At Home
Both Sadnesses
If a child feels the deepest depths of sadness they’ve ever felt, and expresses it by becoming silent, laying their head down on their desk, and silent tears rolling down their face — adults will […]
Articles by The Occuplaytional Therapist
At Home
A Reframe On Threats
A young child whose toy is snatched away might instinctively hit the child snatching their toy. An older child whose toy is snatched might say, “Hey! Give me that or I’m gonna hit you!” Both […]
At Home
Behaviorist Allergy Plan
DOCTOR’S REPORT PATIENT: Kelsie Olds DOB: XX/XX/XXXX CONCERNS: Patient’s family report that the patient is continually making annoying noises with their nose, mouth, and throat. These include: sneezing frequently, blowing nose frequently, making a scratching […]
At Home
Immediate Obedience
Immediate obedience is a fear response. There isn’t immediate obedience when you’re committed to parenting your children without making them afraid of you. Sometimes your kid just needs a second to process what you asked […]
At Home
Would You Have Been Safe?
When you were a child, if you had said, “I’m so mad right now,” would you have been safe? If you had said, “I’m furious—I need a break, get away from me!” If you had […]
Elementary
The Going Through Things Is The Process
When adults ask me for advice, sometimes they’ll ask about a child who’s going through something that’s legitimately difficult. A big life transition (new baby is a common one), a grief or loss, something traumatic […]
At School
Child Development
Tummy Time
Lying in prone (aka on your tummy) and propping up on your elbows to play—even to play electronics!—is important work. It strengthens the muscles in your core. It strengthens and stabilizes the joints that are […]
Other
OPT Study Groups
Starting on June 29, this page will have the “storefront” where you can purchase access to the first launch of OPT (OccuPlaytional Therapist) Facebook Study Groups. Here is the link to the storefront where you […]
Activities
Biggest Marker in the World
When I wrote about my “biggest marker in the world” (aka a Sharpie Magnum), someone in the comments suggested that we could like, tape a marker to a big stick or a big cardboard tube […]