Biting – Is it Sensory or is it Behaviour? Biting in toddlers is a common challenge that many parents face. It leads us to question whether biting is sensory or behaviour based? As Occupational Therapists working with sensory toddlers this is something we deal with regularly. So while this can be a very emotionally overwhelming …
As Occupational Therapists we are often chatting to parents about tips to handle fussy eating in toddlers. This seems to be a common challenge for parents with little ones in this age group. Even babies who were open to trying new solids, as toddlers, can become fussy. Part of the problem is that toddlers are …
Fine Motor Skills and Messy Play As Occupational Therapists we are often asked about the link between fine motor skills and “messy play”. If you have been to one of our GAP Groups, or another baby stimulation group, you would have had loads of fun exploring messy play. As a caregiver you know it’s important …
Discipline and Boundaries with Strong Willed Toddlers As Occupational Therapists we are often asked to advise on how to manage difficult behaviour in the classroom or at home. One of the most challenging times of development to set boundaries and manage behaviour is with toddlers. Below we offer some tips on how to discipline and …
In our previous blog we chatted about the rise in Motor Planning (Praxis) difficulties we are seeing in our classrooms and therapy practice. If you missed this blog, you can take a quick read here https://www.jumpleapfly.co.za/why-are-motor-planning-challenges-on-the-rise/. To better understand how to tackle Motor Planning difficulties, we need to first look at its roots. In our …
Over the last 6 months as an OT Practice working with young children we have noticed an increase in children struggling with Motor Planning. Parents and teachers have been picking up that their children have been struggling more and more in this area. On reflection on why this may be, we suspect that it may …
For any first time mom, bath time can cause a certain amount of anxiety. The thought of letting that precious baby slip through your fingers is terrifying. While some babies love bath time, others find this sensory rich task somewhat overwhelming and their fussing and crying can make this even more of a daunting task. …
The health and bonding benefits of breastfeeding are generally well known, as the overwhelming amount of research confirms this as a “best start” practice for babies. The sensory aspects may be less known, unless you are finding a difficulty in this area is hampering the breastfeeding process. Your baby’s amazing sensory system is very busy …
If you’re a creative mom with high sensory thresholds (in other words you like things brighter, faster, noisier, smellier and blingy-er) then you have to stop and read this blog – learn from my mistakes! I couldn’t wait to paint bright, child-like murals on my new baby’s nursery walls. I loved shopping for bright, cheerful …
Happy Spring Day – 1 September 2018 Can smell really trigger emotions and affect my child’s behaviour? You may be surprised to learn a little more about these links. With spring in the air we thought we would take a closer look at this amazing sense we have been gifted with. What do you …
