Okay, the time is here! We have prepared our child as much as we can for the upcoming events for the holidays. But, now that we are here, what can we do if it is not going as planned?! Don’t stress, we are here to help with these tips! And remember, kiddos can feel and read how we are feeling. The calmer we remain in these situations, the calmer they will be!

The holidays, magical they say. A time to relax and enjoy time with family, decorate the home, play with cousins, open gifts. Oh…and also, tolerate lights everywhere, new people/crowds, busy environments, changes in routines, food changes, changes in sleep schedules. While holidays can be a very exciting time, for many families, holidays also come with challenges. Here are some tips to help!

Tummy time can never be stressed enough! It is something that can be very hard to work on, especially when your child doesn’t tolerate it. If your child doesn’t tolerate lying on the floor try using a Boppy pillow on their chest, laying with your child on your chest, or even flying in your arms like Superman! Tummy time allows your infant to strengthen muscles that are important for rolling, sitting, crawling, and even walking. Infants typically cry during this time because it is HARD and can be uncomfortable, but don’t stop trying!  It is also important to note that the order at which your child develops motor milestones matters as each one builds on the skill prior. Each skill is important for developing specific muscles and movement strategies and each milestone should be met before moving on to the next skill (please don’t skip crawling!!!). If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s gross motor development, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’re here to help you.

Gross Motor Milestones Video

People are often told that children will grow out of clumsiness. However, this is typically not the case. Decreased coordination is unlikely to improve without being treated. So what are some ideas for improving coordination? Jumping skills, ball skills, animal walks, sports, and multi-tasking are all great ways to challenge coordination. Try breaking up tasks into smaller steps (e.g., with jumping jacks only starting with the feet or hands). Give your child room to fail and learn to correct themselves. Remember, this can be very frustrating for both you and your child to work on, so make sure to make practice fun and engaging for everyone! The videos show more ideas on how to challenge coordination.

Coordination Video

Balance is something that is super important to keep your kids safe. There are 3 different systems involved in balance: vision (see), somatosensory/proprioception (feel), and vestibular (hear). Because of this, balance becomes harder when we stand on uneven surfaces, close our eyes, and move our heads. Some ideas to challenge balance at home are standing with one foot on a step stool, walking across or standing on couch cushions, standing on one leg, standing with one foot in front of the other, playing soccer, and walking on curbs. The videos show other activities we’ve used in the clinic.

Balance Video

The order at which your child develops motor milestones matters as each one builds on the skill prior. Each skill is important for developing specific muscles and movement strategies and each milestone should be met.

Did you know that infants can develop flats spots on the back and sides of their heads if they don’t do enough tummy time each day? Yes, it true and it’s recommended that infants work up to 80 minutes of tummy time each day. To find out more on how to prevent flats spots on the head of an infant, what to do if your infant has developed flat spots and how flat spots can affect the eyes and ears, please check out this 3-minute video by physical therapists Ann and Hailey.

TOPS Tips video on Tummy Time and Flat Spots

Now that it’s time to ditch the winter boots, let’s talk about what makes a shoe a good shoe to support your kiddos. Having a supportive shoe that fits your child appropriately sets the foundation for good movement while they are playing and exploring outside and in the community.

Click for tips on how to help those kiddos learn to tie their shoes!

Did you know that a preschool-aged kid needs to hear a word 500 times before they will begin to use it? Whoa, that's, like, a lot of times. So, how can we help our kiddo's learn all of these words? In this video, speech therapists Kaitlin and Eva demonstrate a couple of techniques called modeling and recast & expand. They will show you how you can use these techniques at home.

TOPS Tips video on how kids learn new words

In a follow-up to an earlier blog about using books as a tool to developing language in a young kiddo, Speech Therapist Rachel and her lovely assistant demonstrate how fill-in-the-blank books such as "Do Cows Meow?" help with language development. If your child is just starting out, books that require animal sounds are great because kiddo's generally learn animal sounds before they learn words. It's important that as you read the books that whether your child makes the correct sound or not, you repeat the sound so that they can hear it. Repetition is key to aiding in language. You can also use simple word books as well. Simply read the sentence but don't say the last word and let your child say it instead. Let us know how you do!

TOPS Tips video on how to use fill-in-the-blank books to develop language

Managing emotions can be a challenging concept for families. Everyone is different so the first step is to start by first discussing what emotions are and teaching them what they mean. This can be done through pictures, videos clips or even acting them out once you and your child are calm. It's only when there is a base understanding of what emotions are that you can then move forward on learning how to manage them. The second part of the video covers the tips and suggestions for helping you and your family manage emotions. Remember, you may need to take these ideas and tweak them until you find what works for your family. And feel free to share those ideas with us as well!

TOPS Tips video on how to manage emotions

The return of the school year can be a time of excitement and anxiousness. Thankfully we have occupational therapists Celia and Chelsey here with a few tips on how to help your kiddo's (and maybe even their parents) prepare for the return of the school year. Adjusting sleep schedules now, revising your morning routines and attaching fidgets to backpacks are just a few examples of some actions that you can take to help the child in your life ease back into their school!

TOPS Tips video on how to prepare your kids for returning to school

In this video speech therapist Rachel demonstrates how using books to read with a young child can be used to help develop language skills. Mimicking a child and then adding on to what they say so that they mimic you is a great way to teach new words and expand vocabulary. As shown, Rachel is describing what's on the page of the book and they her daughter is repeating what she says. It's another little twist that can help with learning and can even make bed time a bit easier by changing up the routine!

TOPS Tips video on how to use books to develop language

In this video, occupational therapists Chelsey and Michaela give us a lot of tips to help our kids go to sleep. While there is no magic formula for it, there are many different things we can do to help them fall into dreamland (spoiler alert, one of them is no screens before bed). So, please take 2 minutes and check this video out, it may just make sleep better for you and your kiddos!

TOPS Tips video on how to help your children sleep!

Would you consider your child a risk taker or someone who does not seem aware of risks? They might fall more frequently or fall on purpose, seem lost in space, and/or never stop moving or crashing. Children like this struggle with safety awareness and can make fun outings like the playground and pool stressful for parents and caregivers.

In this TOPS Tips video, physical therapist Lindsey talks about the importance of crawling. Crawling is an important pre-cursor to walking because it builds body strength, arch strength, helps visual development and coordination of both sides of the body. Generally speaking, infants should be crawling around the 9-10 month mark. Please check it out for more information about crawling and find out if you will be able to determine if your child will be a world-class athlete by when they start crawling (spoiler - you can't).

TOPS Tips video on the importance of crawling

In this video, speech therapists Eva and Heidi talk about word loop lists, how they are used in therapy and how they can be used at home. Have you been assigned some speech homework by a TOPS Therapist? Here's an example of how you can easily integrate the homework into everyday tasks and get a passing grade from your child's therapist!

TOPS Tips video on how to use a word loop list at home

Finding yourself stuck inside with the kids due to the weather, a quarantine or even because of a scary squirrel that has camped out near your door and you are scared to go near him (who isn't no one knows hat squirrels are thinking)? Well, Occupational Therapist Mallory and Christine have you covered. This video is almost 5 minutes but it gives some really good ideas for getting kids moving indoors, getting them the sensory input they need and keeping the caregiver sane. How to make a crash pad, why chewy foods are best and what in the world is a hotdog roll activity? Check out the video and find out about these and so many more ideas for you!

TOPS Tips video on sensory activities for children