Challenging & Encouraging Your Child
How do I challenge my child?
Challenging your child is important for learning and skill development. But activities can’t be too hard, or your child may become frustrated or discouraged. Activities can’t be too easy, or your child may not try or become bored. You want to target the ‘just right challenge’. This is when activities aren’t too hard OR too easy for your child.
How do you know what the ‘just right challenge’ is? Start with an activity that you know your child can do and likes to do. Then build on the activity, making it a little trickier. To introduce the challenge, you will first follow and then model:
- Follow: copy what your child is doing.
- Model: add to what your child is doing by showing him/her a new action or step with the same toy or activity.
Watch your child for cues. If the activity is now too hard, you will see disengagement cues. Respond to these cues to adjust the level of challenge.
Your therapy team will provide suggestions on how to make activities harder or easier. Some ideas include changing the object (e.g., size, texture, weight), changing where you present the object (e.g., closer or farther away, stable surface or dangling). Another way to adjust the challenge is for you to be more or less involved in the activity. For example, helping your child move a rattle (physical support) is easier than pointing at the rattle (gesturing).
How do I encourage my child?
Feedback and praise are wonderful ways to encourage and teach your child. The best time to encourage your child is after she/he has had a chance to try the activity. You will find that therapy activities have a rhythm. First, watch & wait. Then, follow & model. Next, let your child perform and play. Then provide feedback and praise on what he/she did. Repeat. This is referred to as a “teaching loop”.
There are different types of feedback and praise you can provide. You can use broad praise, like “You did it!” You can use task-related comments, like “Great throw!” Task-related praise comments on the activity your child is doing. Cheerleading can also be used, with phrases like “You can do it, don’t give up!” What type of feedback/praise you choose to use is up to you and you can see what your child prefers.
Can therapy be fun?
Yes, therapy can be fun! To make it fun, practice will always be done while playing. You and your therapy team will find ways to practice movements while playing. You will use toys and games during therapy. You may even forget you’re doing therapy.
Being playful and creative doesn’t always come easily. That’s okay. As you and your child practice, you will both learn. Your therapy team can help you think of ways to make therapy fun and playful.
What if my child doesn't like therapy?
The beginning of therapy can be hard. Your child may not like the mitt on his/her preferred hand. It can also be very frustrating having to use the assisting hand and arm. This can be hard for both the child and caregiver. Remember, your child will adjust to the mitt, and therapy will become easier. Being consistent will help with the adjustment. Your therapy team will be ready to help you with this adjustment.