Hyde Park Kids OT

11/02/2021

Hey there! It’s been a while since I introduced myself so I thought I’d give it a go!

I’m Maggie, the OT and creator behind Hyde Park Kids OT. The name of my practice comes from my neighborhood of Southside Chicago where I grew up and now help families of children with unique needs find the tools to thrive. ✨

I love working with kids and families, helping them discover their unique strengths, and finding the particular support that they need to make all the difference, because no two are the same. It’s always creative and I’m always learning something new.

One of the new things I added this year was outdoor nature sessions which have been SO fun. Think tree climbing, scavenger hunts, and nature crafts. 😍 They’ve been going strong through summer and fall, but I don’t know how much longer the weather will allow us to keep going-fingers crossed for a few more weeks. 😉

I had to snap this this morning to document one of the last clear cold mornings of play we have and to remember how refreshing having nature as an ‘office’ is!

Happy Tuesday!!
Maggie

07/02/2021

06/01/2021

After a long day of school, a super fun time with friends, or when bored at home, have you noticed your kiddo do some of these odd things? 🤔

They may be working through some feelings (whew! I’ve been sitting all day! OR boy that was fun! OR ugh I’m a little out of sorts!). Turns out, they’re just typical ways that kids intuitively know will help them to get feeling regulated in their bodies! (And actually quite similar to how we as adults do, too we just are a little more hung up on how we appear in public😆).

The trick is to know if and when to intervene.

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to know if what they are doing will work or if they need some support from you!
⭐️ Is it working to calm them?
⭐️ Are they happy or starting to look agitated?
⭐️ Is what they’re doing ok in the setting you’re in?

If YES to all 3, then just sit back and watch the magic happen as your little one shows you what feels best for them and gets back to a calm state. 🧠

If no? Keep an eye out for the next posts with strategies you can help them do to calm down!

05/18/2021

Have you ever thought about the impact that helping your child calm down when they are hyperactive, overstimulated or melting down can have over the rest of their life?

You can give them the tools they will use for years to come! What potential!

Beginning this week I’ll be doing a deep dive into how we can calm meltdowns, hyperactivity and overwhelm in our kids so stay tuned for the tips and tricks.

In the meantime, think about the gift we give our kids when we model and teach these skills!

05/11/2021

Save this post so you can come back to it! 📌

What’s that you say? You want more ideas for ways to strengthen those fine motor skills while doing normal things at home? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered!

Handwriting, shoe tying, and buttoning struggles have one thing in common: weak hand muscles. Want to beef those up? Here’s the best 2-birds-with-one-stone deal ever! CHORES! 🎉

Yep-housework gets done WHILE strengthening little hands. 💯

Scrubbing the counters
Spraying the windows
Carrying in the groceries
Pushing that big ol vacuum

all target finger (and arm!) muscles, which are key for those tricky skills.

Throw a few of these into your routine and you’ll be off shoe-tying (and zippering...and buttoning...) duty before you know it.

Questions? Drop ‘em below👇🏼

Cheers to freedom! Maggie

04/27/2021

So you don’t have time set aside for catching upon those pesky fine motor skills...who does?!

Here’s my number one way to work on those skills with NO extra time, NO reluctance from the kiddos, and NO one even knowing you snuck it in! 🎉

Hand your kiddo a hard boiled egg, a clementine or some pistachios and let them get peeling!

My kids love doing this-even if they don’t care for one of these foods-because it’s just fun. So sit back and watch those little fingers get stronger and more coordinated with every second.

And...that’s it! See what I mean? So. Easy. I’d say that’s a mom win!

04/27/2021

Maybe your child’s handwriting is sloppier than you’d like, or they have trouble with zippers and buttons, or they’re STILL not tying their shoes.

But day after day goes by and there’s never time to sit down and practice! At this point you’re pretty much holding out hope that the Fine Motor Fairy will wave her wand and make it all better. 😜 It sounds ridiculous but as a busy working mom of 2, TRUST ME, I’ve been there.

So how do we get around it? When there’s no time for practice (or you’d rather use that extra time to just enjoy and connect with my kiddos 🙋🏽‍♀️) I’ve found some sneaky ways to get practice in WITHIN your daily routines!

Sound too good to be true? Keep an eye out for the next few posts on how you can (sneakily) do it all. From one mom to another-you’ve got this. 😏👊🏼