Bloom Brightly Therapy

Obstacle course from yesterday that was too fun not to share!! Three swings can be multiple different courses as you change the directions and parameters each time. Plus the lycra swings give that added challenge!
Why I love it:
1. It addresses SO MUCH: balance, coordination, motor planning, problem solving, postural stability, regulation, frustration tolerance, recall of multi-step directions, sequencing, force grading, and more
2. It’s SO MUCH FUN! Where there’s fun, there’s play. Where there’s play, there’s progress.

We all go through sleep cycles and as we come out of a cycle, we actually kind of wake up. We just go back to sleep so quickly that we don’t always realize it or remember. We stir and wake up when we get uncomfortable, need a drink, or need to use the bathroom.

All babies wake during the night. They cry out when they’re uncomfortable, need a diaper change, need some food/drink, or need your comfort and closeness (which is also very much a NEED). A baby may also cry out because they need a little extra support to get back to sleep. This is largely based on your baby’s temperament, NOT based on whether they are “good” or “easy.”

So if your baby cries for you at night, your baby is waking (obviously). If your baby does NOT cry for you at night, your baby is also waking. They’re just not waking you up when they do, either because of their temperament or because they have been trained not to.

There are ways to help support your baby or toddler to fall asleep more independently. But if you don’t mind supporting them and responding to them, there’s NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. And there’s NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR BABY.

If your baby is waking countless times during the night, seems uncomfortable, is snoring, etc. those could be a red flag that something more is going on and I encourage you to reach out!

If you’d like to help your baby or child sleep more independently but don’t feel comfortable letting them cry, please reach out! I’m happy to help!

I need this reminder often while trying to remain calm in my child’s chaos. It’s easy to take it personally or to think you’re a bad parent/caregiver when they’re expressing big emotions, which I believe is very cultural for us.

The bottom line is that emotions are inevitable. They are important and shouldn’t be avoided. They are also not a personal affront to your parenting.