Diana Nyad, a 62 year old endurance swimmer recently accomplished her lifelong dream of an 111 mile swim from Cuba to Florida through shark infested waters. After 5 attempts, Diana has accomplished this incredible feat and shared her wisdom with the world: "You're never too old to chase your dreams."
September 5, 2013
September 4, 2013
Pin the Tail on the OT!
I dream of the day when Occupational Therapy (OT) becomes an
understood profession and is a conversation at the dinner table (“maybe an OT
could help?”). I feel that the internet,
Facebook and You Tube will help this to become so. I love the inspirational videos and stories
that are being posted online. Stories of
people overcoming adversity, showing how attitude and ambition mixed with
creativity can conquer challenges and overcome barriers. I thought instead of talking about OT, I
would show its power.
Watch this video and know that OT is:
- Helping people to maintain a positive attitude, and to have hope, despite personal circumstances.
- Overcoming the “can’t” to become the “did” – no matter what that “did” looks like.
- Showing people how to open the door of a fridge, car, microwave and building when they can’t use their arms.
- Providing equipment to facilitate driving when the traditional steering wheel, gas and break, cannot be used normally.
- Teaching people how to use a computer, and designing a conducive workstation, when their use will be unconventional.
- Designing, sourcing, and providing equipment to facilitate independence in: eating (or dressing, grooming, showering, anything), lifting and carrying personal items, washing a car, or managing in the community.
- Helping people with unique challenges to find a suitable profession, secure a job, and sustain work.
- Creatively solving problems to participation (i.e. riding a bike).
- Fostering mental health through participation, engagement and function.
- Reducing dependency on others through facilitating independence in daily activities.
These are just a few examples. Really, OT is everywhere. Many people actually “OT themselves” by
finding new ways to overcome challenges.
We all might do this every day even if we are not disabled. OT is a great profession – why struggle to
solve problems of function, take longer than needed to complete tasks, rig up
unsafe solutions, or become unnecessarily dependent on others? Consider OT.
We are here to help, and love nothing more than sharing our skills and
knowledge.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
“Let me fall, let me climb. There’s a moment when fear and dreams must collide.”
Josh Groban: "Let me Fall"
Find on iTunes:
September 3, 2013
Homework Help Guide
There is a great debate among parents, educators and the
general public on the validity of homework and whether or not it is too much
for our young children. Many feel that
school work should only be done at school and we should let kids just be kids
once the school day finishes. Whichever
side of the fence you sit on, depending on the school board, individual school
or teacher, homework may be a part of your child's life ... and yours. It is natural and good for parents to be part
of their children's education and helping with homework is a great way to be
involved. However, parents need to know
when to step in and help and when it's time to step back and let your child
complete the work on his or her own.
Homework is a great way to foster independence and self esteem, if you
handle homework time right. The
following article from Today's Parent gives great tips on when and how to help
your children succeed without becoming overly involved.
September 2, 2013
Stress-tember
Apparently September is second only to December on the list
of the most stressful months. Why? Because it is a month of reorganization, a new
schedule, and change. For me personally,
September is a period of “adjustment” as the routines of the summer (or lack
thereof) dissolve, and new patterns emerge.
I always start with the best intentions. I make and post signs to cue my kids to my
expectations of them in the morning and after school. Alarms are set to make sure that people are
getting up, dressed, and to the bus without skipping breakfast. A lunch chart is made (by them, with
parameters of course) so that I can shop for the food they will eat, and know
that most of the stuff I send won’t return uneaten. Closets are cleaned and organized, and their
clothes have been inventoried, shuffled, and replenished as needed. The fall and winter gear have been surveyed
to see what is needed before the first cold-front strikes. My husband and I have had “the talk” about
who is doing what, who is working when, and who will get the girls here, there
and everywhere. Everyone has been
registered for all their fall activities, after checking our calendar and
determining that we, as two parents with four kids, can manage the organized
chaos that is extracurricular activity.
Okay, I see why September is stressful.
There are many ways to try and manage the stress that is
created during this period of transition.
Personally, my planning for September starts in July. Yes, it’s true…our kids are barely out of
school and I am planning for their return.
Similar to planning for Christmas I suppose, being ahead of the crowd
can go a long way. For example, stress
can be reduced when a list of “to dos” is created, and time is set aside, week
by week, to accomplish each task.
Involving the kids in the planning is not only a valuable way to
delegate some of the responsibility, but also a way for them to learn the
skills of organization, and to be part of the return to school process. For example, our kids clean their own closets
and inventory their own clothes, they sort through the school supplies from
last year, and they always come shopping with us for back to school items as
this reduces the returns.
But like joining a gym, these new routines will be difficult
to maintain and it will take perseverance, dedication and effort to try and
develop and sustain the new schedule and any accompanying mental, emotional,
and physical anguish that comes from change.
It will take at least four weeks for the stress of the new schedule to
subside, and for everyone to find their groove.
This is the part I call “adjusting” and is defined as the time when I
get quiet, more focused, and need some extra sleep.
But even more important than planning and organizing early,
is knowing what you are capable of handling, and making sure you do not bite
off more than you can chew. Everyone
varies in their ability to plan, organize, look ahead, and tackle change. If these are struggles for you, then take it
slow, reduce the demands, start early, and ask for help. After all, soon after we survive
stress-tember we be engulfed in the most stressful month of all – dread-cember:
my personal nemesis.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
Harriet Tubman
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