Who Cares? Why Is My Child So Afraid? Why is getting your face wet so important? Safety! In case of an emergency, your child needs to know how to breathe or hold his/her breath under water Once her face is in the water, your child can learn to float. Achieving a horizontal body position is key when learning to swim. Strokes are more hydro-dynamically efficient when the neck is in line with the trunk (i.e. when the face in the water) Being completely submerged underwater, or i

Touch is Calming and Alerting: One of the first ways we relate to our babies is through touch. Certain types of touch calm our babies and other types of touch are alerting. Both calm states and alert states are important for babies at different points of the day. Deep and even pressure, such as a massage is calming, while light tickling is alerting. Providing your baby with a variety of touch experiences will enhance his/her ability to process touch sensation and respond appr

Awhile back, I took an infant massage course with certified infant massage (IM) instructor and physical therapist Esther Perl. Now infant massage is my favorite activity to do with both my kids! Aside from the obvious fact that baby skin is simply delicious, here’s why I love it: For Baby (& Mommy) Communication: Massage gives us a few minutes to strengthen our back and forth communication. Babies are always “talking” to us, and not only by crying. We just need to tune in. Wh

The air is brisk, the leaves outside are changing colors, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It is officially autumn, and your children are well into their second month of school. Although the weather may be getting cooler, it is not time to stay indoors yet. Here are some fun outdoor activities to simulate your children's senses, strengthen their muscles, increase body awareness and sense of body position in space and improve fine motor skills and eye-hand coordina

The winter season is in full swing, and we have already had our fair share of snowfall.  It may be warmer and more comfortable to stay inside, but the snow is a great tool to improve sensory integration, strength, and fine and gross motor skills.  So put your boots on, bundle up, and try some of these fun activities in the snow! Snowman: Pick up large piles of soft snow with both hands and roll them into small and large circles to make the body and head. Use pieces of food su

The winter season is in full swing, and we have already had our fair share of snowfall.  It may be warmer and more comfortable to stay inside, but the snow is a great tool to improve sensory integration, strength, and fine and gross motor skills.  So put your boots on, bundle up, and try some of these fun activities in the snow! Snowman: Pick up large piles of soft snow with both hands and roll them into small and large circles to make the body and head. Use pieces of food su