Ready or not, the new school year is here!  My two kids have responded very differently: one is super excited and can’t wait to see what 1st grade will bring and my other daughter has been nervous about her new school and thinks everything is “boring.”  Each school year brings both excitement and nerves and as parents we can acknowledge their worries and bring calm and focus to the challenges and joys ahead.  Here are some tips that can help you get started on the right foot!  Whether your child is challenged with their attention, focus, worries or motor skills, I hope you will find a little nugget here to help.

1. Move, Move, Move!!!

 

While academics are important, the path to academic success includes a strong foundation, including an active core, good body awareness and well-developed visual skills (not just eyesight!).  

Remember that monkey bars can be better for handwriting development than just practicing to write!

 

2. Drawing and Writing on Vertical Surfaces

Easels, window markers, and wipe off boards on the wall are great tools for children developing their handwriting.  Using a vertical surface lines up the eyes, back, shoulder and wrist for writing.

You can even tape a large piece of easel paper to the wall for drawing or painting.

 

3. Combining Moving and Learning Together

 

Play math facts with chalk numbers on the driveway, jump to the sight word written on an index card or throw to a letter target on a post-it note.  The options are endless!

 

4. Morning Exercise

We know exercise is good for our bodies, but did you know how good it is for your mind? There has been as ton of research showing exercise helps memory and learning.  Can you walk with your child to school in the morning or get up 15 minutes early to have a dance party before the bus comes?

5. Deep Pressure

Deep pressure or heavy work by pushing or pulling is a great tool for a wiggly body or a nervous child.  This type of compression into the joints of the body is grounding and calming. A few easy ways to do this is the push the hands together for a count of 10, sitting in a chair place your hands next to your legs and push down for a count of 10, or do 10 wall push-ups.

 

For more guidance and individual help, reach out to us any time.  You’ll learn more about WHY your child is having difficulty and HOW to help them move forwards to discover success, confidence and independence!

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Wendy Canary, PT

Play!  Hearing this word may bring up a million different pictures in your head.  Maybe you think of a baseball game or a mound of clumsy puppies rough housing or a baby giggling at a game of peek-a boo.  No matter what the age or species, play time is an important piece of development and healthy growth.

In the first year of life, all that a baby does looks like play.  Their body proportions, big eyes and sweet smiles add to the image of a playful baby.  But those first moments of play represent important work. Babies are exploring their bodies and the world around them and in doing this developing their visual, sensory and motor skills. This exploring can take place while being held, sitting supported or during floor time on their belly and back. Floor time is where they learn to move against gravity, visually focus on objects around them, and problem solve how to explore their environment. As parents we have front row seats to watch for the sweet moments when they first turn their head to your voice, focus their eyes on the toy you are holding, lift their head and chest up off the floor to look around, or master the ability to sit themselves up!  These moments happen when they are free to explore the magical world around them that you have created. Cherish these sweet moments of floor time and watch your baby learn and master each skill!

Then it happens, your little one learns to crawl then walk and this is when the game changes!  They are able to reach new objects, push toys around, climb onto furniture and get into some mischief.  As they move and play their core stability, balance and coordination will increase and the clumsiness of their movements will improve.  Toddlers and preschoolers love to play! They will find fun in just about anything and will move from throwing, climbing, running to jumping. They are busy exploring all the ways their bodies can move, imitating all those around them and discovering ways the environment around them can be a jungle gym.  This can be an exhausting phase for parents! Take heart in knowing that they are again doing the hard work of growing their motor, visual and sensory skills. However it is okay and important to take breaks in the action and encourage quiet play as well, with building toys, dolls, reading books together, pretend play etc.   Take time each day to play on the floor with your child. They will not only be playing but they will be developing their language, social, fine motor and play skills through interacting with you. Chances are you will love this time together and find you stay longer than you expected.

Once our children enter into the structure of school, the available time for play changes.  After school hours quickly fill up with homework, recreational sports, dance, clubs etc. It can be difficult to find time for free play but it continues to be important for the development of a child.  Through play at this age, they are not only developing their coordination, strength, and balance but they are developing intellectual, social and communication skills through interactions with their family and peers. In a generation where smart phones are changing how we communicate, there is value in the face to face interactions through a backyard game of tag, or a play date at a park or a game night with the family. Creating the space in their schedule for free time allows the child to rest, decompress and find activities they enjoy!

As a child moves into their teen years, the activities they may choose in their free time will change but the need for ‘down time’ is equally as important.  Being active and engaging in activities that are enjoyable will not only provide the life skills needed for healthy living but also have the added benefit of stress management.   Young adults are feeling the pressures of expectations in so many areas of their lives, it is a gift for them to be given the permission to schedule down time without any structure or expectations.   For some this may be to play guitar, or take a run, or play a game of basketball with friends or have an impromptu dance party, but whatever their activity of choice is, it will be a time to decompress, recharge and ultimately lead to healthy mental and physical health.

No matter what the age, play is a part of life.  It is vital to the development of a child and to the health of all ages.  As parents we have the job to guide, role model and create the opportunities for exploration through play.  Whether you are on the floor with your baby, scheduling a play date at the park with your toddler or taking a hike as a family, you are modeling the importance of play.   Play is not wasted time but the building blocks of the skills our children need for their bright futures!

Let’s play!

Introducing our guest blogger, Amanda Henderson, who shares her expertise on  parenting and keeping children safe.  Check out her fantastic tips!

Image via Pexels

What you teach your children early on has a major impact on the person they become in the future. If you encourage them, show your support, and make sure they know they are loved, they will grow up to be confident and go after the things they really want in life. However, if you don’t put in the effort, your kids can fall into some pretty unhealthy habits that will sneak up on them later on in life. No parent is perfect — there are always things you won’t think of doing. But the following healthy choices are simple things that all parents can do to contribute to the overall well being of their children.

Be Active and Exercise

Modern societies are way more sedentary than we need to be and the proof is written all over the scale. Since the 1980s, obesity rates have doubled among adults and more than tripled among children. In the United States, more than two out of every three adults are considered either overweight or obese and one in six children are considered obese. All that excess weight has serious health implications. Those who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of developing illnesses and issues including:

• Hypertension
• Type 2 diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Gallbladder disease
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• Gout
• Chronic pain
• Mental illness
• Certain cancers

Being active and exercising regularly can help prevent excessive weight gain and the health problems that accompany it. Fortunately, most kids really love being active. In fact, they can’t get enough of it. It’s only over time with overexposure to television, the Internet, and video games that kids stop going outside to play. Teach your kids to put away the screen and enjoy being active as much as possible. Get them involved in sports or other after school activities that encourage exercise such as dance classes. Go on family walks after dinner to help unwind and promote digestion. These little things can instill a love of exercise in your children that they take with them for years to come.

Eat Well

Children are notoriously picky eaters, but you may be surprised at what you can get your kid to eat if you simple involve him or her in the food preparation process. From buying your groceries to cooking the meals, bring your kids along and talk with them about what you buy and make. Demystifying vegetables and showing them how the sauce is prepared helps relieve their anxieties regarding an unknown food so they are more excited to try it. Eating a well-balanced diet full of variety helps encourage everything from brain development to skin health, so your child will have fewer health problems as they grow.

Another benefit of implementing healthy eating in your household is how budget friendly it can be.  

• Buy healthy staples such as dried grains and whole-wheat pasta in bulk.
• Eat a low cost breakfast everyday.
• Take advantage of supermarket deals on healthy choices.
• Buy fruits and veggies that are in season to get the best prices.
• Don’t forget about frozen — buying produce in the freezer aisle is cost-effective and contains about the same amount of nutrients as fresh.
• Cut out meat one day a week to save money and reduce your family’s saturated fat intake.

Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Having a set bedtime as well as a time to wake up helps create routine and structure in your child’s life. Beyond that, your child needs enough sleep for his or her healthy development. One in three people do not get enough sleep as adults. This can lead to poor work or school performance, moodiness, weight gain and a host of other health problems. Teaching your children the importance of rest and keeping a regular sleep schedule early on can help prevent them from becoming that one in three.

Amanda Henderson is a mom to two wonderful, active boys and a preschool teacher. She enjoys writing in her free time, and recently decided to create Safechildren so that she would have a place to share her thoughts and favorite resources on parenting and child safety.