Author: Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

The Non-Traditional Classroom: Your Virtual Learning Setup

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

School is back in session, and it’s something we’ve been anxious about all summer. Thanks to COVID, we’ve seen a ton of different back-to-school plans and after this past month, we’re starting to see which schools are working and which schools are back to the Zoom drawing board.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends in-person schooling for children as it provides social interaction, physical activity, and emotional aptitude. Face-to-face school also offers access to a variety of learning supports otherwise limited with online classrooms.

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Quick Update: Party of Five

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

On August 13th, our family of three gained two new members with the arrival of our twin daughters, H and K.

We are overjoyed to have these girls in our lives, but make no mistake, it has been exhausting these past couple of weeks. We’re learning the personalities of these babies, constantly changing up our routines, and acclimating our son A from being an only child to big brother.

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My Personal Parenting Life

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them. – P.J. O’Rourke

When my son was born, I had many expectations on how I was going to raise him. Being a pediatric Occupational Therapist, I felt like I had an advantage. I assumed that the troubles and turmoil parents face could easily be solved with follow-through and consistency. I would often hear fellow colleagues tell me, “Wait until you have kids.”

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Baby 101: Class is in Session

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

“There’s no such thing as ready. You just jump on a moving train and you try not to die.” – What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)

When I was pregnant with our first born, my husband and I excitedly prepped for his arrival. We nested, made the baby registry, and even scheduled some birthing and baby courses to be more prepared for his delivery and care. However, all of that went out the window when I went into labor at 27 weeks.

Needless to say, I never got a chance to take a tour of the maternity ward, or find out how to appropriately breathe or push when going into labor, or even know what to do or expect once he was born. It just happened.

This brings up the question, do you really need to take baby courses?

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