At Home
Dysregulation at Home
During one of the recent snow days home, my kids were getting really sick of being cooped up inside and struggling to be able to play with one another successfully. They both needed more space […]
Articles by The Occuplaytional Therapist
At School
“Low Frustration Tolerance”
Imagine this scenario: A seven-year-old with “just” fine motor difficulties (i.e. — no formal diagnosis of any medical/social/emotional condition) wakes up in the morning. He struggles to get himself dressed, because the clothes that he […]
At Home
Rage For No Reason
We came back from the usual 2-week holiday break, and then had school cancelled for an entire week due to snow and road conditions. So, when my kids went back to school yesterday (with a […]
At School
Push Them To Breaking…
(All I’m doing in this post is describing adult/child interactions that I observed, but I want to give you a heads up that it’s kind of infuriating. I think that’s important to share and to […]
Other
Personal
Wishing, and Frustrated For Wishing
We have been through some wild things as a family in our lives, but none of them have strained us as thoroughly as these past few weeks. They’ve been the hardest for our family’s well-being, […]
Personal
A Child Reads YCPOV
(Content warning: This post contains discussion of physical child abuse.) *** When I was nine or so, my family went on a road trip. I read all the books I’d brought with me. Bored, I […]
Elementary
Ten Ways – Toothbrushing
Ten things I could’ve done when my kid didn’t want to brush her teeth… Nonverbal cue: Set the toothbrush down next to my kid. Toothpaste already loaded. Wordlessly. Offer alternatives: Mouthwash, floss, a different flavor […]
Personal
A More Nuanced “What’s Wrong”
One skill that has been really helping me in these past few weeks has been the skill of being able to describe to myself in my head, in detail, what feels bodily wrong when things […]
Kids' Shows
Strange World
I love the movie Strange World. It’s charming, compelling, visually gorgeous, and doesn’t get enough hype. It was my kids’ favorite for awhile like a year ago, but we hadn’t watched it since. I put […]