touch when it came to the care and education of their young. Humpty Dumpty (the first centre they opened in 1992) set a standard in the industry that the business still thrives on today. With the core values of Learning, Caring and Sharing although only coming to fruition in words in the last 5 years, have been the underlying values Jean and Catherine implemented back at the beginning.
In 2002, Jean and Hugh’s son Martin and his wife Fiona became directors in the family business.
Over the last 30 years the family have owned 13 childcare centres with the sale of many of the centres in 2018 when Jean and Catherine decided retirement was calling. Martin and Fiona continue to grow the business today with their passion for education, specializing in the areas of life skill development and resilience.
Over the years at Acacia Hill, we have embraced the educational philosophy from Reggio Emilia as we believe their child centred, play based approach to be best practice for young minds and bodies. Delving deep into this approach has allowed us the opportunity to combine theory with practice in our Australian context and develop our own curriculum we implement and are proud to provide children in Perth.
Looking forward to the next 30 years……. we will continue to build resilience by providing each child that walks through our doors the opportunity to experience risk in a very safe environment, gain age-appropriate life skills, learn and understand their Australian/Indigenous culture and understand why sustainability is important today.
As we have always done in celebrating each child, each of their cultures and what is important, today we celebrate Acacia Hill. The culture it has set up and provided for the children, families, educators and wider community over the past 30 years.
Is there truth to this assumption and what can we all do about it.
Why does it ‘always feel like’ when your child starts childcare they always seem to ‘get’ sick.
There seems to be a real stigma around this thought and for those of us who work in childcare it can sometimes be quite demoralising as we work hard not only educating your children but providing them a clean and safe environment.
So what truth is in this?
Yes, I do agree some children tend to get sicker than others and this can be a thing when children first start in care, but is it the cleanliness of the centre that causes this? In some places this could definitely be a cause however with our strict hygiene and safety policies and procedures we are governed to follow, I don’t believe this is the reason.
So, what is it, I hear you ask that causes the sicknesses?
With any age group, babies, toddlers, school children and adults when they are grouped together in a space where they are breathing in and out the same air, and when they are sharing the same toys/ stationary / computers / facilities, germs are bound to spread. This is just fact.
We have all experienced I’m sure when the common cold goes around the office, generally the majority of the people in the office will catch the cold. This is because we are sharing the same circulated air and equipment. The same happens in childcare and schools, however as adults we understand not to share pens, or equipment with someone who becomes unwell, young children do not always remember this rule as much as we try to enforce it in the centre.
The other thing to remember, prior to your child starting in a childcare centre, they probably spent the majority of their time at home with you where they weren’t surround by another 10, 20 or even 30 other children and adults in the same room at the same time. The more people they are around, the higher the chance of becoming sick.
Now this sounds all doom and glume I’m sure to you at home wondering why you have put your child in care.
Well, the good news is you are helping your child build their immunity to all these common illnesses. At some stage in their life, they will be consistently surrounded by others at school, team sports, concerts, work etc and by placing your child in childcare now, this is step 1 to helping them build their immunity.
What else do we do in the centre to prevent the spread of illnesses:
We ensure every day the children have lots of outside play in the fresh air to limit the spread of germs in the air
When the temperature is between 16 and 30 degrees we have the children sleeping outside under cover and in the fresh air. (Sunscreen is applied prior to sleeping)
While the children are sleeping, they sleep head to toe to prevent them from breathing on one another
We have a ‘mouthed’ bucket in every room. Every time we see a toy mouthed by a child, we place it into the bucket to be cleaned and disinfected.
We have a cleaner in the centre every day who does a thorough clean of the rooms, bathrooms and equipment.
We rotate the equipment in the rooms on a weekly They are cleaned, disinfected and dried out in the sunshine when possible, to kill all germs
We have strict policies and procedures on contagious illnesses which allow us to send children home when we think they are contagious.
What can you do to help your child stay well in childcare?
Ensure your child eats a variety of healthy foods – include vegetables, fruit, breads, cereals, dairy and protein. Care for kids recommends the following immune boosting foods
With many families needing help with the care of their children while they’re working/studying and the biggest choice being paid care, this can be a big expense and added pressure to many families. While the care is necessary, families should be aware of what is available to them in keeping their childcare costs as low as possible.
The following list is a great start in helping reduce those costs
• Ensure before you start looking for childcare you have been in contact with Centrelink to register yourself and your child. You will be provided with a customer reference number for yourself and your child which you will need to provide to the childcare service upon enrolling.
• Ensure your child’s immunisation is up to date. To receive assistant with childcare fees, your child must be fully immunised in accordance with the National Immunisation Programme Schedule.
• Ensure your Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) is paid directly to the childcare service your child is enrolled. This will reduce your weekly out of pocket expense.
• Know your childcare services’ conditions of enrolment. Most services require 2 weeks written notice when you are planning to leave, so by ensuring you plan for this, can reduce costs when you leave.
• Enquire at your childcare service about holiday discounts. Many services offer a discount when you plan on taking holidays which makes a big difference to your weekly out of pocket expense when you are not attending.
Any child at any age can be ready for childcare. It depends on how we as adults approach the situation. If we are going to be anxious, nervous, upset and clingy with our child, then we need to expect our children to display these same behaviours.
Always make the transition to childcare a positive experience in the way you talk about it to your child and others (in your child’s hearing range) before, during and after the event by
1. If possible, try and have your child attend the centre for a minimum of 2 days per week. This allows them to become familiar quicker with the new environment (younger children can forget from one week to the next, so it is like they are starting all over again if they only attend 1 day a week).
2. Get your child a ‘childcare’ bag and hat, so they can get excited about it. It also provides them with a belonging they can have with them at the centre
3. Be positive about the new venture with your child. If you are excited about it hopefully they will be as well
4. Visit the centre prior to them officially starting so they know the environment and have meet their caregivers
5. Have a routine from day 1 when dropping your child off at the centre, so they always know what to expect. This could include putting the bag away, reading a story together or doing a puzzle and then leaving.
6. ALWAYS say good bye to your child even if they have a few tears. Let them be aware you are leaving otherwise they can feel forgotten. They need to know you are leaving and you will be back.
7. Be open with the educators. Provide information about how your child’s morning has gone prior to arriving at the centre, and the educators will ensure they take this information into consideration in helping them settle.
Give your child a few weeks to adjust to the big changes in their lives and hopefully this will see you all sailing with your new childcare adventure.
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