Robin and I talked tonight regarding some new directions we are going to go with this blog. We have both had our children on a ND program for the last 4 years. We have both reached out to physicians that are willing to treat our children bio-medically. We have realized how alike yet how different our girls really are. In the past 4 years we have probably talked every day searching for new ideas on how to handle roadblocks, how to make therapy appear fun, how to hold our chin up when faced with struggles, how to balance life between nuerotypical children and special needs, and how to help someone else with their current struggles.
We quickly came to realize that everyday was a different path and a different mountain to climb. Sometimes a slight incline and others Mt. Everest. No matter the climb, no matters who's journey it was, we made a silent pact 4 years ago to never walk away from fear. Along our journey we have met some amazing families. For some it is DS, others Autism, or Sensory Processing, or a learning disorder and then there are those that just can not put their finger on it. We have now grown into a small group of mothers that text, message and call each other regarding struggles, opinions and new ideas.
We decided the ideas we share among ourselves could certainly benefit someone else. The teaching methods that we discover today with our older children can be revisited in a couple of years for our younger kids. We will be opening this blog to guest bloggers in hopes of gathering as many ideas as possible to make your job as parent, teacher, counselor, advocate, therapist and researcher easier.
We will not share parts of our ND program on these posts. ND programs are child specific and what is right for one may not be right for another. If you are not currently on a ND program I strongly encourage you to reach out to one of the following neurodevelopementalists.
Let us move on to why you are reading this particular post. Nightly Rituals...Make It More Than Bath And Bed
Not one of our nightly rituals but certainly a great chore for all ages....LAUNDRY!
We just returned home from a trip so it was added to our "To do list" tonight.
We just returned home from a trip so it was added to our "To do list" tonight.
- Emma's job is to put clothes in the appropriate basket which involves reading the the label, following direction and staying on task.
- Olivia's job is to decide where each clothing item belongs, relay that information to Emma and ensure Emma is following her direction.
- They both help take the clothes to the laundry room and put the clothes in the washer. It is Olivia's job to set the washing machine on the appropriate settings and start the wash.
- Grant's job is to hang and help fold. He will point out that his clothes are first priority when he has a load to hang dry.
My labels originally were: whites, lights, colors and gentle, but light and whites sounded too much alike for Emma so Chad changed it to gray. Works out perfect now.
Next we were off to bath. Each bath consists of Epsom salt and lavender for detoxing and relaxation benefits. I try to have the girls stay in the bath at least 20 minutes to get the full benefit from the soak. If it was a day that involved swimming in chlorine I will add vitamin c to the bathwater. Wellness Mama put together a great post on the Health Benefits of Magnesium Salt Baths. Here is a great article regarding the importance of removing chloramines after swimming.
After bath I apply coconut oil to their skin while applying deep pressure. It is also a great time for Emma to practice dressing herself. Check out Andi Durkin's post on the benefits of coconut oil.
Next it is time to feed the baby, give the baby a bath, put the baby to bed, sing to the baby and clean the dishes.
Olivia and Emma choose the songs for the night. Tonight it was the ABC song and Finger Family. This is also a great time to sneak in some processing.
Next it is time to get clothes for tomorrow and take them downstairs.
Both girls gather their outfits for the next day and place them on a chair downstairs. So so many lessons taught in such a short period of time.
When I have a sound sleeping Emma in her bed I take a little over 10 minutes and do rhythmic therapy. Learn more at Move Play Thrive.
I turn on Emma's classical music and her essential oil diffuser and fill the air with Idaho Balsam Fir which has been known to enhance the production of hGH and reduce levels of cortisol.
Each night, after they are resting comfortably, I quietly enter their rooms for a prayer focus with a matching verse.
Tonight I prayed for kindness.
Loving Father; as (Grant, Olivia, Emma) comes in contact with new people in his/her life, may he/her treat them as a friend. Help (Grant, Olivia, Emma) to love, accept and show compassion for the people he/she encounters.
"Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Luke 6:31
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