Arousal levels

Idle Hands: I’m Bored

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Mick: So what? You like, knit now?
Anton: Randy broke it down for me. Idle hands is the devil’s playpen. So I’m thinking, you know, keep my hands occupied.
Mick: Nah man, that’s saying’s not…literal.

I’m BORED. If you’ve got kids, you’ve heard it. It’s the household equivalent of “Are we there yet?” And let’s be honest: it’s maddening, especially when they’re surrounded by all the toys, books, and art supplies you’ve curated at their disposal. Not to mention a chore list that’s still waiting to be done.

Recent findings reveal that boredom is a widespread experience among children. In a survey of 2,000 parents with children ages 3 to 12, the average time before boredom set in was just 33 minutes. Notably, 81% of parents reported that their children consistently sought new activities after returning home from school or daycare. Although this survey highlights a persistent need for engagement across age groups, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Continue reading →

Creating a Sensory Diet: Arousal and Self-Regulation

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Arousal refers to the ability to maintain an ideal level of sustained alertness needed to complete various tasks and activities.

In general, we are most productive in a calm-alert state with moments of low- and high-arousal in between.

Every day, our bodies constantly seek out ways to maintain the optimal state of arousal necessary to complete tasks and activities. Sure, there might be moments of lethargy or hyperactivity, but that’s typical. As adults, we have the ability to seek out whatever we need to help us self-regulate (Hello, coffee!).

However, children don’t have the freedom or knowledge to get them to where they should be. So when they are jumping off the walls, are cranky or tired, or just in a complete meltdown, it’s because they have exhausted the mental energy needed to handle stimuli and expected tasks (i.e. focusing on an assignment, completing chores, or engaging politely with others). They’ve simply run out of gas.

So, how can we help our kids self-regulate throughout the day, especially when they are stuck at home?

Continue reading →