This book appeared on my radar earlier this year. Author Dana Suskind, M.D. just came out with a new title, Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise, and this was one of her previous books listed in her bio. Thirty Million Words was available from my library, so I gave it a try on a work trip in April.
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We are visual beings.
How we assess our environment, learn new skills, or consume entertainment is primarily through our eyes. We rely on our visual system so heavily that many times we don’t need our additional senses (touch, taste, hear or smell our surroundings) to know what’s going on.
So, if our kids overlook important visual details (like putting on a matching pair of socks), or can’t recall what they saw (“Where did you put your backpack?”), or have trouble discriminating between numbers and letters, it can be very concerning to us as parents. About 75% of classroom activities rely on the visual system.
In our throwback post, we learned that visual perception is the total process responsible for receiving and interpreting what we see. It involves visual-receptive (how our eyes move and focus on an object) and visual-cognitive components (how we interpret visual information).
When your child’s visual processing is compromised, we’re quick to assume that they need glasses/contacts or other visual aids. Although that may be the case, other factors can play a role as to why they’re seeing things differently.
We’re all familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Avengers, right? An ensemble of superheroes coming together to stop formidable foes who threaten our world. Well, our sensory systems operate in the same way.
Each sense has their own set of responsibilities but will team up with one another to understand what’s going on around us and how to appropriately respond. This collab is known as sensory integration.
Sensory integration (SI for short, also known as sensory processing) refers to the processing, integration, and organization of sensory information from our body and the environment. This process allows us to participate in day-to-day functions, from self-care to socializing.
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In Tuesday’s post, we explained that sleep is essential. We can’t function without it. We know this already, but it’s way easier said than done, especially when it comes to our kids. But here’s the thing… Sleep is just as important as personal hygiene. You wouldn’t skip a shower (for too long) or stop brushing your teeth regularly. Ergo, the term sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is a series of behaviors and environmental setups that focus on improving the quality and quantity of sleep. As your child ages, these habits may change and evolve.
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The CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), with the guidance of the AAP (the American Academy of Pediatrics), recently changed the developmental milestone checklists. These lists guide pediatricians and pediatric professionals on what would be considered typical development. Although the guidelines needed a clearer and more concise update for parents, some professionals are not happy with the new facelift.
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Child(ish) Advice 