Lee Maitz OT in Yamba, New South Wales | Medical and health

Lee Maitz OT

Locality: Yamba, New South Wales

Address: 2/4 Moongi Place 2464 Yamba, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.leemaitzot.com

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25.01.2022 WAIT. Waiting provides our children with: Time to focus.... Time to process. Time to respond. Time to plan and organise. Time to problem solve. Time to have a moment to reset. Time to have a try. Time to not get it right. Time to reflect. Waiting also tells our kids that they are capable and that we believe in them.

25.01.2022 WANDERING AND WONDERING As children feel more secure in their body they become curious about the world around them. This curiosity leads to exploration and exploration leads to an abundance of opportunities to move in different ways, experience different sensations and overcome obstacles along the way through problem solving, laying the platform for higher levels of development.... May you find a place to wander and wonder today.

25.01.2022 RESILIENCE Spend quality time with kids. When they feel loved and supported, children develop emotional strength. Some great things to consider in this little infographic by @tutordoctorglobal

24.01.2022 SECURITY THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS In order for children to be curious to move, explore and interact they need to feel safe and secure in their body, in their relationships with caregivers and in the world around them. May we provide our children with opportunities to be curious and support their journey with comfort, encouragement, reassurance and belief.

23.01.2022 BEE-YOND EXCITED to add these wonderful little ‘Bee The Change’ kits to our little store Perfect for emotion regulation, mindfulness, motors skills, sensory experiences, nurturing and compassion https://leemaitzot.com/the-whole-child-store/bee-the-change

21.01.2022 GATHERING AND CREATING Gathering loose parts, whether it’s sticks, leaves and gumnuts from nature or bits and pieces from around the house, and creating with them, is a crucial piece of play development and social skills development. As children gather and explore each item they begin to understand the possibilities for play, building a library of all the things they can do with these items- IDEAS!... They then begin to PLAN these ideas- sequencing, organising and problem solving. They are then able to reflect and EVALUATE- was it a success? If not, what went wrong? And then back to the library of items and ideas they go.

21.01.2022 SATURDAY RESET This morning was a tough one- lots of emotions, tiredness and dysregulation- so today was about rest, resetting and connecting to self. We decided to open up one of our Bee The Change Kits by @seeds.for.tomorrow and planted our little bee-friendly seeds and made our beautiful little bees wax candle (thanks @_dimity_ for the pine cone inspiration) and it was the perfect way to slow down and be present.... Oh and you can’t have a honey dipper and not dip it in the honey for fun You can check out the little kits here: https://leemaitzot.com/the-whole-child-store/bee-the-change

20.01.2022 SPONTANEITY + ADVENTURE The routine of the school weeks and terms serve us well- it’s predicable and structured and ensures things flow smoothly. However, there’s something to be said about spontaneity and adventure, the unknown and the unpredictable- novelty, excitement, collaborating, problem solving, resilience and wonder ... Who’s keen for a Sunday adventure?

19.01.2022 OUT OF THIS WORLD These sweet little galaxy stamp sets arrived yesterday, along with moon playdough You can get them separately or I’ve bundled them up with some sparkly galaxy bio glitter ... Perfect for little hands, sustainable and screen-free, these little sets support: Fine motor skills Visual-motor skills Sensory input Exploratory play Mindfulness https://leemaitzot.com/the-whole-child-store/stamp-sets

17.01.2022 RESET REFILL RESTORE As parents, therapists, carers, educators, and supporters we are naturally wired to give, to nurture, to love and care. And these are all incredible qualities- these are the qualities that provide security and safety in our children, paving the way for them to thrive.... However, as we give and nurture and love and care we can often forget, or not prioritise or not give ourselves permission to nurture, love and care for ourselves, depleting or imbalancing our own stores, leading to fatigue, exhaustion, stress, haziness and even resentment. Sometimes, our giving is so deeply wired and on autopilot that we are not even aware of it. So I just wanted to check in and remind you to check in with yourself? How are you feeling? How full (or empty) is your cup? Do you need to RESET your WHOLE self? REFILL your cup? RESTORE balance? I love to surf, paddle, hike and just BE in nature- what are your go-tos to get back in balance?

15.01.2022 MAGIC & MIRACLES Children naturally find the world magical and miraculous. They are wired to be curious, to find joy in the everyday happenings- a leaf blowing in the wind, a butterfly flitting around the bright flowers of spring, a frog hiding on a leaf.... It is through this wonder and joy that they experience connection, a felt sense that they are their own being in this vast world, and that they belong. What magic and miracles will you see today?

14.01.2022 PLAY FOR GROWN UPS Play isn’t just vital for children. It’s vital for adults too. As adults, we often direct our energy and mental space to the work part of our lives- planning, scheduling and juggling. ... We often carry the weight of responsibility for the people in our lives. We can find ourselves relying on the predictable structure of doing to navigate our days, weeks and months- ticking off items on our to-do lists, going through the motions. But its somewhere in this state of autopilot that we start to lose our sense of being. Life begins to feel unbalanced, exhaustion creeps in and joy and meaning can be lost. To restore balance, experience joy and re-attach meaning to our day to day, we need to PLAY. Whether its singing and dancing, surfing, creating, exploring, doing cartwheels and handstands or going back to our favourite childhood games, we need to laugh, move and feel the lightness of play. What are your favourite ways to play?

14.01.2022 MOMENTS TO REFLECT Providing children with the time and resources to reflect on a moment or experience allows them the opportunity to explore their perceptions of, and emotions about, the experience, ultimately attaching meaning. Reflection can be done in the form of journalling, cartooning and creating. ... Through story-telling and pretend play. Reflection can be gently guided and supported by asking questions or narrating what we see, bringing a child’s awareness to their perceptual environment. Reflection can be simply sitting quietly and providing space for thought.

13.01.2022 SUNDAYS ARE FOR TREE CLIMBING Tree climbing provides an opportunity for kids to take risks, laying the foundation for a myriad of skills to develop- planning and problem solving skills, gross and fine motor skills, sensory processing, balance, bilateral integration, muscle and core strength, visual skills. And, of course, when you get to the top, there’s a whole new world of creatures to find, sensations to experience and sights to see.... Who else loved tree climbing as a kid?

11.01.2022 THE SENSORY- EMOTION CONNECTION Each sensory experience is coded with emotion just as each experience of emotion is coded with a sensation. As we explore nature, we are invited to infinitely explore through our senses, attaching emotion to the experience- this is connection, that felt sense you get when you see an eagle soaring, feel the breeze on your skin, smell the earthy elements, feel the damp soil in your hands, taste the fresh air, hear the kookaburras laugh.... It’s a sense of belonging, a sense that you are home and it is from this felt sense that we can then build connections with others- meaningful, secure relationships along with self-awareness and self-regulation.

07.01.2022 SENSORY TRACKS I love sensory tracks and these shared by @creativeplayideas are next level- so much variety in texture and visual information supporting curiosity and exploration. As our children explore through their senses they develop a perception of their body, the world around them and who they are in relationship to this world, building a platform to connect and interact.... Exploration of texture also builds our perception of what objects can do supporting the development of play ideation. A wonderful platform to support the development of gross motor skills and postural stability. The addition of tools such as paintbrushes and magnifying glass adds a fine motor and visual-motor layer to the activity. Reflecting on the sensory properties of each object- how do the feel, smell, look and sound- adds meaning to the experience.

07.01.2022 Happy Friday everyone

07.01.2022 EXPECTATIONS V’s STATE OF REGULATION Whether it’s covid, term 4 or some other stressor, so many kids are struggling to hold it together at the moment. This article is a great reminder to consider our expectations when kids are under stress as well as acknowledge and allow our own feelings as parents, carers, educators and health professionals.... Have a lovely weekend

07.01.2022 MEANING + PURPOSE = MOTIVATION AND JOY Children will be motivated to do an activity when they attach MEANING to the task. Meaning through WHAT they are doing and meaning though WHO they are doing it with.... With meaning and purpose comes motivation and joy, and the desire to want to be successful over and over again. When considering activities or invitations to play, take a moment to wonder: What are their interests? What sparks their curiosity? What role do I play in the activity- participant, observer, cheerleader?

05.01.2022 WE ARE HIRING If you are an OT (or know an OT) looking for work in sunny Yamba, please get in touch- full time and part time position available https://www.seek.com.au/job/50939311

05.01.2022 BEE MINI PLAYDOUGH KIT More playdough kits arrived today and my favourite is this little bee mini kit Playdough kits are amazing for:... Fine motor skills Visual-motor skills Nature- based Eco-friendly Sensory input Exploratory play Mindfulness Great gift idea Find it here https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TheWholeChildStore

02.01.2022 VERTICAL SURFACES FOR FINE MOTOR SKILLS Encouraging children to play, create and write on vertical surfaces provides opportunities to: Stabilise using the inner core... Strengthen the shoulders and upper limbs Provides proprioception to the upper limb, supporting body awareness Places the wrist and fingers in an optimal position for function Is a fun and motivating way to support the development of the foundations for fine motor skills.

02.01.2022 RUOK? Sometimes in the chaos and busy-ness we lose the connection and awareness of how we are (truly) feeling. Take some time today to check in with yourself.... Ask yourself, how am I feeling? Scan your body- are you holding any tension? Tenderness, stiffness, pain? Tune in to yourself- what is your breathing doing? Your heart rate doing? Now ask yourself, what do I need? Do you need to Rest? Reset? Recharge?

02.01.2022 MOVEMENT AS SENSORY PLAY The social media world is flooded with incredible ideas for tactile sensory play- and rightfully so- tactile exploration plays a significant role in child development. However, movement sensory play is vital for developing a perception of self, physical strength and muscle activation. ... It provides a physical and spiritual sense of who we are and who we are in relation to the world around around us and lays the platform for exploration, growth and interaction. Kids need an abundance of opportunities to swing, roll, bounce, jump, climb, crawl, spin, hop, go under, go over, go upside down and balance. Movement opportunities are endless and we as caregivers are the best vehicles for movement play- try piggy back rides, rolling down a hill, crawling over a pillow mountain, balancing on a log, dancing to music. What are some of your favourite movement games?