Building a Diverse Bookshelf
Building a diverse and inclusive bookshelf for your family has many benefits beyond building a love for reading! With so many books available on the market, now it is easier than ever to build a unique library that represents a huge variety of identities and experiences.
As most of us know, our children can get very messy when they eat! Did you know this is actually the best way for them to learn about and try new foods?
Picture yourself at a new restaurant. You order something off the menu that someone else recommended but when it comes to the table it is different from anything you’ve ever eaten before. What do you do? Do you dive right in and take a huge bite? Probably not. You likely interact with the food first. Maybe you simply look at the food, observe all the different colors on the plate. You may even cut the food open and/or push it around the plate to observe its different properties (e.g., squishy, dry, wet, crunchy, etc.). Next, you may smell the food. Is it a good smell or is it making you want to push the plate away? Finally, you may take a little bite off to taste it before eating an entire fork/spoon full.
Has your cheerful child ever quickly become a ball of tears when a near-by peer begins crying? Have you ever lost the pep in your step after spending time around a grumpy co-worker? This is because the feelings and behaviors of people in close proximity to us, directly impact how we feel, and respond to our own emotions. In the same way adults are impacted by others actions, children pick up the moods of others around them. However, being able to regulate emotions effectively and efficiently is not an innate skill. A child’s capacity to manage their big emotions relies on their brain development and their experiences. Therefore, when feeling upset or overwhelmed children look to their caregivers for help with regulating their emotions and appropriately respond to external stressors. Read More ›
What is “Container Baby Syndrome?”
Container Baby Syndrome is a “collection of movement, behavioral, and other problems caused by a baby or infant spending too much time in a container-any commonly used piece of baby equipment that resembles a container.” While this may sound intimidating, Container Baby Syndrome is highly preventable and there are many ways parents and caregivers can help children develop while avoiding this!
It’s officially summertime in the Chi and we couldn’t be more excited! This perfect weather is practically begging our little ones to go outside and play. These fun, summer sensory rich activities are wonderful ways to engage our children’s tactile system and expose them to different scents, textures, and sensations.
What is Free Play?
Free play is when we allow children to have freedom to play in whatever and however way they want, with no direction from an adult (but adults are encouraged to participate from time to time!) They can choose their play materials and activities and how they engage with them. Choice is the crucial component for free play.
In recent years, it has become more recognized that a shift in societal perspectives is necessary for true inclusion, specifically regarding (but not limited to) autism and ADHD. Historically, autism and ADHD have been pathologized to focus on the way areas for growth impair a person’s “normalness”, rather than the constructive ways that individuals use their unique strengths. Neurodiverse children and adults do experience difficulties related to living in a world that is not accommodating and understanding of differences. The neurodiversity movement does not seek to trivialize how challenging growing up neurodiverse can be, but rather help focus on building shared understanding of the value neurodiverse individuals have just as they are.
When watching your child play you may have noticed them sitting in a peculiar way. Looking from above you will see their little legs form the shape of a “W”. But what should you do when you see your child sitting in this position?
Retained primitive reflexes are immature movement patterns that can often have effects on a child’s overall development. Naturally, these reflexes should “integrate” or disappear during infancy. When a reflex is retained, more mature movement patterns are not developed, which can have an effect on sensory integration, posture, executive functioning skills, and overall neuroplasticity. Recognizing and treating these retained reflexes can have a big impact on a child’s overall development.
As adults, we have all been there, it is past your “bedtime,” you are wide-eyed, staring at your ceiling and your thoughts are racing. The time flies by as you intermittently check your clock and countdown the hours until your alarm goes off in the morning, but something in you just will not let you fall asleep. Did you know that kids can experience the same type of nighttime anxiety that keeps them awake? They may not be able to identify their resistance to falling asleep as “anxiety” but parents and caregivers can teach their kids the tools they need to understand what is keeping them awake and how to address it.