My relationship with the parents of the children I see for occupational therapy services is as meaningful as my relationship with the child receiving the services. I’ve been an occupational therapist for over 20 years and have seen 3 different parents regarding occupational therapy interventions for children.
Let’s dive into those 3 types of parents and how they affect the occupational performance of their children now.
YouTube Video is totally available too!
Does My Child Need Occupational Therapy?
If you are trying to figure out if your child needs occupational therapy or not. You may be feeling a lot of pressure to make the right decision.
I mean, there are so many different occupational therapy interventions for children, and you may not even know if your child would even benefit from an OT plan.
I’m gonna make this very easy for you. You’ll be able to make the OT intervention decision after I ask you this one question. Yes, just one question.
Which kind of parent am I?
Yup, once you can answer that question, you’ll know what occupational therapy interventions for children are right for your family.
3 Types Of Parents
Disclaimer: All parents want what’s best for their children! Whether the child has fine motor skills, needs help with social skills, or sensory processing.
Parents want to give their children everything they need to be successful. This may include occupational therapy interventions for children, physical therapy, or nothing!
Once you have read about these 3 parents, you’ll ask yourself the above question again.
Which kind of parent am I?
You should easily be able to answer it, and this will help you decide whether your child would benefit from an OT, or if you can help your child on your own.
Parent #1: The Samesies
People can use the saying “the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree” to describe these parents. Their child is a clone of them. The parents and child have the same personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses.
If this describes you as a parent, looking for an occupational therapy program at your child’s school or private practice may be best. Why?
Well, it will be tough for you to work with your child because whatever your child struggles with is probably the same thing you struggle with. You may not have the skills to teach them how to do things correctly.
It can also be very triggering for parents to see their child struggling with the same struggles they do.
This parent often looks for an occupational therapy program or searches for really put-together occupational therapy activities. They will use these to kind of hold their hand through helping their child with the OT activities.
Parent #2: The Opposites
The second kind of parent is the exact opposite of their child. Their child may have difficulty staying organized and keeping track of their stuff, and they may have a very chilled-out, relaxed attitude and just a little scattered. But the parent is the exact opposite. They are not super flexible and are very well organized.
Often whatever skill or skills the child needs help with, the parent has already mastered it.
If this is you and your child, you will most likely get stuck in the mindset of:
“I just don’t get it. Why can’t they get it?”
You may end up just criticizing your child.
Which is never a good thing; read about how to change your perspective here.
You won’t mean to criticize them, but you just won’t understand why they’re not getting it or why they’re having such a hard time with something that seems so easy for you to do.
This parent will want to outsource the occupational therapy interventions for children, just like parent one. They can work with their child if they have a lot of great resources or someone who can hold their hand through the process.
Parent #3: The Flexible One
The third parent is a lot like the second one. However, they are very flexible and chill. They often come at situations like:
“I wonder why is this going on?”
They want to figure out why things are happening and develop a way to help their child. This parent would benefit from OT parent coaching. The OT would give them some great OT exercises to try with their child and walk them through the different results and processes.
Of course, this parent can always outsource a problem their child is still struggling with even after working with them. There are so many occupational therapy interventions for children that a coaching session or course can’t hit on them all.
Check out the different OT coaching opportunities I offer!
Occupational Therapy Interventions For Children
So now you know the three parents I often come in contact with, you are probably able to answer the question,
Which kind of parent am I?
A little easier than before. When deciding which OT interventions are the right fit for you and your child, it’s also essential to look at your personalities.
If you are oil and vinegar, working together may be a challenge.
Kids often dislike “learning” from their parents if they are not used to that type of relationship with them. You’ve probably had the homework struggle where “you know nothing!” and only their teacher knows how to complete the work correctly.
You want this experience to be a learning experience, not a point of frustration for you both.
Occupational Therapy Plan
Once you have decided which path is right for you, start making a plan on how you are going to execute it.
Occupational therapists are a great help, and you should never be afraid to reach out to one. We have so many occupational therapy ideas, activities, and resources and we are trained to pick the best occupational therapy interventions for children. Whether you are parent 1,2, or 3, I am available to help you get started on your occupational therapy journey!
Set Up A Call With Me To Get Started.
