wrestling rings, brown tarps, & the kid who won't stop tackling you 🤼

August 2026 NewsletterHi read,My own kids used to wrestle each other on the living room floor so hard that I'd get really nervous! But as an OT, I KNEW that this was good for their growing bodies and brains…as long as everyone was having fun and kn

August 2026 Newsletter Hi read, My own kids used to wrestle each other on the living room floor so hard that I'd get really nervous! But as an OT, I KNEW that this was good for their growing bodies and brains…as long as everyone was having fun and knew it was PLAY, not fighting.   I remembered this because one of our East Bay therapists, Ola, sent me a message last week with this photo: Ola's group that day was full of sensory-seeking, rough-and-tumble kids... the ones who need to push and grab and crash into something just to feel okay in their bodies (we call that proprioceptive input, and some kids need a LOT of it).   Ola used the genius strategy of giving them a specific place for wrestling. And that's what you see in the photo: kids on their knees, having a wrestling match within the boundaries of the “wrestling ring” on the brown tarp. Everybody laughing. One kid gets shoved clean off, pops back up, asks to go again. So instead of taking that need away from them, she gave it a home. 💚 OKOT Tip of the Month: If your kid is tackling the dog, climbing the couch back, or trying to wrestle you to the ground at 7pm... they are not being bad. They are asking for input.   Give the energy somewhere to go.   A rug. A mattress on the floor. A patch of grass in the backyard. Name the space out loud: "This is our wrestling space."   Then hold the line everywhere else. "Not okay to tackle me on the bed. I would LOVE to wrestle you in our wrestling space."   The goal is not to remove the need; it's to give them boundaries and an understanding of where that need can be met.   🌳 OKOT Service Updates: Fall Groups are filling up! Here are the remaining spots available: East Bay Tuesday Tilden, ages 7-9 (1 spot) Tuesday Joaquin Miller, ages 6-8 (1 spot) Thursday Tilden, ages 8-10 (2 spots) Thursday Tilden, ages 7-9 (1 spot) Friday Joaquin Miller, ages 6-8 (1 spot) Saturday Joaquin Miller, ages 6-8 (3 spots) San Francisco Tuesday Presidio, ages 4-5 (2 spots) Thursday Glen Canyon, ages 4-6 (1 spot) Wisconsin Tuesday Glen Oak Hills, ages 4-6 (3 spots)   We're also enrolling for a few last individual OT spots at all three locations.   You can APPLY HERE for any of our groups or individual OT services.   Cheers, Laura Park Figueroa Founder, OKOT   P.S. Know a family who needs this? Forward this email to them to share it. VISIT OUR WEBSITE 2930 Domingo Avenue #1092 Berkeley, California 94705, USA Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences here. No hard feelings!