When the sensory system is overloaded or overstimulated, it throws off decision making. When we’re stressed out or have a stressed out brain, we have difficulty processing decisions and questions.
We generally think of it as a short fuse.
Pediatric chiropractic calms that brain down. It takes some time. So in the meantime, what are some things we, as parents, can do while we’re waiting for the process to unfold?
Limiting Stressors
What is a stressor? A stressor can be chemical, physical or emotional. Things like, food, environmental toxins, injury, poor posture, grief, a situation that scares them or stresses them out, etc.
As we limit stressors, a child feels more in control. Limiting stressors is key as we work to relax a child’s brain.
How do we limit stressors in a child’s life?
Fewer Options
Mealtime can be an overwhelming time for a child with a stressed out brain. So many sounds and smells. Then added to the sounds and smells are the colors and textures of the food.
One great way to help with the overwhelm of the stress of mealtime is to offer fewer options on your child’s plate.
With a lot of different options with different textures and colors, your sensory child may become overloaded. You may have witnessed this before in the form of frustration or a meltdown, running away, refusal to eat, etc.
Presenting fewer options helps reduce stress therefore reducing the number of meltdowns for the child.
Simplify The Decision Making
They say we humans make about 35,000 decisions every day. Just in a normal day. That’s a lot of decisions…even without sensory struggles.
The more we can simplify the decision making process for our little ones with sensory struggles, the less frustrated and overwhelmed they will feel.
Simplify clothing options for what they choose for the day. Or just set an outfit out for them if they are a child that doesn’t care what they wear.
What they wear in their hair.
The number of books they have to choose a story from.
How many toys are on their shelf to pick to play with.
The number of coloring pages to pick from.
Think of all they see on their eye-level, all the decisions they are faced with throughout their day and then do your best to simplify what they’re faced with.
Contact us on our Facebook page to talk to us about how we can help you help your child be able to calm their brain and nervous system. So life is easier for you. And so you child is able to grow and develop, ready for their futures with a relaxed brain.
