Te Kete Rangimaarie

Rangimārie: 1.(noun) peace, peacefulness, harmony

Te Kete Rangimārie is the positive guidance strategy for Tōtara Kids. It is an open, neutral space for regulating and processing emotions. We choose to say “finding rangimārie”. This means children are able to feel and explore their emotions but are not overwhelmed by them.

Te Kete Rangimārie is preparing children to recognise and accept emotions, and learn what tools they can use to provide comfort and peace. This allows children to feel emotions that are often discouraged, but are completely natural.

Te Kete Rangimārie contains a variety of textiles, fidget toys, emotion cues. A red blanket is available to signify “give me space”. It is vital that children are given time to find rangimārie before they have conversations to unpack their feelings.

Te Kete Rangimārie does not excuse socially unacceptable actions. Children will be supported to ‘make things right’ when they are calm.

We believe that all behaviours are a form of communication; tamariki are trying to communicate a want, need, or feeling with us. Sometimes this comes out as a physical motion, loud noises, or tears.

Any emotion is welcome and valid, and tamariki should be express and experience them in appropriate, safe ways. Negative behaviours that hurt ourselves or others need support. Te Kete Rangimārie works to support the urges that BIG feelings bring, in a socially acceptable way.

Te Kete Rangimaarie is not a reward for “bad” behaviour. It is a tool to support lifelong social and emotional balance

Elise and Erin have worked together for over 6 years, sharing a passion for teaching social and emotional regulation and handing power back to tamariki. Elise has built Tōtara Kids to be a space for children to grow skills for life and that is what Te Kete Rangimaarie is. Together they have developed what started as Erin’s small basket of fidget toys where children could release urges, into a social, emotional program that acts as a positive guidance strategy in ECE and can be adapted for home-based education and parenting.

In 2024 they officially launched their professional development workshops sharing how Te Kete Rangimaarie can work in Home-based care and ECE. Next they plan to start a parenting workshop, using Te Kete Rangimaarie as well as supporting ECE kaiako to teach or lead from Rangimaarie.

Te Kete Rangimaarie is designed to grow children’s emotional literacy so they can actively regulate, recognise and support their emotions for life. Elise and Erin hope this will then positively impact the mental health and resilience of our teens and adults. Since becoming Mums to Fletcher and Alfie both have found another level of understanding on the importance of raising emotionally literate children, especially boys, with the climate of men’s mental health in NZ.

Elise Walton- Owner/Manager - Tōtara Kids ELC

Erin Rush - Social/Emotional Education Leader- Tōtara Kids ELC

Erin Rush