First Child(ish) Reads review of the year!
Today’s post is on Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies That Really Work by Dr. Robyn Gobbel. And of course, it has the magic word: sensory.
Dr. Gobbel is a psychologist with a Masters in Social Work, so this book is all about the neuroscience behind challenging child behavior. It had some pretty lofty goals in the Introduction: to completely change the way you parent. Challenge accepted.
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For the record, not all behaviors are bad. Our kids are figuring out how to navigate their world while simultaneously learning who they are and advocating for themselves. What constitutes challenging behavior is when their actions hinder their ability to learn, complete daily tasks, or engage appropriately with others. While some behaviors occur once in a blue moon, like that total meltdown at grandma’s house, it becomes a problem when it’s consistent (aggression/defiance at grandma’s house, at the store, at school, at a party, you get the idea).
In this post, we’re getting down to the bottom of these behaviors: why they’re happening, why they continue, and how we can help our children manage and reduce them. So grab your magnifying glass Watson, because we got some investigating to do.
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The shrieks! The screams! The calamity of it all!
No, this isn’t a trailer to the newest horror flick. It’s just another day in my house with the kids. *sigh*
Children are not easy obviously, but especially so when their behaviors are on another level. But behind every bit of challenging behavior lies a need that your child can’t quite articulate.
Last fall, I took a CEU course called “Identifying the Root of Challenging Behaviors.” So this week, we are giving you the parent takeaways. This first part on the developing child brain is a lot of what we’ve previously written about, but it sets the stage for how all of these parenting/OT approaches and strategies come together effectively.
Continue readingMy favorite 2023 post was our Treetop Quest playdate review.
I was so excited to find this activity and overjoyed at the mental and physical determination our kids displayed. Mary and I could only help or talk to our kids from a distance. We also couldn’t exactly show or model how to do the courses ourselves. They had to assess the situation, work their equipment, motor plan, and overcome a bit of reluctance. Our kids showed true teamwork, were cheerleaders for each other, and it was impressive. Such a proud mom moment.
Continue readingAs kids enter their elementary school years, they have achieved many (if not all) of their developmental milestones. They feel confident enough in their skills to test their limits, try new things, make new friends, and seek more independence.
This must be the largest list we’ve made to date since there are so many good toys, games, and activities out there that our kids can benefit from.
Here’s our top picks for 2023 for elementary kids, 4 years and up:
Child(ish) Advice 