How to Create a Simple Sensory Diet for Restless Kids | Connected Families Episode 30

0:00 hey friends jim and lynn with you again after a very busy week active week a week of lots of changes lots of newness some excitement in that but also some frustration and a lot of uncertainty and worry and it kind of leads me to a place some time a feeling just a little grumpier than usual and we've been getting those sorts of comments and and and requests for help from from parents as well about about this grumpiness

0:29 that's happening and it's not just the kids it's the parents it's kind of all of us but it's focused on the kids so when we get the calls how do I help this child sort through their grumpiness and what's that about and if I don't walk on eggshells just write the grumpiness can erupt into you know a meltdown or an outburst of all kinds so what's going on and what can we do about it well the

0:52 kids are just on the edge we talked about you know it's just so their needs under the surface and we're gonna talk about just some positive proactive things that you can do today to help that to help decrease the stress chemicals and increase that feel-good chemical serotonin which is really what's lacking in a lot of these families so if you hear yourself calling you or your kids grumpy you're so grumpy where we want to invite you to start is

1:19 to consider a reframe of that because that that's a label that's not true it's not how God built you God did not make you grumpy God did not make you for grumpy things God made you for good things for his purposes and we might feel agitated and feel off and we misaligned from God's purposes but this reframe and grace for ourselves when we're struggling and when were agitated and when we just need a break or or need

1:46 to get away is a great starting place but then there's more so just like you give your kids healthy food at regular intervals in the day this is about giving them healthy body cleansing body encouraging activities during the day at regular times I like a sensory diet just like you have a healthy diet so I've heard you say this term sensory diet a lot and I've never really dawned on me that it's like a meal and you can

2:12 schedule it and and that there's even calorie you know there's even a calorie exchange of sorts and and to be thoughtful about scheduling our meals and scheduling our sensory diet are they're equally important mm-hmm so if you're homeschooling in particular to be interspersing recess at key times the day especially before you have a difficult topic to take on one homeschool mom said that she was really struggling with her son over math and then they got in a sleeping bag and he

2:42 went down the stairs climbing up the stairs down the stairs in the sleeping bag and he was just a happy cooperative child afterwards so we're adding that to the everyone at home school curriculum exactly so we've got lots of examples of how that's helped parents I got a text from a mom who they invested in a big backyard because it was continuing to get more and more crabby and irritable in their home and she said my

3:08 boy is back the one there who struggled the most he's been full of joy and all the angsty moments arguments with siblings and hiding in his room have literally stopped well so we've put together a handout for you 60 ways to get kids moving and laughing that can you know maybe you can't afford a big dram or you don't have a backyard but just some 60 ways to get your kids moving and laughing that's gonna decrease those

3:32 stress chemicals and increase the feel-good serotonin Kevin yeah and the first thing I think of and I know it's on that sheet is because I used to love to wrestle with the kids and they used to love to wrestle with me although it was a little more unpredictable and I think if I'm hearing you as a young parent Sears I would be saying to myself well the wrestling is good but make it be predictable schedule it just like

3:54 your schedule lunch schedule a little 15-minute time a wrestle break mm-hmm and get some big muscles going and get things moving yep I remember you saying to the kids I'm gonna have to get chapped and I'm gonna have to eat yeah and then you just chase him down and the fun began yeah even if they were supposed to be clearing the dishes different victory topic yeah so climbing like I said the sleeping bag on the stairs up and you know hide things on

4:22 the opposite level of the house if you have stairs jump and crashes another great activity take the child's bed frame and store it and put their mattress on the floor pile it with pillows give them a step stool turn it into an obstacle course a hot ball is a great thing for kids that you know like a Pilates ball with a handle kid-sized they can take napkins one at a time and and bounce over and set the table and they'll

4:46 probably sit much better afterwards for those of you that have an apartment or any of you that they don't have access to backyard swing equipment you can get a bar that'll go in a doorframe that holds 220 pounds should we get one honey thank you get one for me so we'll include that well we'll include the links to all that also a couple of last things to boost that serotonin massage massage therapies got lots of research

5:16 about that just doing deep pressure back rubs we've got a video about that for you and then the last one is sunshine get the kids outside the sunlight even on cloudy days is brighter than indoor light and it boosts that serotonin so well and that's being proven to to boost immunity big time these days so in summary Lyn what I hear you saying is be intentional be scheduled get your kids sensory diet just like you get them

5:44 nutritional diet yeah it's all part of what our kids need to be regulated so that there's less grumpiness less agitation fewer outbursts and out-of-control circumstances and we hope these ideas are helpful for you if not or if you'd like more information let us know let us know how they've been helpful share this video with friends reach out to us if we can pray for you or support you in any other way and until we see you again god bless