[blindkid] never stands still

Heather craney07 at rochester.rr.com
Fri Jun 11 03:31:24 UTC 2010


Richard, this might be off topic, but since you brought it up, could you 
please recommend a good quality small toddler trampoline and then maybe one 
for slightly larger kids?  We baught Jeremy one when he out grew his baby 
jumper at around 12 months old, but the one we got was a pain to set up, has 
very little bounce, is very small considering the amount of space it takes 
up and is already showing signs of ware and tare and Jeremy only jumps about 
thirty to forty minutes a day.  It's funny that you mention all that your 
daughter does on hers.  Jeremy loves to watch TV, listen to the radeo, sing, 
talk to himself, or his checkered towel, his version of a security blanket, 
even look at books or pet the cat who has learned that for pats he needs to 
stand on the table where Jeremy's bouncing hand will pat, but not hit him 
while meowing up a storm to go with the toddler babble.  I am always having 
to stop him from bringing his sippy cup or finger food snack up there with 
him.  In a pinch for time with Jeremy in a pissy mood I have even managed 
diaper changes and clothing changes while he jumped lightly.  lol  He never 
jumps for more than five minutes at a time, but he will do it through out 
the day, and if thwarted by time constraints, it is clear that his mood and 
receptiveness to learning suffers if he can't jump.  His other thing, that I 
will post about and ask some thing about later is going up and down and up 
and down our stairs for up to an hour and forty minutes with various games 
and make-believe employed while doing it.  So, second the trampoline 
recommendation, add the recommendation for something called a jumpaline, a 
mini bounce house for the living room that Jeremy also recommends, as he has 
one of those at Jim's house and the trampoline at mine, , and request 
recommendations for spacific trampolines that pass the Kendra ceal of 
approval.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Holloway" <rholloway at gopbc.org>
To: <empwrn at bellsouth.net>; "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of 
blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] never stands still


> Marie,
>
> I think you're exactly right.
>
> Kathy,
>
> All kids have a real need to move. Sighted kids just have an easier  time 
> expressing that need comfortably. Get her in motion. Swimming is  a great 
> start. In the right level of water you can jump and spin and  twist and 
> you never fall and crash, so it feels very safe. As she  continues to 
> learn to really swim, that offers other sorts of  movement. Gymnastics may 
> be an option. Swinging worked great for  Kendra, especially when she was a 
> bit younger. Dance classes are  great. We've always tried to redirect 
> undesirable motion and offer  lots of appropriate alternatives.
>
> For us, the most powerful solution to excessive movement and general 
> fidgety behavior has been a small trampoline. Our daughter jumps an 
> incredible amount. Kendra will be 8 in the fall and we are on our 5th 
> trampoline so far. I have also repaired and rebuilt several of these 
> things along the way. We've tried three different brands and ordered 
> numerous spare parts. She jumps through these things in 6 months to a 
> year. Springs break. Elastic bands stretch and sometimes snap too.  Metal 
> frames tear from the springs' pull. One frame even folded and  nearly 
> snapped. These trampolines stay in the house and are not  abused. They're 
> generally intended for only a single jumper and rated  up to around 100 
> lbs. Kendra weighs about 58 pounds so it is not that  we are overloading 
> them.
>
> We're not too concerned about the cost of these trampolines or the  need 
> to replace them-- my point is that Kendra uses these things  aggressively 
> and often-- to the point of their destruction. Clearly  she needs the 
> motion. She may spend 20 or 30 minutes jumping on a  "slow" day and an 
> hour or two on a typical one. She may jump and do 30  or 40 or 50 seat 
> drops, literally in a row. She sings and tells  stories as she jumps; it 
> is amazing. (Listening to her go can be quite  exhausting!) She knows 
> where the trampoline is and she has learned  over the years to go to it 
> when she needs to. It helps her not direct  so much energy to things like 
> beating up her little brother!
>
> Some kids also like the feeling of the joint compression from the  jumping 
> and also enjoy similar joint pressure on wrists or elbows. Ask  an OT 
> about joint compression before you do too much with it. Other  things 
> we've found useful: swinging her in a blanket between 2 people,  wrapping 
> her tightly "like a hot dog" in a blanket, gently squashing  her and lots 
> of things like that. Again, she likes the feeling of  pressure. (Your 
> milage may vary with the pressure idea-- personally I  cannot stand that 
> sensation!)
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 10, 2010, at 12:42 PM, Marie wrote:
>
>> I'm no expert on this but I'm wondering if she is filling a sensory  need 
>> by this constant motion. Does she stop moving when you are  talking with 
>> her or she is otherwise engaged? Perhaps providing her  with other ways 
>> to gain sensory input would help.
>>
>> Marie (mother of Jack born May 2005)
>> See glimpses of life with my determined son who is developing in his  own 
>> way at his own time at http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com
>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kathy B <burgawicki at yahoo.com>
>> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:18:43
>> To: <BVI-Parents at yahoogroups.com>; <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [blindkid] never stands still
>>
>> Hi All-
>>
>> My daughter (4), totally blind, has a real hard time holding still.   She 
>> is constantly in motion by fidgeting, wiggling, bouncing, etc.   She 
>> doesn't do a whole lot of rocking but she does need motion.  How  do I 
>> get her to stop.
>>
>> Please help!
>>
>> Oh, the swimming lessons are going great!
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Kathy
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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