About two weeks ago, Bry and I were fortunate enough to attend another parenting seminar by Ben's school. The topic was about Sensory Integration particularly for young children. Our speaker was Lady Suarez, an occupational therapist who tackled how children have different ways in processing sensory stimuli. The goal is for the child to be able to identify which ones are relevant and react accordingly.
Without getting too serious about it, the main point of the talk was to be conscious of the kind of sensory stimulation that you expose your child to and be aware of his / her tolerance level. It is best that children do not become overstimulated so that they can focus on a specific experience. For example, it's hard to read a book while the television is on, etc. Also, the speaker stressed the importance of outdoor play and movement. Most children can actually sit still if you just let them move around and attend to their need for exercise first. Another thing that was discussed was giving children opportunities to practice their imagination and problem solving skills. It is beneficial for them to have activities that challenge them and as much as we can, we should let them figure things out by themselves.
In line with the topic, Bry and I decided to wean Ben from the television while eating. This was hard for us and yaya but we're giving it a shot. We also try not to help him right away when he's frustrated about something. We hope this little steps will help him become more conscious and sensitive of this surroundings and be attentive when given a task.
Any thoughts on how to help your child stay focused? Do share ... :)
It is great that you are attending a seminar aboutparenting and this will help you most with your child. Thank you so much for sharing this valuable post.
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