Adventures that include multiple layers of senses help children learn about the world around them. They can then assess whether they feel safe around that particular noise, taste, texture, smell and more. Emotional maturity starts in infancy when they are establishing what and who they can trust through sensory exploration.

Feeding time is an amazing opportunity for bonding. This is the beginning stages of the essential nurturing relationship between caregiver and child. This bond helps establish feelings of safety. When an infant or child feels safe, they have a better foundation to cope with unexpected events.

A newborn goes from a safe fluid filled environment to a multitude of new and unexpected experiences. Here are just a few things to consider if you see skin issues in your infant.

A good lip seal from the newborn tells your body a more accurate measure of how much is needed for each feeding.

Almost every kid wants or has a pair of earbuds or external headphones. Some kids even have noise-canceling headphones to decrease the sensory stimulation so they can concentrate, fall asleep or function through daily activities. Toys that have a musical or audio component to listen to can be good to help with direction following, timing, and rhythm as they move to the beat or command. If you’re working on a child following multiple step commands, timing and rhythm, or just basic engagement with an activity, the toys that make sounds can help.

Visual motor skills (how well your eyes work successfully for daily skills), as mentioned earlier, are best supported when there’s a stronger trunk. This allows the head stability at the base, allowing it the freedom to focus on demands whatever task is in front of them.

The mouth is used for expressions, eating, breathing, and more. The gift ideas below can help children with weak mouth muscles, picky or sloppy eaters, kids that chew on their shirt collar or sleeves, kids that don’t like the feeling of food on their face, or those that would like to learn how to whistle or blow up a balloon.

Strengthening the hands can help kids have increased independence during daily tasks like opening toothpaste, zipping zippers, and tying shoes. The following gifts can also help kids with school tasks like coloring, pencil use, and fine motor finesse with STEM activities.

Here are some gift ideas to help.

Kids that are wiggly and on the move all the time can benefit from presents that give them the independent ability to safely move their body. In this article are some ideas.

The rule of thumb is to meet the needs that you see in their body movements by allowing them safe opportunities to explore and move. Kids will learn best in an environment where they feel the safest.

Knowing the body and the words that go with it is called interoception. Looking at games that talk about feelings and the different systems of the body is always important when giving kids empowerment to talk about their needs. The feeling of needing and knowing when to speak up to use the restroom, the feeling to know when they are thirsty, the feeling and knowing when they are upset, and to speak up for themselves or tell someone they are hungry. Some kids’ persistent meltdowns can occur because they don’t have the words or know the feelings they are having. A feeling of safety to express themselves is the key.

The first patterned movement after birth is breathing. Our bodies do it automatically in a particular rhythm until our state of awareness changes. It slows down when we sleep and speeds up when we exercise, and can momentarily stop when we get scared or frightened. It is difficult to breathe when we have a stuffy nose, chest congestion, or just smell something rotten. During times of stress or high anxiety, some people hold their breath which makes the pattern irregular.

The rhythm of a beating heart changes according to what activity we are doing. Our heart is a muscle that we need to keep strong through movement and moderate exercise. Kids running, jumping, playing, riding bikes – whatever they are interested in that keeps their bodies moving and heart pumping.

Did you know that the average person’s GI tract (colon) is approximately 30 feet long from mouth to the end? The rhythm of life in the world of digestion can certainly be disrupted if things aren’t moving at a regular pace.

There can be so many reasons as to why our GI tract may be moving slowly. The foods we eat, stress levels, not enough water intake, and medications can all contribute to that. It can be a challenge with kids who don’t have the words yet to let their parent or caretaker know when they are feeling uncomfortable due to poor bowel regularity.

Most of us have a daily rhythm of self-care through activities such as brushing our teeth and hair, and taking a shower or bath. These are things we teach our children from when they are young. Our schedules get busy, but those are usually the self-care acts considered a necessity.