You see, just as we all have different voices, hair colors, thoughts and opinions; each of us has our own unique sensory makeup
too. Think about it, We all have our favorite smells, tastes, and
activities that “fit” with our sensory systems. Some of us love busy
crowds, some of us can’t stand loud places. Some of us chewed our
pencils as kids. Some of us were even biters in preschool. Some of us
love spicy foods, while others can’t stand the slightest tingle. Some of
us loved to be tickled, while others wouldn’t wish it on their worst
enemy. This makes us who we are.
These are our “sensory preferences”.
To make things even more confusing, our sensory preferences can change depending on the time of day, our mood, how much we’ve had, if we’re sick, and for lots of other reasons.
Can you see how understanding these “sensory preferences” could change the way you parent? So the next time your child is banging on pots and pans and it starts to send you through the roof and all you want to do is scream… now you know why! They crave loud noises. Send them to a place where it OKAY to make those loud noises.
The next time your kid starts to smash and crash into everything, you don’t have to lose your temper and tell them to stop. Instead, you can recognize their sensory needs and suggest the trampoline or animal walks instead.
It changes your perspective. It opens your eyes and allows you to see what your child needs, what they are trying to get out of a behavior, and more than anything it helps you understand the WHY behind so many of those baffling behaviors.
I bet when you had your first born, you read all the parenting books you could. Heck, you probably even read the book all pregnant first-timers read. Now that your child is older, it is no different. Learning about sensory processing and how it relates to all children can truly be a game changer for you and your children.
Can you imagine the empowerment you could give your child, if they could explain to you what they prefer and don’t prefer? What if they could tell you why they hate their socks? What if they could tell you why they can’t stand Aunt Suzie’s house? What if they could tell you why they can’t sit still?
All kids learn and play more successfully when their unique sensory needs are met. And all kids benefit from having access to knowledge about the way their bodies and sensory systems work.
These are our “sensory preferences”.
To make things even more confusing, our sensory preferences can change depending on the time of day, our mood, how much we’ve had, if we’re sick, and for lots of other reasons.
Can you see how understanding these “sensory preferences” could change the way you parent? So the next time your child is banging on pots and pans and it starts to send you through the roof and all you want to do is scream… now you know why! They crave loud noises. Send them to a place where it OKAY to make those loud noises.
The next time your kid starts to smash and crash into everything, you don’t have to lose your temper and tell them to stop. Instead, you can recognize their sensory needs and suggest the trampoline or animal walks instead.
It changes your perspective. It opens your eyes and allows you to see what your child needs, what they are trying to get out of a behavior, and more than anything it helps you understand the WHY behind so many of those baffling behaviors.
I bet when you had your first born, you read all the parenting books you could. Heck, you probably even read the book all pregnant first-timers read. Now that your child is older, it is no different. Learning about sensory processing and how it relates to all children can truly be a game changer for you and your children.
Can you imagine the empowerment you could give your child, if they could explain to you what they prefer and don’t prefer? What if they could tell you why they hate their socks? What if they could tell you why they can’t stand Aunt Suzie’s house? What if they could tell you why they can’t sit still?
All kids learn and play more successfully when their unique sensory needs are met. And all kids benefit from having access to knowledge about the way their bodies and sensory systems work.
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