Things an Occupational Therapist Wishes Parents Knew About Development
- Tara Konradi
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Parents are doing more right than they think. Truly.But after years of working with families, there are a few truths about child development that occupational therapists wish were louder, clearer, and far less stressful.
Here they are, honestly and with heart.
1. Play Isn’t Extra. Play Is Therapy. 🎲
If your child is playing, they are working.
When kids build towers, pretend to cook, crash cars, or line things up, they are developing:
Motor skills
Language
Executive functioning
Emotional regulation
Social understanding
Play is how the brain wires itself. It’s not a break from learning. It is the learning.
🧠 OT Tip:You don’t need special toys. Follow your child’s interests and join them. Narrate, wait, respond. That’s therapy-grade interaction.
👉 Optional OT-approved play favorites some families love: Wooden blocks, play scarves, toy animals, stacking cups ->these are in a league of their own-love these cups so much!).
2. Development Is Not a Straight Line 📈↩️
Children don’t progress like checklists. They surge, stall, leap, and sometimes slide backward for a bit.
Regression often shows up when:
A child is learning something big
There’s a growth spurt
Sleep is off
Emotions are developing faster than skills
This is not failure. This is integration.
🧠 OT Tip: Look for patterns over time, not one tough week.
3. Behavior Is Communication, Not Manipulation 💬
When a child melts down, shuts down, avoids, or explodes, they’re telling you something their nervous system can’t yet say with words.
Common messages include:
“This is too hard”
“I’m overwhelmed”
“I don’t feel safe”
“I need help regulating”
🧠 OT Tip: Instead of asking “How do I stop this behavior?”Try asking “What skill is missing right now?”
4. Sensory Needs Are Real (Even When You Can’t See Them) 🌈
Some kids need more movement. Some need quiet. Some need deep pressure, chewing, spinning, crashing, or heavy work to feel regulated.
This isn’t preference or personality. It’s nervous system wiring.
🧠 OT Tip: If a child consistently seeks or avoids certain sensations, their body is asking for support, not discipline.
👉 Optional sensory supports some families find helpful: Therapy putty, chewelry, body socks, mini trampolines, weighted lap pads
5. Independence Grows From Support, Not Pressure 🌱
Children don’t become independent by being pushed before they’re ready. They become independent by feeling safe enough to try.
Independence looks like:
Modeling first
Helping just enough
Letting mistakes happen
Staying calm when it’s messy
🧠 OT Tip: Connection comes before correction. Always.
👉 Tools that can gently support independence: Child-safe scissors (these spring loaded ones are a great first scissor!), step stools, button/zip snap dressing boards
6. You Don’t Need to Do More. You Need to Do Less—On Purpose ⏸️
Development doesn’t require packed schedules, constant enrichment, or endless activities.
It thrives with:
Time
Repetition
Predictable routines
Emotionally available adults
🧠 OT Tip: Boredom often comes right before creativity and growth.
7. You Are Your Child’s Most Powerful Tool ❤️
No therapist, app, toy, or program replaces a regulated, responsive caregiver.
When you:
Stay curious instead of reactive
Co-regulate before expecting self-regulation
Trust your instincts
Ask for help early
You are already doing the work.
Final Thought from an OT ✨
If there’s one thing I wish parents truly knew, it’s this:
👉 You don’t need to turn your home into a clinic
👉 Your everyday moments already shape development
Play together. Slow down. Observe. Trust the process.
That’s not “doing nothing.”That’s doing it right.
Want Support That Fits Real Life? 🤍
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I just want to know I’m doing the right things,” you’re not alone.
As an occupational therapist, I work with parents through practical, relationship-based coaching that fits into everyday routines, not perfect schedules.
✨ If you’d like guidance tailored to your child, your home, and your real life, you can learn more about working with me here:
No pressure. No judgment. Just support.
OT-Approved Favorites
If you’re looking for simple, developmentally supportive tools to use at home, I’ve curated a list of OT-approved favorites I often recommend to families.
Some links in this post may be Amazon affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share tools I genuinely use or recommend.
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