I know I've been MIA from this blog for awhile. We were getting ready for my sister's wedding and school has let out for the summer.
Summer is especially challenging for us. Zach thrives on the strict routine that the school day provides him. At home, I'm just not programmed to be that strict. I suppose if I were a parent who over scheduled their child I could be, but that's just more work than I'm willing to put forth. Summer is my vacation too. I like that we don't have to run here there and everywhere by a certain time and day on a constant basis.
The last couple weeks have been especially challenging in our household. Zach's out of school and out of his routine for one. For another, the anticipation of his birthday this week is absolutely killing him. It's very much like the anticipation kids get at Christmas and then they start acting out because they're so excited they don't know what to do with all that energy. Then his Dad is leaving to go TDY for a month. Being a Daddy's boy, these separations are harder on Zach than the rest of us I think.
What do I do to curb the summertime chaos? I try to have a routine, but let's face it; sticking to my 2 year old's nap and bedtime schedules are hard enough. I'm just not a schedule person. I make sure Zach plays outside as much as possible. The more he runs around and plays physical games, the better he behaves when we need him to sit. Kicking around a soccer ball is a current favorite. I have to admit, it won't hurt my waistline to get out there with him either. During those weeks where it seems like we're in monsoon season, I pack up the kids after a couple days and we go somewhere that has an indoor play area. Their current favorite is a local coffee shop that also serves sandwiches. They have a train table that I have to pry my boys off of when it's time to leave. No matter that they have one here and a ton of trains and track.
When my husband is gone we run a lot of our errands after nap time. It kills that afternoon witching hour when the kids get all squirrely hanging out at home. It's one of the perks of not having a work schedule to go around. When we don't have errands to run, I'll take them to the park or pool. By the time we get home, it's time for dinner and then baths and bed. Of course I collapse on the couch after they're both in bed, but it's worth it to get through that hardest part of the day with them.
What do you do to get through what can be long and boring summer afternoons with your kids?
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Monday
Thursday
Incorporating Sensory Input into Daily Activities
A couple of weeks ago I got a sheet from our Occupational Therapist (who will be coming on board soon) about how to incorporate sensory input into your child's daily activities. I think they're great ideas so I wanted to share them with you.
BATH TIME: Scrub with washcloth or bath brush, try a variety of soaps and lotions for bathing, play on the wall with shaving cream or bathing foam, rub body with lotion after bath time (deep massage), sprinkle powder onto body and brush or rub into skin.
MEAL PREPARATION OR BAKING: Let your child mix ingredients, especially the thick ones that will really work those muscles. Let child mix and roll dough and push flat. Allow child to help you carry posts and pans, bowls of water or ingredients (with supervision, of course). Let you child tenderize meat with the meat mallet.
GROCERY SHOPPING: Have your child push the heavy cart (as long as the weight is within their capabilities). Let your child help carry heave groceries and help put them away.
MEALTIME: Encourage eating of chewy foods and drinking out of a straw. Try having your child sit on an air cushion to allow some movement. A weighted lap blanket may be helpful as well.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES: Allow the child to help with the vacuuming or moving the furniture. Let the child help carry the laundry basket or the detergent. Let the child help with digging for gardening or landscaping.
PLAYTIME: Reading books in a rocking chair or bean-bag chair may be beneficial. You can help your child make up obstacle courses in the house or yard using crawling, jumping, hopping, skipping, rolling, etc. Listen to soft music. Play the sandwich game (child lies in between two pillows and pretends to be the sandwich, while you provide pressure to the top pillow to the child's desired amount.) Ask them "harder or softer?" as you push on the pillow. Some children will like much more pressure than you would expect. you can also go for a neighborhood walk with a wagon and have your child pull it (make it semi-heavy by loading it with something the child would like to pull around). You can do the same with the baby-doll carriage. Swimming in a pool is a wonderful activity if you have that available,, as are horseback riding and bowling. Mini or full-size trampolines are excellent for providing sensory input as well. Make sure the child is using them safely. Sandboxes or big containers of beans or popcorn kernels can be fun play-boxes too if you add small cards, shovels, cups, etc.
ERRANDS AND APPOINTMENTS: Before visiting the dentist or hairdresser try deep massage to the head or scalp (of tolerated), or try having your child wear a weighted hat. Try chewy foods or vibration to the mouth with an electric toothbrush. Let your child wear a heavy backpack (weighted to their liking with books and with the straps padded as needed). Be sure to give the child ample warning before any changes in routine or any unscheduled trips or errands. Many children with SPD need predictability.
OTHER GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE HOME:
~ Keep routines and possessions organized.
~ Be consistent with rules and consequences.
~ Keep an activity schedule or calendar posted.
~ Create specific routines for troublesome times of the day (bedtime or getting ready for school).
~ Discuss upcoming anticipated changes in routine at a point in time that is beneficial for your child. You will have to experiment with how early the child "needs to know".
~ Try to indirectly use your child's sensory preferences for fun rewards to help you handle behavior. For example, having your child work towards an extra trip to go bowling or horseback riding may be helpful. However, try not to restrict movement activities when you child is being disciplined. For example, taking away recess time or playground time for not sitting at the table appropriately during dinner may not be the most effective way to deal with these issues. Your child may need movement time, and by removing it, his or her behavior may actually become more difficult later.
Try some of these suggestions and let me know if they work for you. I'd love to hear feedback if you do them. I would also love any tips that you can offer on how you deal with your child's tantrums, behaviors, etc.
BATH TIME: Scrub with washcloth or bath brush, try a variety of soaps and lotions for bathing, play on the wall with shaving cream or bathing foam, rub body with lotion after bath time (deep massage), sprinkle powder onto body and brush or rub into skin.
MEAL PREPARATION OR BAKING: Let your child mix ingredients, especially the thick ones that will really work those muscles. Let child mix and roll dough and push flat. Allow child to help you carry posts and pans, bowls of water or ingredients (with supervision, of course). Let you child tenderize meat with the meat mallet.
GROCERY SHOPPING: Have your child push the heavy cart (as long as the weight is within their capabilities). Let your child help carry heave groceries and help put them away.
MEALTIME: Encourage eating of chewy foods and drinking out of a straw. Try having your child sit on an air cushion to allow some movement. A weighted lap blanket may be helpful as well.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES: Allow the child to help with the vacuuming or moving the furniture. Let the child help carry the laundry basket or the detergent. Let the child help with digging for gardening or landscaping.
PLAYTIME: Reading books in a rocking chair or bean-bag chair may be beneficial. You can help your child make up obstacle courses in the house or yard using crawling, jumping, hopping, skipping, rolling, etc. Listen to soft music. Play the sandwich game (child lies in between two pillows and pretends to be the sandwich, while you provide pressure to the top pillow to the child's desired amount.) Ask them "harder or softer?" as you push on the pillow. Some children will like much more pressure than you would expect. you can also go for a neighborhood walk with a wagon and have your child pull it (make it semi-heavy by loading it with something the child would like to pull around). You can do the same with the baby-doll carriage. Swimming in a pool is a wonderful activity if you have that available,, as are horseback riding and bowling. Mini or full-size trampolines are excellent for providing sensory input as well. Make sure the child is using them safely. Sandboxes or big containers of beans or popcorn kernels can be fun play-boxes too if you add small cards, shovels, cups, etc.
ERRANDS AND APPOINTMENTS: Before visiting the dentist or hairdresser try deep massage to the head or scalp (of tolerated), or try having your child wear a weighted hat. Try chewy foods or vibration to the mouth with an electric toothbrush. Let your child wear a heavy backpack (weighted to their liking with books and with the straps padded as needed). Be sure to give the child ample warning before any changes in routine or any unscheduled trips or errands. Many children with SPD need predictability.
OTHER GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE HOME:
~ Keep routines and possessions organized.
~ Be consistent with rules and consequences.
~ Keep an activity schedule or calendar posted.
~ Create specific routines for troublesome times of the day (bedtime or getting ready for school).
~ Discuss upcoming anticipated changes in routine at a point in time that is beneficial for your child. You will have to experiment with how early the child "needs to know".
~ Try to indirectly use your child's sensory preferences for fun rewards to help you handle behavior. For example, having your child work towards an extra trip to go bowling or horseback riding may be helpful. However, try not to restrict movement activities when you child is being disciplined. For example, taking away recess time or playground time for not sitting at the table appropriately during dinner may not be the most effective way to deal with these issues. Your child may need movement time, and by removing it, his or her behavior may actually become more difficult later.
Try some of these suggestions and let me know if they work for you. I'd love to hear feedback if you do them. I would also love any tips that you can offer on how you deal with your child's tantrums, behaviors, etc.
Wednesday
Our experience with Therapeutic Listening!
A week or so ago I told you all about Therapeutic Listening and that children with SPD, among other things, can benefit from it. I also told you how it can make your child sick if not done properly. TL is very strong and should not be fooled around with. Well now I have my own proof to that.
Last week Little Man was at his weekly OT appointment. After about a half hour he and his therapist came out and she told me he had thrown up. He was white and when I say white I mean he was as white as rice! You could tell he didn't feel well. His therapist, who I really like, said that she thought it was because he was in the swing while doing the TL and was in it too long. I felt so bad for him and so did she. But after about 20 minutes, some water on his face, some water to drink and some down time he was back to his normal hyper self.
This past Monday Little Miss had an awful day! She was throwing tantrums, having major meltdowns and was very clingy, screaming and crying, etc. and so on. Nothing I did made any difference so I decided to sit her at the table with her TL headphones on and give her a sensory activity to do along with it. After about 10 minutes she was done. The strange thing was she was worse then she was before. I finally had to put her in her crib because I was afraid she was going to hurt herself (she bangs her head against things when she gets in one of these meltdowns.) After about 5 minutes I got her out of her crib and sat her down for dinner. She ate and ate and ate! All together she had about 4 kid sized plates of pasta, applesauce and cauliflower. She was an empty pit that wasn't getting full. She has been behind in communication but has been getting better with ST, OT and DT so she is saying some new words and new signs.
I spoke with her OT about it yesterday and she said that is was probably because she was so hungry and didn't know how to tell me and the music made her stomach hurt. Well then I just of course felt terrible! So now we are working on the "eat" sign! So my whole point is that even if your therapist helps you with TL and tells you what to do you need to be very observant of your child so that if they begin to feel sick you notice and stop the music. Having a child with sensory issues and having them not feel well equals major meltdowns!
This is my first hand experience with TL and my kids being overwhelmed by it. Please be careful when you do TL with your child(ren). Don't ever attempt TL on your own without the supervision and advice of your therapist!
For those of you that already do TL with your child(ren) here is a small list of things you can let your child do while listening to the music to give added input.
Sensory play activities to pair with headphones and music:
~ Washing cars in a basin or bowl
~ washing babies in a basin or bowl
~ yogurt or pudding paint on paper, mat or themselves
~ magnets on a pan
~ sorting balls, cereal, etc in muffin tins
~ markers, crayons and paper
~ bingo dabbers
~ puzzles
~ necklaces made out of cereal
~ hide small beads in some playdoh and let your child go through and pick them out and sort them however you want.
Do you have any more suggestions that we can add to this list? Please leave your suggestions in a comment!
Last week Little Man was at his weekly OT appointment. After about a half hour he and his therapist came out and she told me he had thrown up. He was white and when I say white I mean he was as white as rice! You could tell he didn't feel well. His therapist, who I really like, said that she thought it was because he was in the swing while doing the TL and was in it too long. I felt so bad for him and so did she. But after about 20 minutes, some water on his face, some water to drink and some down time he was back to his normal hyper self.
This past Monday Little Miss had an awful day! She was throwing tantrums, having major meltdowns and was very clingy, screaming and crying, etc. and so on. Nothing I did made any difference so I decided to sit her at the table with her TL headphones on and give her a sensory activity to do along with it. After about 10 minutes she was done. The strange thing was she was worse then she was before. I finally had to put her in her crib because I was afraid she was going to hurt herself (she bangs her head against things when she gets in one of these meltdowns.) After about 5 minutes I got her out of her crib and sat her down for dinner. She ate and ate and ate! All together she had about 4 kid sized plates of pasta, applesauce and cauliflower. She was an empty pit that wasn't getting full. She has been behind in communication but has been getting better with ST, OT and DT so she is saying some new words and new signs.
I spoke with her OT about it yesterday and she said that is was probably because she was so hungry and didn't know how to tell me and the music made her stomach hurt. Well then I just of course felt terrible! So now we are working on the "eat" sign! So my whole point is that even if your therapist helps you with TL and tells you what to do you need to be very observant of your child so that if they begin to feel sick you notice and stop the music. Having a child with sensory issues and having them not feel well equals major meltdowns!
This is my first hand experience with TL and my kids being overwhelmed by it. Please be careful when you do TL with your child(ren). Don't ever attempt TL on your own without the supervision and advice of your therapist!
For those of you that already do TL with your child(ren) here is a small list of things you can let your child do while listening to the music to give added input.
Sensory play activities to pair with headphones and music:
~ Washing cars in a basin or bowl
~ washing babies in a basin or bowl
~ yogurt or pudding paint on paper, mat or themselves
~ magnets on a pan
~ sorting balls, cereal, etc in muffin tins
~ markers, crayons and paper
~ bingo dabbers
~ puzzles
~ necklaces made out of cereal
~ hide small beads in some playdoh and let your child go through and pick them out and sort them however you want.
Do you have any more suggestions that we can add to this list? Please leave your suggestions in a comment!
Tuesday
Energetic Kids
Those of you with kids with behavioral disorders probably know the worst punishment you can bestow on your kids and yourself is to take away their physical play time. We try VERY hard to make taking away playing outside and running around Zach's last punishment because if he doesn't get to work off that extra energy it creates more behavioral problems.
Some of the activities I keep on hand for the kids for outside are long and shallow Rubbermaid bins, one with rice, and one filled with beans, a sand and water table, water balloons for the hot days, plenty of differently shaped and textured balls, frisbees, and plenty of sidewalk chalk.You don't have to spend a fortune, just get the kids outside and let them run some of their extra energy off.
Some of the activities I keep on hand for the kids for outside are long and shallow Rubbermaid bins, one with rice, and one filled with beans, a sand and water table, water balloons for the hot days, plenty of differently shaped and textured balls, frisbees, and plenty of sidewalk chalk.You don't have to spend a fortune, just get the kids outside and let them run some of their extra energy off.
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