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In the world of early childhood education, the focus often falls squarely on the children\u2014their learning, development, and well-being. But what about the dedicated educators who nurture and guide them? This is the question that drives Daisy Ramsden<\/a>, a passionate advocate for holistic well-being and Director at Abundant Education<\/a>. In this insightful interview, Daisy shares her journey, her unique approach, and her vision for a more sustainable and supportive environment for both children and their educators. From personal experiences with anxiety to professional expertise in holistic wellness, Daisy unveils a unique perspective on how the well-being of educators can transform both education and the future of our society.<\/p>\n What\u2019s most important to you right now in your work? What\u2019s your number one topic at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n My biggest passion is holistic well-being for children and families. About two years ago, I joined with Lucy to extend that into education, to bring holistic well-being to educators and educational leaders. I believe they are the missing piece in helping children truly flourish. Educators and parents are both nurturers for children, and after nine years of working with children, families, and professionals, I\u2019ve realised that the most impactful way to improve children\u2019s well-being is to support their nurturers. When caregivers are in their best state of well-being, they can provide the best care for the children.<\/p>\n It seems so important to have the adults in a good place. For those not familiar with the term, how would you define well-being, and why do you include those who care for children in that definition?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well-being is quite an interesting concept because there is a textbook definition from the World Health Organisation. But, it\u2019s also an individual experience. What well-being looks like for me might be different from what well-being looks and feels like for you. It\u2019s a unique journey, and at the moment, there aren\u2019t any specific tests or measurements to pinpoint someone\u2019s state of well-being perfectly. At Abundant Education, we define wellbeing as the experience of being in a safe place and feeling seen, heard and accepted as a unique individual. From this state of being, a person is able to connect with others and develop to become their best self. So wellbeing is a unique experience but it\u2019s also collective, meaning one person\u2019s well-being affects another\u2019s. Our individual well-being and the collective well-being of those around us are interrelated. I believe that we cannot create sustainable changes for children\u2019s well-being until we help their carers\u2014educators and parents\u2014achieve a state of well-being as well.<\/p>\n It sounds like it\u2019s a very nuanced and individual process. What was the turning point for you that made well-being your passion? Was there a specific gap or need you noticed?<\/strong><\/p>\n Personally, I started my well-being journey about 11 years ago when I experienced anxiety and fatigue. I was working in finance at the time and even though I was doing well in my career and my relationships, I felt like a piece was missing. I wasn\u2019t feeling any enjoyment in life, and my physical health was deteriorating. That\u2019s when I started my journey into complementary medicine and therapy to investigate what was wrong and how to improve it. I realised that the missing piece was well-being. After that experience, my mother had a physical and mental collapse which inspired me to study well-being so that I could not only help myself but also help others. Professionally, Lucy and I joined forces two years ago because we saw a gap within the education sector regarding holistic well-being for educators. In Australia and other parts of the world there is a strong focus on children\u2019s well-being. It\u2019s one of the top aims of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). But there\u2019s no \u2018how\u2019 to actually elevate that well-being. I have expertise in holistic well-being, so I wanted to provide embodied experience, tools and supports for educators to create that \u2018how.\u2019 We are working to do that by elevating the holistic well-being of educators and teachers.<\/p>\n So when people reach out to you, how do you explain what you can do? What does your process look like, and what can clients expect?<\/strong><\/p>\n I mainly use coaching to walk side-by-side with educators and leaders. This involves both one-on-one and team coaching to help them evaluate their holistic well-being. I look at six components: physical, mental, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual health. We pinpoint their weak areas to expand their overall well-being. I also work with entire centres. They hire Lucy and I to deliver educators or children\u2019s well-being programs. We come to the centre, observe their environment, and identify the 20% of things we can address that will create an 80% impact. We work with the team and individual educators and, of course, observe the children\u2019s well-being. We offer suggestions for how they can understand situations from a holistic well-being perspective. For example, when a child is having a meltdown, we help the educator understand what the child might be experiencing and what is happening within the educator. We help them develop strategies to manage and redirect those behaviours positively. All in all, it\u2019s a combination of one-on-one coaching and full team engagement.<\/p>\n That sounds quite practical and very hands-on. In comparison to some learning environments, it appears this is a new style of learning for many. How do people typically respond to your delivery style?<\/strong><\/p>\n I love that you described it as a delivery style. It\u2019s an experiential journey. I see a person\u2019s transformation as an art. The way I work is that I\u2019ll share frameworks and ideas with educators in a workshop, and then they get to practice it with the children and in their own lives. We then walk side-by-side with them. So, the learning is a combination of theory and practice. This helps prepare their mindset, enhances their reflection and allows them to see reality differently then gains real experiences. It\u2019s really an \u201caha\u201d moment for many educators to apply new skills when things get tough. This method provides new choices, skills and perspectives for their lives and professions. I think many educators really love it because it fills a gap, as professional development support for educators and educational leaders is still quite limited compared to other fields. For me, it\u2019s a joy to work alongside educators and acknowledge the beauty and the struggles that they deal with every day. I love seeing they transform into their confident selves. They feel valued and recognised. It makes their experience less lonely, it is quite nourishing. They feel supported knowing there\u2019s someone there who believe in them and have their backs. It\u2019s about partnering and achieving the best outcomes together.<\/p>\n When those in education reach out to you, is there a common set of problems or a common point they\u2019ve reached? Or do you see a really diverse range of needs?<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a diverse range of clients because every year presents unique challenges depending on the children\u2019s needs. However, some common themes are emerging. The biggest challenge that I\u2019ve noticed last year is the need for inclusivity which is something that the Department of Education is also supporting and promoting. This includes children with various levels of needs and also engaging children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. Creating inclusivity requires resources, and it\u2019s difficult for centres when they are understaffed. There is a significant shortage of educators in Australia right now. So it can be a challenge to create the learning choices for children with a multiple and diverse level of need. The second challenge that I see is how to support children with trauma backgrounds. Trauma can often manifest as challenging behaviour. The last challenge I see is how to create a supportive environment that caters to all children\u2019s needs\u2014not just those with special needs. Even \u2018normal\u2019 children have unique needs. It can be really difficult to meet all of those needs every day. Most educators that I work with are caring, highly qualified, but I can see a degree of burnout because they are constantly giving without always receiving the support that they need to fill their own cups.<\/p>\n Yes, that makes so much sense. Is it also common for centres to reach out when they can tell that their team members are burning out?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, absolutely. I truly honour the leaders who are aware of burnout within themselves or their teams. They often reach out for holistic well-being support. My colleague Lucy provides pedagogical support too, but when leaders feel the need to fill their team\u2019s cups or are seeing an increase in behavioural challenges, they seek holistic well-being support.<\/p>\n It seems like your side-by-side approach is a really good fit for the education sector right now. Taking educators away from their daily work for professional development can be challenging. Your way seems to create a more sustainable and easier integration of support?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, so far I see that centres, educators, and the children really enjoy us coming to the centre. They know we understand their reality, and everything we share is practical and useful. It also comes from a place of understanding. It\u2019s not a lecturer delivering abstract theory but is something they need and have asked for. It becomes more of a partnership where together we identify the problems then find the solutions and put them in practice. It\u2019s a beautiful journey.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this conversation, don\u2019t miss the chance to hear Daisy live, alongside a lineup of incredible speakers\u00a0at the\u00a0Early Childhood Learning & Development Conference<\/a> on 8 March 2025 at Optus Stadium in Perth, WA. With the theme Empower, Nurture, Flourish; this event promises to inspire fresh ideas and approaches to early childhood education. Join us for Daisy\u2019s breakout session, where she\u2019ll dive deeper into heart-lead leadership and redefining relationships in early childhood. It\u2019s an event you won\u2019t want to miss! On the day don\u2019t forget to visit 1Place at the Exhibition Playground during the breaks. Book your ticket now<\/a>!<\/p>\n Conference:\u00a0ECLD 2025 \u2013 Conference WA \u2013 Child Australia ECLD<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/1placechildcare.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/Daisy-with-CK-team-1024x768.jpg\")
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