I just got a question from a parent that may be on your mind, too: My son loves nature and we’d love to engage him in outdoor therapy sessions. However he dislikes staying outside when it’s cold/windy so I’m a little concerned about him not being able to enjoy the sessions when winter comes. How do you keep it fun and engaging when the weather isn’t nice?  It’s a great question. Let’s get 100% real for a minute:  Nature-based therapists and educators all over the world like to say “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Which is true. (In fact, we highly recommend ..read more

Does your child struggle to regulate their own emotions at times?     Do YOU struggle to regulate your emotions at times, too?   This is a lifelong process. Children need us to give them consistent help with this skill as they grow and mature. It is helpful to have a "go-to" plan for when your child experiences big emotions and needs help self-regulating.    (Because let's be real parents- we don't do our best thinking in these meltdown moments either!) The framework I like to use is based on the work of Dr. Ross Green and focuses on collaborative problem s ..read more

I was a parent for 14 years and an occupational therapist for 15 years before I read the book “Mindset” by Carol Dweck.     It changed everything for me- my inner self-talk, my parenting, my work as an OT with children, my teaching, my marriage, my friendships. I do mean everything!   A growth mindset is the concept that skills can be learned with effort and hard work, and that human beings are not “fixed” or static based on innate abilities.     It sounds so simple. But it is life-changing when you apply it to everyday experiences.   In ..read more

Maybe you’ve heard the Alfred Wainwright quote: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” But as parents, do we really believe this? We often worry our children will be cold, wet, crabby, or uncomfortable during their wet or snowy outdoor play.  If we want our children to play outdoors in all kinds of weather, we must take care not to pass along the opinion that there is such a thing as “bad” weather. Framing the play outdoors as exciting, adventurous, and FUN is especially important when the weather is wet or chilly. Our children follow our lead. But that does ..read more

3 Things You Can Do Today to Support Your Child's Emotional Regulation Letter from my daughter in 2008, age 6 My heart broke when my daughter handed me this note when she was 6 years old. For over 11 years now, this note has been on display in my living room as a reminder…. At the time, she had been crying about something (I honestly don’t remember what) and I had been particularly impatient with her. I hadn’t stopped to listen to her, to understand her, or care for ..read more

Tell the truth: do you love ALL KINDS of weather? Or do rainy/foggy/cold/not perfect days prevent you from getting outside to play with your kids? A few weeks ago, I looked at the weather forecast on a day I was scheduled to lead my Con-T-GO Kids OT group: 100% chance of rain. Great. I admit- I wasn’t feeling my usual enthusiasm about going out into the woods to lead the group that day.  I reluctantly put on all of my rain gear - boots, rain pants, lots of layers, waterproof gloves - packed my backpack, and drove to our meeting spot while the rain came pouring down in droves.The kids in my gro ..read more