When we think back on our childhood, a flood of picture reels can come into our heads. Some are warm and heartfelt, while others we prefer not to recall. All of those experiences shape who we become and, in many aspects, how we parent.
Although memory is an instinctive and complex function that involves various parts of the brain, we’re going to talk about episodic memory; memories that feel like you are reliving it as you recall it.
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Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the holiday season, which means family, food, and a bit of frenzy. It’s easy to get caught up in the madness, but a method to ease the chaos is recruiting your little ones to be your helpers.
Just like household chores, children observe in order to understand their environment. In turn, they pretend play, imitating the actions of what they see, including holiday tasks. Take this willingness as an opportunity for your kids to get involved, and even feel a little special. Our kids love to sit on the counter and watch us cook everyday dinner. Can you imagine if we were doing some super-fancy cooking for a party of their favorite family members?
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Know where you stand. We know this figuratively, but how about literally? How do we literally understand where we are and how we move amongst other objects and people in our environment? The proprioceptive system is designed to help us understand our physical sense in this world and how we physically interact with it.
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Listen to your body. We hear this phrase often, especially when we are tired or stressed, as a signal to take it easy. More recently, I’ve been using it during potty training (a whole other post…) to help my son identify when it’s time to start heading to the bathroom. In fact, “listening to ourselves” is an entire system dedicated to letting us know what our bodies genuinely need, from sustenance to sleep, to maintain optimal operations.
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The playground. It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. It’s the place where some find joy in climbing, swinging, sliding, and bouncing. It’s also the place where others see dread at the thought of such madness.
The playground can be a polarizing place. It’s where the movement seekers can challenge their limits. Meanwhile, the movement avoiders look for solace at a nearby bench until it’s time to go home. Why the divide? There is one system to blame and it’s the one that lets us know exactly where we stand in the world.
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