Perfect Timing: Rhythm, Timing, and the Brain

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Timing is everything. For the most part, that statement is true.

Everything we do requires rhythm and timing. EVERYTHING. Think about it: walking, talking, reading this sentence, etc. It all relies on a pace and a pattern to complete them.

We’ve talked in previous posts about body awareness and how it affects bilateral coordination and motor planning, but rhythm and timing ensures that those movements are fluid when interacting with objects and people around us. Most of the time, you hardly notice it until you have a clumsy moment walking or stuttering over your words when in conversation.

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Things We Loved: Rhea Lana

| Patti Webb

Last week, Child(ish) Advice was chosen to be a social media Mombassador for our local Rhea Lana consignment sale. Mary and I look forward to this every season and for the last sale, we even shared some of our consignment tips with you on Instagram.

So since this week’s sale is a very special one for us, we’re doing a whole Things We Love post on why we love consignment shopping with RL.

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Child(ish) Reads: The Family Firm

| Patti Webb

Dr. Emily Oster is one of my favorite parenting authors. Her previous books (Expecting Better and Crib Sheet) come from a very informed, data-driven, evidence-based background. These have definitely made my parenting life easier when I’m navigating all of the different issues, controversial topics, and pitfalls of raising kids from pregnancy through the infant stage. Her latest book, The Family Firm, takes a look at the Early School stage and to say that she has a very different approach is a mouthful.

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In the Line of Fire: How to Handle All Those Why Questions

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

In our last post, we examined why toddlers and preschoolers ask A LOT of questions and shared ways to encourage their curiosity and cognitive development. But from my personal experience (like many other parents out there), patience and understanding during this phase can wear thin. Every now and then, we resort to “I don’t know, ask your father/mom” or “Because it just is,” simply in hopes to make the questions end.

Yeah, we know it’s not the best move and the last thing we want is for our kids to completely stop asking questions all together. So, how can we tolerate the barrage of questions without losing our cool?

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Toddlers and the Power of Why

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

From the weather to why we brush our teeth, it’s almost like they can’t help themselves. It’s been covered in TV episodes and in cartoons. You can picture it even now. An exasperated parent being followed by a super-inquisitive toddler, relentlessly asking “why”.

Research reveals that kids ask around 40,000 questions between 2-4 years of age. Similar studies also found that some 4-year-olds ask about 200-300 questions DAILY. As taxing as their inquiries can be for us as parents, it’s a good thing! Questions and curiosity are good indicators of social and cognitive development.

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