Author: Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Coffee Chat: Making Mom Friends

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

“I’m sorry, but you need to make mom friends.”

Yes, that blunt statement came right out of my MIL’s mouth following the birth of my son. As abrupt as it was, I understood what she meant. At the time, my husband and I were one of the first in our friend group to have a child.

While friendships are generally an important aspect to our overall well-being (they are one of the most important things in fighting PPD), mom friends are truly unique. Friends with children similar in age to yours are easy to relate to. They can exchange suggestions without criticism or judgment, and support one another while navigating parenthood. As more of my friends became parents, the hardships and blessings also became much more relatable. We would have playdates, hang out, talk about the new ways of living, and do it all again another time.

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Youth Sports and Rec

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

When we first enrolled my son in soccer, we wanted to introduce him to a sport with structure and rules. While it was all fun and games in the beginning (he really liked running around and playing with friends), the expectations shifted from just “having fun” to peers yelling, “Stoffel! Learn to kick the ball!”  

By the end of his second season, he told me he didn’t like playing anymore. From people charging at him when he had the ball to multiple teammates screaming at him to pass the ball, the pressure was a bit more than he wanted to handle. That was fine by us. He’s now in his third year of baseball and has been enjoying it much better. The nature of the sport operates at a slower pace and each player must equally contribute both offensively and defensively, without multiple people in his face to make a play.

As our kids get more involved in youth sports, the expectations change. Aside from learning how to be a team player and to appropriately win/lose/enjoy the game, they are now also expected to practice on and off the field and remain on task for at least an hour (and that’s after a full-day of school). Some practices and games may be late afternoon or evening, interfering with daily dinner time and sleep schedules. And, it only gets later and longer as our kids age and advance their skills and commitment.

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Course Notes: Diagnosis and Reframing Perspective

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

I’m not gonna lie, completing this ADHD certification and writing these posts has driven me down a rabbit hole. “Do I have ADHD? Does my son have ADHD?”

While he is a 7-year-old, his past teachers have mentioned focus issues and recently, he’s been forgetting items to either take to school or bring back home. Is this something I need to be concerned about or is this just an age-appropriate phase?

For Patti, ADHD runs in her family. So even though she does not have a diagnosis, she has been on the lookout for flags since the beginning. You can imagine how these coffee chats have gone between us…

If you suspect your child’s inattention or impulsivity may be more than the norm, or you notice that it’s affecting parts of their daily routine, here’s what you can do.

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Course Notes: Meds and Management

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

This is a good time to reiterate that our Course Notes series is just that. Occupational therapists need to take a certain number of continuing ed classes each year. These classes are geared toward therapists, counselors, practitioners, etc. But from these classes, there is a ton of really great information that I think can be helpful for parents as well. I am in no way diagnosing, prescribing or treating a specific person. Now that that is covered, let’s get to ADHD, Part 3.

ADHD affects how information is taken in and processed due to its alterations in brain structure, neural connectivity, and neurotransmitter levels. These changes impair the executive functions, resulting in difficulties with attention, recall, and self-control. While there is no “cure”, it is considered one of the most treatable conditions out there. So, what are the most effective management treatments out there for child ADHD these days?

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Course Notes: The ADHD Brain

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

ADHD is a neurobiological developmental disorder that impedes one’s executive functions, but what causes it? ADHD has long been a subject of intense scientific scrutiny, from its origins to whether it’s even a real thing (it is, btw). However, with an explosion of research on the topic in the last 20 years thanks to the completion of the human genome project in 2003, we’re getting closer to solving to the riddle of what triggers the disorder that affects millions of children (and adults) worldwide.

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