PediatricDigest: letting go and digging in

November 2025 Newsletter

Hi read,

Happy-almost-Thanksgiving! 💚 We hope all of you are taking some time to rest and enjoy family and friends this week…and getting outside to enjoy nature, too!

This month we're sharing how to let go and dig in…read on to see what we mean by that. :)

☀️ Recommended Resource-of-the-Month:

At OKOT, we love the book It's OK to Go UP the Slide: Renegade Rules for Raising Confident & Creative Kids by Heather Shumaker. If you've ever wondered how to raise a resilient kid in our high-pressure world, this book offers clear, compassionate guidance. It shows us parents how small shifts—like loosening control, embracing risk, and modeling healthy coping—can make a huge difference for our kids.

💚 OT Tip-of-the-Month for More Joy & Ease in Daily Life

It is possible we've shared this one before in our newsletter, but it is worth repeating over and over: Next time your child is on a playground, in a nature area, or doing anything that you consider a bit risky, STOP YOURSELF before you say "Be Careful!"

Kids hear this ALL. THE. TIME. and it doesn't help them to stop and think.

Instead, switch it up and ask them a question or make a statement about what they're doing:

"Wow! Do you think you can get down from there?"

"Yikes! Those plants right here have big thorns!"

Usually, these types of comments or questions will help children to stop and think, rather than the standard "Be Careful!" that has been the favorite catch-phrase for parents for eons, so children seem to have an internal genetic code that makes their brain completely ignore it! :)

🌳 OKOT Story & Service Updates

A while back after one of our outdoor OT groups, our therapists and staff spent a lot of time de-briefing how to support one of our kids who was seeking very intense movement and had conflict with peers during group. We talked about all of the supports we could put in place for the next week, including specific high-interest arrival time activities, individualized review of the schedule, having signals for him to indicate his need for a break, giving him specific jobs to do to assist during therapy activities, providing clear boundaries for the play area and lots of opportunities for movement, and more. We discussed potential "triggers" for this child's dysregulation and how we could mitigate those and help him stay engaged and regulated to participate.

A few days after this meeting, we found out the child had a close family member who had passed away. We hadn't known this during our discussion, but suddenly, everything made sense.

I share this story to remind you: sometimes kids are carrying a heavier burden than we think or know about. As the adults in their lives, we always need to be digging below the surface to help figure out how we can support them best.

Next time your child seems dysregulated, take a step back and ask yourself why they may be acting the way they are. It is always helpful to re-establish a felt sense of safety (both physical and emotional) to help them to process big emotions. (Snacks and drinks can often work wonders, too!)

Pic below from summer camp of one of our "diggers" to help you remember to "dig below the surface" to find out the why behind your child's emotions. 💚