Navigating Back to School in the Era of COVID-19

The American Occupational Therapy Association offers guidance for helping students engage in occupations while promoting health and safety in school and at home

 

NORTH BETHESDA, MD (July 31, 2020)—Returning to school is a complex event, even in a typical school year. With the COVID-19 pandemic and other social uncertainty, new challenges exist to maintain safety, comfort, and learning for students of all ages. To those navigating these uncertain times, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has produced a Back to School Guide and Back to School Tip Sheets to provide practical suggestions for parents, guardians, caregivers, administrators, teachers, occupational therapy practitioners, para-professionals, and students to promote safe engagement in school-based occupations.

 

“Whether in person, or virtual, the complexity of returning to school requires a holistic approach,” says Varleisha Gibbs, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, AOTA’s Vice President of Practice Engagement and Capacity Building, who has 18 years of experience working in school-based practice as an OT, agency owner, consultant, and occupational therapy educator. “Recommendations must focus on the unique needs of all persons involved—children, parents, and the education team. To expand this focus, occupational therapy practitioners provide an approach addressing the environmental, physical, emotional, and behavioral demands.”

 

AOTA’s Back to School Guide provides support in these various areas of essential needs, including:

• Tips for Teachers: Helping Children and Adolescents Transition Back to School
• Tips for Families: Helping Children and Adolescents Transition Back to School
• Transitions Back to School or to Virtual Learning
• Considerations for Creating a Classroom Partnership Pledge
• Classroom Set-up Tips for Teachers to Promote Safety and Comfort
• Selecting, Wearing, and Caring For Masks and Facial Coverings
• Considerations for Modifying and for Preparing Students for Changes in Transportation Services
• Identifying and Addressing Issues Related to Students’ Mental Health, Behavior and Well-being
• Guidance on Addressing Discrimination and Stigma
• Tips for Supporting Students with Autism

 

“Disruption to familiar routines can cause worry and anxiety in any child or young adult, and the reality is that we need to rethink what social engagement looks like for students this year,” says Susan Cahill, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, AOTA Director of Evidence-Based Practice, who has been an occupational therapist for 23 years, working as a school therapist, special education administrator, and occupational therapy educator. “Wearing masks, sitting away from friends, and meeting up online isn’t what students are used to expecting. The AOTA Back to School Guide includes practical tips and resources to help families and educators adapt routines and create new ones so that kids feel safe and are available for learning.”

 

AOTA’s Guides and Tip Sheets are available individually by topic or as one large document at www.aota.org/backtoschool.

 

Note: This document also contains an overarching problem-solving model that can be used to address new questions as they arise. The Back to School Tip Sheets were developed using this problem-solving model. The information is intended to be used in conjunction with other direction and guidance provided by public health officials; local, state, and federal governments; and school officials, and is not intended to supplant such direction or guidance. 

 

Founded in 1917, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) represents the professional interests and concerns of more than 213,000 occupational therapists, assistants, and students nationwide. Occupational therapy practitioners facilitate participation in everyday living for people of all ages. The Association educates the public and advances the profession of occupational therapy by providing resources, setting standards including accreditations, and serving as an advocate to improve health care. Based in North Bethesda, Md., AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward promoting the professional development of its members and assuring consumer access to quality services so patients can maximize their individual potential. For more information, visit www.aota.org.

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Camp Warner Bros. - Week 6 - Alex & Me Goal Chart and Family Workout #CampWarnerBros

I am loving this so much right now. Over the past few months with school closed due to COVID my kids have done a lot of sitting around. While in school their gym teacher had a weekly form just like this that they had to fill out and turn in every Friday. I was thrilled. They were not but they did what was expected for class. School closed the end of June and they have done very little to stay active. Today when they grab their chore sheets (they have a sheet for every single day which should keep them busy for at least an hour and a half to two depending on the day) they will find this sheet too. I have written two things I expect them to get do and then they can pick a few of their own off the sheet below. My daughter has been doing push ups and my son walks but I love the idea of all of us getting more fit. If they see us working out and we are expected to do it daily it becomes the norm and we can stay on track. 

 

The 411:

Such  is a cute, feel good movie that isn't cheesy. Reagen has a lot of things going for her. She is a great soccer player with the skills and the desire to make it big. Unfortunately she doesn't make the team which is hard for her. Soccer is her life.  She is so upset she starts removing all soccer memorabilia from her room except a poster of her hero Alex won't come off the wall. Reagen falls and hits her head and when she comes to her idol Alex is talking to her. 

Reagen makes it onto a team called The Breakaways thanks to her Dad and Alex training her taking the team all the way. 

I loved how Dad comes forward to help The Breakaways form a solid team even though he was thrust into the role of coach. I also loved how Reagen's brother uses his good fortunate to thank his sister for helping him. Perception is everything and family communication is important. This was very realistic especially in the fact that mom and dad seem oblivious to Reagen's issues because she wasn't really communicating how much she needed more.   Families don't always talk open enough so that everyone is getting what they need.

Some of my favorite scenes were when Reagen was talking or hanging with Alex but no one else saw her. Fun and perfectly kept to a minimum so as not to let Reagen play the fool.

Teaching Social Skills Is So Important To The Adult Your Child Will Eventually Become

I have been familiar with Boys Town Press for a while now and I love what they are doing to help families through love, support and education. Social Skills are important and unfortunately they are mostly taught to children who are on the spectrum but not through mainstream education. My son always had social skill in his therapy sessions, classes, with his teachers and counselors and is the kindest person I know. When I worked in the school I found it odd that social skills which are so important to a happy life are not taught. A mother I made sure to teacher BOTH my children how to be good people, how to handle situations and themselves based on the situation. How will they learn unless someone teachers them. In my mind, it was my job to make sure my children were good people that others would want to be with long after I was gone. 

I guess others would have called me a helicopter parent but that is NOT at all how I saw myself. Often times at the park I saw a lot of children trying to navigate a great big world without any input from their parents who were often engage in adult conversations or on the phone. While their child either hogged swings, wouldn't let others go down a slide, took toys away from other children or just said very mean things. I stayed near and made sure my children knew how to take turns, say excuse me, help someone who needed help, or just use manners when they spoke to people. I sometimes worried that they would think they couldn't do anything right but I gave them freedom and allowed them to make mistakes so that we could correct and talk about it later.  Social skills unlike math, writing, reading, science and social studies are something that will be used every day so why are they not included in educational plans? 

All children should be taught at home and at school how to use their manners, use patience, kindness, how to take turns, focus on tasks, help others and more. These things are not hard to teach and they take practice so the more you talk about it when the situation arises the better.  

Books like Herman Jiggle Go To Sleep, But I Need Your Help Now, and Fix It With Focus are wonderful reads because they serve as reminders for children in an easy to follow way by using real situations your child will encounter in life.

But I Need Your Help Now is about a little boy learning how to get an adults attention without interrupting unless completely necessary and what makes something necessary

Fix It With Focus is about a little boy who needs help staying focused. He learns that staying focused means he can get to the fun quicker. He is given an outline by some well meaning adults who show him the Fix It With F-O-C-U-S.

Herman Jiggle Go To Sleep is about a little boy who has so many questions while his very sleepy mommy does her best to answer them all. She keeps reminding him that he needs to sleep. I loved this book so much. As a preschool teachers I can tell you that I can tell which kids have a routine bedtime and get a proper amount of sleep and the ones who go to sleep whenever they pass out for the night. 

Children do require a certain amount of sleep and if you keep the routine the same every night your child will go to sleep. At school we have 10 kids we need to get to sleep at the same time and they are not in cribs but we manage with most of them out within 10-15 minutes. It is because we do the same thing every single nap time. Kids are creatures of habit and if you maintain a routine and they know what is expected they will do it. I teach 2-3 year olds and I am here to tell you it works! Even though most parents are amazed they stay on their mats for 2 hours without talking or getting up. All it takes is a routine!

 

Starting Your own Business

Source

If you are looking to start a side business, you should try to do something you are passionate and knowledgable about. When you know a lot about what you are doing, it’s easier to sell your products. Your biggest struggle for success could come from too much competition, so try to do something that not too many people in your network of friends are doing.  Here are a few ideas for what you could start doing to earn some money on the side.

Music Lessons

If you are skilled at playing an instrument, you may want to consider offering lessons to people who are looking to learn to play. The number of lessons and who you can give them to will depend on your level of expertise. Many people play different styles and techniques, so you can still offer plenty of knowledge to people even if they have been taught by someone else.

Crafts

Many people like to buy homemade items and support small businesses. So, if you have skills in making creative things with various materials such as wood or clay, you could sell a variety of different products. If you have the capability, turning your local business to an online craft storecan get your products out to more customers as well. 

Personalizations

A popular thing to do right now is to personalize items. Things such as cups and bags are being made to include your name or some type of saying on them. You could also make vinyl stickers or magnets for people to put in their homes or on their cars. This is a great way to have something unique that can be specialized based on an individual's wants.

Starting your own business can be a challenge because of the many unknowns. However, if you put in a lot of planning and hard work you will likely be a success. 

3 Great Landscaping Tips for Transforming Your Yard This Summer

Looking to improve the appearance of your home this summer? Take advantage of the summer weather to head outdoors and enhance your home’s curb appeal through an updated landscaping strategy. If you want to take your landscaping to the next level this summer, here are three things you shouldn’t hesitate to do.

1. Improve Your Lawn

Your lawn forms the foundation for your overall landscape design, and that’s why it’s important to keep your lawn lush and green. To ensure that your lawn is vibrant, green and healthy all summer long, you’ll need to perform aeration, reseed sparse areas of turf and water certain spots as necessary. Better yet, choose a maintenance-free option such as artificial turf. Professional installation of artificial turf Austin will replace your natural turf with an option that will stay green all year round. Instead of spending time trying to keep your grass green, make this upgrade and you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors this summer.

2. Add Dimension to Your Garden

Colorful flowers and green vegetation are necessary to make any landscape design truly complete. If you want to set your outdoor space apart from the rest, though, consider taking your gardening into another dimension by adding the element of height. It’s easy to do this by purchasing a wooden trellis, garden arch or obelisk from your nearest nursery or hardware store. You can place this element anywhere in your garden, but it’s especially effective to place these elements in ways that hide unsightly features, such as garbage can storage areas or transformer boxes, in your yard. Once installed, train climbing vines and flowering plants to grow up, over and around these structures.

3. Plant a Floral Border

Property lines tend to be an area that homeowners neglect when they’re developing a plan for landscaping a property. Giving these areas some extra attention will frame your home and yard in an attractive way. Take stock of the amount of sunlight and shade these spots receive, and then plant flowers and shrubbery accordingly. For best visual effect, densely plant these borders, then surround the new plants with fresh mulch to retain moisture as well as provide added aesthetic appeal.

Investing a little time and effort in your outdoor space will go a long way in making your whole property look attractive and inviting. Keep these tips in mind as you make your landscape renovations this summer and you’ll soon have a yard that will be the envy of the entire neighborhood!

My Life In Pictures - May 25- 31

May 25 - I have started training my cats with CitiKitty NOT A SPONSOR. Let's see how it goes! 

May 26 - Nada

May 27 - Nada

May 28 - Back at work! It is hot and I cannot breathe but since this is the "new norm" and I am rule follower I wear this muzzle. 

May 29 - Because one was not enough! I needed another. 

May 30 -  We started taking the cats to the deck on a leash. They don't love the process of putting it on but enjoy it once they are out there.

May 31 - The photos your kids send you when you are at work. SMH!

Tips for Managing Health & Fitness During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed life drastically in 2020 in many ways. One area where many people are now struggling is health and fitness, as the pandemic has made it difficult for people to maintain their fitness regimes as well as make it harder to access non-emergency healthcare. So, what can people do to look after their health and fitness while protecting public health and their own wellbeing? There are numerous ways that you can do this, which will hopefully allow you to stay happy and healthy during these challenging times so that you are in a good situation when things start to return to normal.

Maintain A Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is the cornerstone of good health, and you must maintain this during the lockdown. During stressful periods, it is very easy to slip into bad habits, but this could have a negative impact on your physical and mental health, so a balanced diet needs to be a priority. With more time at home, people could learn to cook healthy meals, which is an excellent way to stay in shape.

Online Consultations

If you have any non-emergency health complaints, it is understandable if you do not want to arrange an appointment with a health professional due to the pandemic. However, failure to speak to a professional could make it challenging to manage and could lead to health problems. Fortunately, many places are offering online consultations, which should help you to get the advice that you need to cope without having to leave home.

Exercise at Home

While you may not be able to do your usual exercise, whether this is going to the gym, playing sports, physical therapy with a PT, or a yoga class, you can still exercise at home. If you use physical therapy to manage aches and pains or you are recovering from surgery, you will find that there are at home rehab exercises that you can use, which will help you to manage your physical therapy needs during COVID-19 without having to put yourself or others at risk.

Exercise Outdoors

While you might not be able to exercise in places like gyms and leisure centers, you can still exercise outdoors, and this can be an excellent way to look after both your physical and mental health. Running and cycling are both excellent options, but even a daily walk can bring a range of benefits and should be considered if you are feeling cooped up.

Join Online Communities

If you are concerned about your health and fitness during the pandemic, then it can be hard to know where to turn, but you will find that the internet is an excellent resource for this and can help you to get information that you need to manage. There are many online communities that you can join to ask questions, get advice and engage with others during the pandemic, as well as health and fitness websites/YouTube channels, which will help you to maintain or even improve your health while staying safe.

Health and fitness must be a priority during COVID-19, but this is challenging with so many limitations in place, so hopefully, this post will be of use.

How To Pray

Most Christians will say that prayer is an important part of faith, but they don't always know how to teach others to do it. Here are a few tips for those who are new to prayer or need a fresh start in their prayer life.

Share Your Thoughts

Prayer is the primary way that Christians foster their personal relationship with God. As with any relationship, it is built on honesty and trust. You don't need to impress God with flowery language or by keeping up a brave appearance. God knows your heart already, so it just makes sense to say simple, honest things when you pray. Offer up your cares and accept God's comfort.

Sing Your Praise

As long as people have known there was a God to worship, song has been a part of it. King David sang and danced before the Lord. The Bible is full of exhortations to use music as a means of worship. It can also be a good way to pray. Praying the words that the saints have written is a powerful experience on its own. Setting the prayers to music gives you another way to express your love and commitment to God.

Make It a Habit

Some people find that their prayer life is lacking simply because they don't make time for it. Scheduling a time to talk to God may feel odd at first, but soon you will likely find that you are looking forward to the time every day. If you pray first thing in the morning, it can start your day off right. Nighttime prayers can help you relax and give you a more peaceful sleep. No matter when you pray, make an intentional effort to incorporate it into your everyday life.

Pray gets easier the more you do it. With these tips and faithful practice, you can improve your prayer life.

Day 13 - Horror Movie Review

The 411:

There were a few things about this movie that annoyed me and a few things I liked. So let’s start with what I liked okay. It starts out feeling like many movies I have seen. I honestly thought that perhaps I had seen it before a few times. Mom has been alone a long time. Mom has a friend over. Her teenage son doesn’t like the guy, mom tries to explain how she has been alone long enough and how her son needs to step up and take care of things around the house and she is going away for a little while with some friends so he must babysit his sister. OK...let’s jump into what I didn’t like right here. I didn’t like the sister. She is a tween but a few times her whiny, annoying little sister act made us feel they should have had a younger child playing the sister. It was weird watching him read her a bedtime story and sit in the front yard while his sister sits in a baby pool. The girl looks to be about 13. It was weird.  OK..that’s the only thing I didn’t like. 

Soooo the movie....Colton sees a light in the very lovely, abandoned house across the street. Why is no one living in it. It is amazing! Colton buys a bunch of cameras and mounts them at his house so he can watch the house. I guess with a tween sister there really isn’t much babysitting that needs to go on.  So I guess out of boredom he needs to know what is going on there. Camera’s aren’t cheap so mom must have left him enough money to get what they need to live but also enough to buy cameras. On the camera Colton spots something and the next morning  heads over to investigate. While looking around he finds out that a pretty girl named Heather and her father have moved in. One night he spots her showering with also spots “creepy dad” listening at the wall into the bathroom. He makes it his mission to find out what is going on. His friend thinks he is crazy and his sister thinks he is creepy but Colton is sure something weird is going on and he has the hots for the girl sooooo you know he needs to rescue her. He eventually tells the girl about her creepy dad. She informs him that it is not her real dad and he just adopted her very recently. Hmmm...weirder by the minute. 

As things escalate with Colton trying to rescue Heather, he and his friend end up separated in the house. His friend finds things he doesn’t want to. Colton’s sister is also in the house. Heather is tied up to a bed and looking sick AF and old “adopted” dude. Is trying everything to get Colton out. Eventually the cops show up, old adopted dude gets arrested but not before telling Colton, what was really going on. Heather is not what she seems and her being tied up was for everyone’s protection.  Things get weird, the shit hits the fan and we are left wondering WTF?! 

The CGI was a little strange but the attempted was appreciated. I dug it! It is worth a watch if you are into B Horror movies. I will watch it again!

Week 4 At Camp Warner Bros And We Are Making Scooby Snacks #CampWarnerBros

Everyone’s favorite mystery-solving gang joins forces with WWE® in the action-packed animated movie - Scooby-Doo!: WrestleMania Mystery! We are avail Scooby-Doo and the gang fans and are excited that this movie is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. 

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Today at Camp Warner Bros, My camper and I (the other one was busy gaming) made yummy Scooby Snacks to go along with our Movie time

 

We love making treats and working together. 

If you are interested in this yummy tasting treat that is so easy to make here is the recipe.

We made so much we plan on dropping some off at some friends tonight. Just a drive by. No masks required. 

The 411:

Scooby Fans will love this mashup of famous wrestles like John Cena and Triple H with their favorite teenage Sleuths. When a ghost tries to mess things up with Wrestlemania only Scooby and the gang can solve the mystery! Of course!!!  What kids doesn't love John Cena Cena Cena Cena..........??

Like all Scooby movies it has lots of slapstick comedy and action. We enjoyed it and actually forgot that we had seen it years ago. It was fun watching again. 

Another Green Cleaner I Think You Will Love! Keeping Your Family Healthy, Sanitized and Safe!

I am truly loving these cleaners. Not only do they do a fantastic job at cleaning they are really pretty! I love the colors and the kids don't seem to mind them either. Makes their cleaning chores more fun! LOL. Whatever it takes man, whatever it takes.

What I love most:

You simply fill up the container with water, attach the cleaner pod by twisting it to the top which will open the cleaner into the bottle. It is awesome and pretty amazing to watch. Check out our video. 

You reduce your carbon footprint by using way less plastic bottles. You simply purchase more cleaner pods and insert them into your refilled with water bottle. LOVE THIS! PLUS the bottle and the cap are 100% recyclable

I am thrilled with the product. My kids have a chore list that they need to do some sort of cleaning daily and I love knowing that I don't have to worry about how much they are breathing in especially when both have allergies and my son has sensitive skin with everything bothering his eczema.  

Meme Fill In's From Way Back - Creative Adventure 2008

MEME

The Saturday Special – Creative Adventure

Posted on July 19, 2008

1. While on vacation the past two weeks, I took the time to visit an old amusement park that is now abandoned. Hearing what sounds like carousel music I decided to enter the park through the open gate and much to my surprise I see an old fortune teller. She beckons me over and I willing go. I have gone to fortune tellers since I was 18 so I am anxious to hear what this one tells me. As I walk over to her, she disappears. I am confused but spot the carousel that drew me here.

2. Waiting for the ride to stop I find myself getting up on one of the rickety steps leading to the carousel. I see a very light blue horse with a peeling black painted saddle. The horse also has what appears to once have been pink flowers but now it mostly is just sun bleached wood. I put my foot in the stirrup and hoist myself onto the saddle and the ride starts up again. I hold the faded silvery horn at the front of the saddle. The music sounds like an old music box that my mother had a long time ago. Interesting. I realize it is exactly the same music complete with the same skip where the prongs on the music wheel had come off after a younger cousin had dropped it.

3. Feeling like a young kid again I close my eyes, smile and hum along with the music until the ride comes to an abrupt stop. I swing my legs back over the saddle and jump off the horse. Walking back down the steps of the carousel, I look to the sun. It is almost 5:00 p.m. and they will come searching for me soon. Looking back to the carousel, I watch it slowly vanish before my eyes.

4. Now a little sad I realize it was all in my imagination and leaving the park I think to myself tomorrow I will come back and bring my sister and some money. Perhaps if we don’t get off, the carousel will take us when it disappears.

Week 3 At Camp Warner Bros And It’s All I Can Bare! #CampWarnerBros

This week at Camp Warner Bros., Cartoon Network’s beloved bears will stack up in their greatest adventure, with their first movie ever – We Bare Bears: The Movie!  If you have not watched these fun guys give them a gander. Starting today they are available Blu-ray, DVD and Digital 

About We Bare Bears: The Movie:

We Bare Bears: The Movie follows Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear's love of food trucks and Internet fame, which leads the brothers to unexpected mayhem, where they must go on a wild, hilarious and dangerous adventure to escape a foe that threatens to tear them apart.  Watch as Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear catch the attention of the Department of Wildlife Control,  and go on a wacky adventure as their world turns upside down, and the Bears are left with no choice but to go on the run!

We are partial to the quiet baby of the group Ice Bear with his ice cool attitude he is the coolest. Well that and he is a polar bear.  I love that he talks about himself in the 3rd person. He is under appreciated (sounds familiar to many of us).

Today we made Edible Slime in honor of We Bare Bears. Here is how it went down.. BTW It was delicious,

https://youtu.be/LkhV28iQ-Lo

If you would like to try it yourself, here is the recipe.

Camp Warner Bros Week 2 Features Delicious Science and Steven Universe #CampWarnerBros

It’s week 2 at Camp Warner Bros.!  This week, we are going to have some fun with science, color mixing, learning patience and making a delicious treat for the premiere of Steven Universe: The Movie! Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital 

 

We are huge Steven Universe fans and have watched all episodes of it. My daughter and I love the Crystal Gems and loved this experiment so much. We used the below recipe to create our own Crystal Gems. This time we made Ameytest but next time my daughter wants to make Sapphire.

The Science Behind The Fun:

As time passes (and the solution cools), the water will slowly evaporate from the solution. As the water evaporates, the solution will become more saturated with sugar. The sugar molecules will collect on the string, and the candy crystals will grow molecule by molecule!

 

Extra Science Fun:

Try making two jars of candy. In the first jar - seed your “Crystal Gem” Candy by rolling your string in water and sugar. In the second jar do not seed your string with sugar before growing. Determine if using seed sugar crystals changes the growth rate of your “Crystal Gem” Candy!

The hardest thing so far has been patience. We told ourselves that we would give the Crystal Gem’s three days to do their magic before we touched them so as soon as I get out of work today that is exactly what we will be doing. Stay tuned! I am hoping they are magical!

If you haven’t seen Steven Universe yet, I highly recommend it. Steven Universe is a great cartoon for kids because it is so different. It is not geared toward girls or boys. It can be loved by everyone. If not for Steven this show could have been like any other girl driven show like Sailor Moon but Steven balances it out AND he is not afraid of his emotions or sharing his thoughts or feelings. I love that! These characters really discuss feelings which make their relationships stronger and their affection for each other something the viewer appreciates and respects.