Getting Ready to Sit Down and Focus
Here are a few helpful tips on how to help your child increase their regulation in order to better prepare them for the sitting they have to do throughout their daily routine:
- Yoga – There are so many wonderful benefits to yoga including, but not limited to, increasing sensory regulation, body awareness, postural control and balance, strength and endurance, and full body coordination, as well as decreasing stress, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia.
- Breathing Activities – Blowing bubbles, blowing up balloons, blowing through a straw to make an object move, etc. By having your child engage in breathing exercises it can improve their blood flow, increase their energy level, and improve their postural control.
- Get Outside! – Having your child be outdoors has countless benefits to increase their regulation before having to sit down to focus. Some options include playing at the playground, riding their scooter/bike, kicking/throwing a ball around, etc. There are endless opportunities for them to partake in when outside.
- Animal Walks – Bear walk, frog jump, bunny hop, inch worm, and alligator crawl are just a few animal walks to choose from. They can create their own sequence, choose from a couple different ones, or you can create the sequence for them.
- Obstacle Course – Get creative! Do you have a tunnel, something for a child to walk around or balance on, or maybe a scooter or trampoline? Do you have a puzzle they can put together, beads to string, or Legos they can build? You can make an obstacle course for them to engage in.
- Dance Party – What kind of music does your child like? Disney or Kids Bop? Clear some space, crank up the music, and dance! Such a fun and easy way to get their blood moving!
By having your child engage in sensory rich gross motor activities, it allows for their blood and oxygen to move within their bodies and into their brain, which helps increase their focus and attention to a sedentary task. Plus, there are so many other health benefits to encouraging your child to get up and move. Let your child take a break, just make it a movement break, and see what it can do for them!
Eyas Landing is a therapy clinic with a mission to provide evidence-based and family-centered therapy services for children, adolescents, and their families. The primary goal is to deliver relationship-based interventions within the most natural environments and to empower families to reach their full potential. To achieve this goal, our highly educated, compassionate staff dedicates time and expertise to create experiences that maximize therapeutic outcomes. The strength, determination, and perseverance of our clients are evident as they succeed in therapy, and ultimately in their daily lives.
Eyas Landing offers a wide range of comprehensive services including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, ABA Therapy, Social Work, Family Therapy, and Neuropsych testing. Services are provided throughout the Chicagoland area via Telehealth, In-Home, and in our state of the art clinic.
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