Caed mille failte! A hundred thousand welcomes!
August 2023 and Spring is in the air!
Even though it is only August, I can feel Spring in the air as i write this with small birds chirping in the trees and sunshine outside of my window. I hope you enjoy seeing bulbs emerge from the ground as I do, and know that even in the dark of soil, new growth is awaiting the sunshine and rain. Just like us, they and we sometimes benefit form times of slow Winter growth in order to emerge with new hope in Spring.
Occupational Therapy Services Price Increase
It has now become time for me to increase therapy services rate to be in line with current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2023-2024 guidelines. I have held off with this prices increase to date and have been operating below the NDIS guidelines since I began seeing participants as clients of Beside the Sea in 2022. However, it has now become necessary in order to continue to be able to provide therapy services with flexibility and availability that I believe you deserve and to meet increasing overhead sole-trader business costs, for my prices to increase after 1st September 2023. The prices will now be in line with most other professional therapists. Please go to https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements to view current NDIS prices.
Storytelling
Storytelling at anytime, but especially at bedtime, is a unique and underrated way to calm your child and to equip your child for sleeping soundly. Bedtime stories provide your child with a snuggle cuddle of warmth, an opportunity to hear your reassuring voice, and a unique window into a world perspective that can help them grow resilience and confidence as they grow up.
Stories give us a window into another world where your child can imagine themselves and sense your love and care as they listen to your voice that takes them to another world where problems are solved, where differences are resolved, where love and forgiveness matters and where they can experience through other characters, empathy, grow in their understanding of life and experience other ways of facing difficulties and challenges.
Over time, a regular and well chosen story for your child's age and development and particular needs can help us to feel closer and that we are helping our child be prepared for the world around them. Spoken stories allow our imaginations to grow in a gentle manner as we listen not only with our ears but with our hearts also. Our heartbeats are close to one another as we read, giving resonance and connection is such a simple way.
Think about sharing your favorite stories, classics, fairytales, rhymes and novels that you remember. be involved in your children's current story fad; what do they like about the story? which character do they relate to and what values do the characters show? Is there kindness, bravery, gentleness or humour that they really like seeing and hearing about? Look at the illustrations - what can you see in the character's faces? Do you see sadness, melancholy, surprise or wonder? Noticing and describing facial expressions, words, emotions and feelings as well as character's actions will help your child to learn more about themselves. Maybe there is a story that you have never read and could read together or you could make up a story together? Making story time a part of your day with your child is an enriching experience. Adapting to both of your changing attention spans and emotional states, maybe 5 minutes or 30 minutes is enough. Maybe you could use audiobooks or you could tell your own story, or listen to their story of their day?
Take Care of One Another,
Karena
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