First Play Then Grow - Serenity McEwin - Occupational Therapist

06/02/2023

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ID: Pink banner with large text that reads, "The Double Empathy Problem" with smaller text that reads, "in a nutshell".

There is a cartoon image of a squirrel with a nut on the left and a beaver on the right.

Credit: NeuroWild (https://www.instagram.com/neurowild_/)

02/07/2022

Do your kids know the answer to these 20 questions?

“Children and adolescents who know more of their family stories show higher well-being on multiple measures, including higher self-esteem, higher academic competence, higher social competence, and fewer behavior problems.”

1. Do you know how your parents met?
2. Do you know where your mother grew up?
3. Do you know where your father grew up?
4. Do you know where some of your grandparents grew up?
5. Do you know where some of your grandparents met?
6. Do you know where your parents were married?
7. Do you know what went on when you were being born?
8. Do you know the source of your name?
9. Do you know some things about what happened when your brothers or sisters were being born?
10. Do you know which person in your family you look most like?
11. Do you know which person in the family you act most like?
12. Do you know some of the illnesses and injuries that your parents experienced when they were younger?
13. Do you know some of the lessons that your parents learned from good or bad experiences?
14. Do you know some things that happened to your mom or dad when they were in school?
15. Do you know the national background of your family (such as English, German, Russian, etc.)?
16. Do you know some of the jobs that your parents had when they were young?
17. Do you know some awards that your parents received when they were young?
18. Do you know the names of the schools that your mom went to?
19. Do you know the names of the schools that your dad went to?
20. Do you know about a relative whose face “froze” in a grumpy position because he or she did not smile enough?

Here is one way to start telling and sharing family stories.

11/06/2022

If I had a dollar for every time I have to remind a teacher, “they have a disability that impacts xyz” …. Great read 😢

24/05/2022

Love this little reminder 🥰

Tip Tuesdays
Alright parents, we talk a lot about the behaviour of the kids but let's take a moment and talk about yours....
Some of you may be ready for a little check in, so I made you a chart. That's right a chart for the parents! It's a check in to remind you that your kids take their lead from you. Just like we help the kids track what they are doing here is one for you. You can put whatever is important to you on your list. Writing it down and posting it will help you remember it in the moment when you are not at your best, because you are human and trying to navigate the hardest job of all, being a parent.
PDF of visual posted at www.AffinityConsulting.info

30/11/2021

🙌🙌🙌🙌

19/10/2021

Love these visuals from and
Every person is different, and every child craves different types of attention and affection. Use these visuals to figure out the key to your child’s heart and schedule time for this a few times per week or when you notice they could use a boost. Remember, “the level of cooperation parents get from their children is usually equal to the level of connection children feel with their parents” - Pam Leo. Inject some of your child’s love language into, before or after the tasks they refuse and see what happens ☺️

27/09/2021

Therapists are only human - we make mistakes, we do and say things we regret and wish we could change, we make plans that don’t turn out how we imagined, we have good intentions that may not always appear good. And because we, like all humans, have come from different backgrounds, and had different life and work experiences that shape us, we often have different opinions that may not always sit well. My own therapist has changed my life but have they ever said something I didn’t like? Absolutely. Have I ever left a session feeling annoyed and that maybe I won’t go back? Of course! But then I reality check my expectations - nothing in life is good all the time; so love this reminder from and most importantly if you feel uncomfortable in therapy, have an uncomfortable but most likely positive change inducing conversation with your therapist. Open, honest communication and feedback is key to growth and connection🔑 🌱
**shout out to all the therapists and families navigating telehealth after 250+ days of lockdown**

26/09/2021

words create worlds 🌎 kids tell us all the time “I hate you/this, I want to live with Frankie’s mum, other kids don’t have to do this, this is the worst/stupid/boring”. Audrey tells me at least once per week she’s getting her own house, going to live with her best friend or Nan and Pa, usually because I’ve asked her to eat a single pea with her dinner. Although it’s hard, try not to focus on the words, focus on the feeling behind them and remember that the self-reg part of our brains isn’t fully developed until in our 20s - our ability to regulate comes from thousand of times of being regulated by someone else. When the words are negative it means “I’m having trouble regulating and understanding your perspective. The reason and reflection part of my brain is offline so I choose unhelpful words to try and keep myself feeling comfortable” ❤️ connect before you correct ❤️thanks for this reminder 🙌

24/09/2021

Prescription: something fun every 2 hours!! Withdrawals: 260+ days of lockdown Deposits: crazy, silly, pretend rough and tumble play. Audrey said her favourite thing this week has been me wearing a grandma wig chasing her pretending to be a crazy granny. Thanks .sleep for this great reminder ☺️

21/09/2021

We must always be asking ourselves, “is this how I want my child to handle this when they grow up/with their friends?” Photo credit: .therapist

17/09/2021

Support a wonderful local yoga business these holidays with some free yoga for kids 🙏 🧘‍♀️

These online sessions will be an introduction to mindfulness and a physical practice in strength and flexibility. Classes are suitable for school aged kids.

10/07/2021

A good read if you have a picky eater like me ☺️

When you serve meals and new foods to children is key. Learn about the 5 best times to feed picky eaters (or any get any child) so that they try new foods.