14/09/2022
Are you struggling because modern life is simply not designed for wriggly toddlers? 🫠
🤩 Sure, it would be *ideal* if we could always plan for life to perfectly match their need to move... but that isn't reality! 🦄🤥🥸
😎 Instead, let's adjust the expectations of our children, AND the expectations of ourselves.
Here are 4 things we can do to help things go *as smoothly as possible* when our wriggly kids have to sit still for a meal out, worship service, car or plane trip, etc.
🐒 The most important step is to be really honest about what your child is developmentally capable of. The best thing you can do here is to UNDERESTIMATE how long they can last! Plan for their worst day, not their best. If other people's expectations are likely to be a problem (which they often are 🙄) make sure to let them in on what to expect & what your plan is.
🐒 Factor in ways to give your toddler LOTS of big, whole-body movement before they have to sit still, to fill their physical/sensory "cup". Remember: movement is how young children regulate their emotions!
🐒 Have fun, engaging items on-hand to capture their attention while they sit. Ideally include options that they don't usually see or get to use, but remember that the most engaging option might be your environment: if cutlery, talking to a stranger, or exploring the seat-back tray capture their interest, go with it!
🐒 Small, in-seat movement & sensory input can give kids a little of what their body needs in order to prolong the time between proper breaks. Squeezing, pushing, pulling, and even eating crunchy foods can be helpful: just make sure to do it *before* your child gets restless!
🧡 Share this with someone who needs it, and if you have go-to activities for *sitting still*, pop it in the comments for other parents who might need it! 🪑🪑🪑
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