Soccer Workout: Prepare to Succeed

Whether your children play soccer on a school team or as a hobby, using soccer workouts specifically designed for the sport will help them improve stamina, conditioning, and skill to accelerate their game as they play.

If your kids  play soccer competitively, these workouts are even more important to help them train efficiently to boost performance the next time they hit the pitch. Although soccer primarily uses the lower body, it pays to condition with a full body workout routine to provide balance and get even more powerful results:

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            Warm-up the right way. The basic foundation of an effective soccer workout is your warm-up. This warm-up is best performed with a partner: begin by kicking the ball on the inside of both feet back and forth with a partner to loosen and warm up legs. They can also perform slow drives with a ball down the field to pass while jogging to warm-up legs even further.

Finally, stretch it out before they begin to train for the workout. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds without bouncing. For the best results, stretch lower body with leg swings, knee to the chest stretches, and deep stretches of quads and hamstrings.

·         Improve balance. Before they start running on the field to improve stamina, kids need to make sure that your balance is up to par. Have them continue to work with a partner by balancing on one foot and tossing a medicine ball back and forth from hand to hand.

This will help to strengthen their core, which is vital to support on the field as they run and stop on a dime to change positions.

·         Boost agility. A basic recipe for success for any soccer player is to improve agility and increase speed through regular interval training. Before soccer practice begins, have them take at least 10 minutes to sprint in 30 meter intervals back and forth across the soccer field.

It's best to continue to work with a partner so that they can time their sprints and provide them with feedback and motivation to increase speed. To improve agility with each sprint, stop and turn quickly before continuing instead of coming to a full stop at the end of each exercise.

·         Increase stamina. During a soccer game, they will need to be on the field for long stretches at a time, constantly moving to follow the ball. Make sure that stamina is on track by running/jogging/walking at least 3 miles five times a week.

To avoid hitting a plateau, continue to increase mileage accordingly, up to one extra mile every two weeks.

Bethany Ramos is a full-time freelance writer that co-owns her own e-commerce website, The Coffee Bump. The Coffee Bump specializes in a wide variety of Bunn coffee makers and assorted coffee and espresso products.

Sensory Processing Disorder - Part 2

We all have sensory qualities that make us who we are. However, when these neurological qualities interrupt our participation in life in a negative way, it should be recognized and accommodated. There are many children with an array of diagnoses that are subject to sensory hyper - or hypo-sensitivities, motor difficulties, and social differences including Autism and Aspergers, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disabilities, Anxiety, and many other Developmental Disabilities.

Why not make their clothing possess some of the very neuroscience qualities that could help enhance their social and emotional well being? As a mother of a child who suffered from sensory processing disorder and as a long time Sensory Pediatric Occupational Therapist and advocate, I know firsthand it is not easy for our children. Parents, therapists, and educators often express to me the benefits of weighed garments, chew objects, compression garments, and a child’s desire for soft materials. However, they frequently state that what is offered to them is too “therapeutic looking” and therefore stigmatizing. It’s hard to use many of these garments throughout “normal” life.

 Children's Weighted Clothing

When a garment is being constructed to address children who suffer sensory processing difficulties, specific consideration should be made to address ease of function, tactile sensitivity, relevant design, safety, consistency in design for spatial orientation, and proprioceptive input (the unconscious awareness of sensations coming from receptor’s in one’s joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments). This helps promote independence as well as organization, alertness, and simplicity where quickness of dressing is often expected throughout the child’s day. When choosing a weighted vest or blanket for instance, it is significant to hear the child ask specifically for the “soft one,” the “cool one,” or the “nice one.” It is as significant to give their parents beautiful, easy to use, and superior fabrics that are relevant and stylish. It is the right of the child and their parents to have non-stigmatizing products.

Just as important is the idea of play, and accommodating products should express the darling nature and playfulness inherent in children. Respect, pleasure, playfulness, comfort, and a feeling of security are aspects that can be inherent in children’s clothing. As the design of the child’s apparel and play products are considered, it is important that as many of their personal characteristics are taken into consideration, in addition to the ability for children to take some therapeutic qualities along with them anywhere all day long. There are so many strategies that help a child with Sensory Processing Difficulties. Considering the aspects in their clothing is just another way a parent can simply use a non-invasive strategy aimed at helping their child and letting the child know that you understand and accept what they are feeling!

Susan Donohoe, OTR/L is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist with certification in Sensory Integration and an advocate for children with special needs. Susan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and has been practicing O.T. for 30 years. Through many years of active practice and working closely with educators, therapists, manufacturers, and experts in Design founded Kozie Clothes as a way to incorporate Neuroscience Principles into relevant designed apparel for children with special needs. With her passion and commitment, she developed the concept for a line of adorable coordinated sportswear and products that offer therapeutic value which are non-stigmatizing.

Sensory Processing Disorder - Part 1

The following article is a reprint written by Susan Donohoe. She's the owner of Kozie Clothing, the newest line of compression and weighted clothing that can be found at SensoryEdge

Many Children with Aspergers experience sensory processing difficulties or sensory processing disorder (SPD). Sensory Processing is the neurological processing and interpretation of sensation within one’s own body and from the environment. In short, it is the brain’s organization and interpretation of the sensory input from everyday use. This is a complex interrelationship of processes, hence the term sensory integration.

Modulation is a term you may hear describing the neurological process which the child’s central nervous system appropriately regulates (continually adjusts) behavior responses to continually changing external and internal sensory stimuli. If this modulation is not working well the child may seem under responsive, over responsive (seeking stimuli), or both, or may be overwhelmed to sensory stimuli. When this behavior interferes with a child’s “occupation” in life (social, emotional, play, school, attention, body mechanics, self-care, etc.), then it is termed a disorder, hence sensory processing/ integration disorder. It is important to note that anyone and everyone has some sensory processing or integration problems from time to time because any kind of sensory stimuli can temporarily disrupt ones normal functioning.

Children's Compression Clothing

The three main sensory systems we are referring to are tactile/ touch (influencing motor control and emotional development), proprioception (sense obtain through one’s own muscles, ligaments, deep pressure to the skin - therefore giving a sense of body position, organization, and calibration of movement), and Vestibular (sense of movement and gravity specifically postural control, muscle tone, coordinated use of both sides of the body, coordinating eye movements, etc.). Other sensory systems include olfactory (smell), auditory, visual, and gustatory (taste). Sensory processing disorder and sensory processing difficulties are individual to each child. Some may be mildly affected while others have greater difficulty functioning in life. It is important to note that symptoms vary and not all are present. Also it is a marker of neurological dysfunction that a child may show symptoms one day or with one activity and not the next.

The main type of therapy for SPD, with a trained Sensory Certified Occupational Therapist, includes a safe and challenging level of sensory stimulation encouraging movement to focus the child on tolerating and integrating sensory input, which is driven by the child’s interests and the “occupation” of play. Other therapy focuses on making environmental adaptations (such as in the home and school).

Common symptoms of SPD include: clumsiness (tripping, bumping, falling); poor fine motor skills; delayed self-care skills; poor muscle tone; difficulty initiating tasks; poor timing; poor posture; poor hand-eye coordination; learning disabilities; poor handwriting; poor organization skills; becomes easily frustrated; difficulty with social relations; constantly touching objects; doesn’t like to be groomed (hair, teeth, etc.); difficulty with clothing seams, socks, waistbands; seeks only soft clothes; likes tight clothing, small spaces, weight of blankets; opposed to being touched, would rather be the one to touch; hates being tickled or cuddled; often touches people or objects too hard; difficulty with eye contact; often smells objects; poor attention skills; picky eater; stuffing food or objects into mouth; difficulty with transitioning; hypersensitive to noise (things are too loud); hyposensitive to noise (doesn’t seem to notice); Hypersensitive to touch (certain fabrics, surfaces, etc.); little awareness to pain and temperature; hyposensitive to touch (may not notice when clothes are twisted or on improperly); hypersensitive to light; movement produces an anxious reaction (swinging, roller coasters, bike riding, spinning, rolling); over-seeks movement (swinging, spinning, rolling); takes excessive risks in movement, extreme activity levels; walking on tiptoes.

Dressing for Success! As mentioned above, making adaptations within the child’s everyday life is also a part of understanding the child. Every child deserves to feel comfortable and adorable in their clothing. What if that same clothing could offer qualities that address sensory discomfort and therapeutic input? The child’s image of themselves and how they feel in their environment can enhance the social and emotional quality of life when that child feels organized and calm.

Susan Donohoe, OTR/L is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist with certification in Sensory Integration and an advocate for children with special needs. Susan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and has been practicing O.T. for 30 years. Through many years of active practice and working closely with educators, therapists, manufacturers, and experts in Design founded Kozie Clothes as a way to incorporate Neuroscience Principles into relevant designed apparel for children with special needs. With her passion and commitment, she developed the concept for a line of adorable coordinated sportswear and products that offer therapeutic value which are non-stigmatizing.

Helping Kids Focus on Tasks. It's All in the Details!

As a parent, I continuously struggle with teaching my kids to focus on tasks I give them. Then, one day, I realized that with a little variation I can teach my kids to focus as well. If you are a parent who goes around picking up after your kids and constantly telling them what to do next, then read on.

A Word of Caution:

Now you may have noticed that I wrote “struggle” and not “struggled” in my opening sentence. Unlike adults kids will take some time to grasp the concept, so it is an ongoing effort.
I am also, not a child psychologist and nor do I claim to have any such training. I am a parent. I have applied this technique. I have seen positive results. The many other people, who have applied this technique, have also seen positive results with their kids.
The technique you will learn here will help you to start the process, but in no way is “the” solution. As a parent you still have to make sure that your kids (or child) keep practicing this technique till it becomes second nature to them. Let us get started by first identifying the problem.

The problem:

As adults we unknowingly fall in to a wrong expectation. The expectation being that our kids are able to understand the word “focus” as we, adults, do.
How many times have you told your kids (or child) the meaning of focus and/or responsibility? I can say with upmost certainty that it has been one too many times, right?

What is Focus?

Focus is the ability for someone to devote their attention to a particular task for a set duration of time. Depending on different factors (like the age for example) each child has a different limit on how much he or she can focus on a particular task. Therefore, tasks need to be set accordingly.
Why is learning how to focus so important?
The ability to focus on a task is a key habit to develop and nurture in kids. As children become adults, they will have more and more things to do. Ask yourself how you feel when you are able to focus on a task and feel that you have made a significant effort. It makes you feel happy and confident, right. Therefore, you want to instill the same feeling of confidence in your kids. The ability to focus will help them in every area of life as they grow.

The solution:

Here are the very simple techniques. You will be introducing two things to your kids; a daily chore board and a monthly activity calendar. Following are is the technique and the steps you need to take to teach focus to your kids (or child):

I. First, relax and get excited. Do not show frustration. You want to be relaxed, happy and excited to start this project with your kids (or child). Pick a day that you can spend some an hour or two or uninterrupted time with your kids on this project.

II. This next step, you may want to do this step with your kids or you can do it ahead of time. From any office or stationary supply store buy a small erasable white board. From now on we will refer to this as the “Chore Board”. Also buy an undated monthly planner designed for kids. I would recommend the undated 30 day erasable wall planner for kids from Office Depot. It is a large child-oriented wall calendar and has a space to write the month as well as dates for each day of the week. We will refer to this as the “Activity Calendar”.

You will also need an eraser that is used with an erasable as well as some thumb tacks to pin-up the calendar. (The white board should come with some adhesives to be able to mount it on the wall.)

III. On the day you decide to do this project with your kids, have a small talk before hand. Explain to them that you would like to share a new activity with them. Tell them that you would like to teach them something new and exciting that will make them more organized and responsible. If this does not work, do what I did; ask them if they would like Mommy or Daddy not to be on their case so much!

IV. Next, show the kids the items you bought. Now find a place in the where they will see these items every day. Mount the chore board and the activity calendar next to each other. (I placed the chore board above the activity calendar.) Remember to mount the items at a height that is comfortable for your kids to read form and to write on.

V. Get your kids involved, and have them do this next step. Have them write on the chore board, the words “My Daily Chores”. Then, on the activity calendar have them fill in the current month and write the dates.

VI. Before moving on to the next step, explain to your kids what daily chores are. Then, ask them to write their daily chores on the chore board. They may start out by writing basic stuff like, wake up, brush teeth, etc. It’s o.k., they are getting engaged in the activity, and also you will be erasing the first draft anyway. Eventually you will have them write the chores that they forget to do on a daily basis. Limit it to a few chores. Remember, small steps. Do not overwhelm them.

VII. Once you are finished with the chore board, move to the activity planner. Tell them to write down any birthdays, family outings, violin lessons, soccer practice, etc.

VIII. Once the chore board and the activity calendar have been completed, give your kids a hug or pat on the back as this is a great achievement for them.

IX. Now, tell them that at the beginning and end of each day, they must review their chore board and activity calendar. As their parent you will need some follow-through on this. You will need to remind them about reviewing the chore board and activity calendar till they get into a habit. This may take a few weeks or it may take longer. Stick with it, but do not command. Just give them a friendly reminder, e.g. “have you checked your chore board today?” or “did you remember to put that on your activity calendar?”

X. As a last step, give yourself some well deserved credit, you too have made a significant contribution towards their well being. Not to mention that soon you will regain your sanity. I did.

The Next Steps

Being consistent and having follow-through is a key to seeing positive results.
Aside from the daily reminders at the beginning and end of each day, have the kids update the activity calendar and chore board at the beginning or the end of each monthly for the following month. Keep giving them positive reinforcement. There will be times where you may get frustrated. My advice is to stand fast and hold your ground. Keep in mind that they are kids and that their learning process is much different than adults.

This is a reprint of a blog entry we posted in 2008. It was written by our friend Sal Khan who unexpectedly passed away a few years ago during a routine operation. Sal was the creator of the SKK Planning System. 

New from KidKraft. Kids Outdoor Furniture

KidKraft is known for its great kids table and chair sets, toy boxes and other pieces of children's furniture. What many KidKraft fans don't know is that they've been expanding their outdoor furniture selection in the last few years. 

Spring 2012 is no exception.  The selection of new items includes tables with striped umbrellas, a sling chair, folding camping chairs (great when you're roasting marshmallows), and a very cool sandbox with sun shade. These items are all very affordable and have free shipping.


KidKraft Outdoor Furniture


To extend the life of your outdoor furniture, we suggest a little maintenance a couple of times a year. We call it WTS. It stands for wipe, tighten and seal.

• Wipe Outdoor Furniture Often
• Tighten any bolts at least twice a year
• Seal with water sealant once a year

Here's list of KidKraft Outdoor Furniture and a link to the section.

00042	Octagon Table & 4 Stools & Multi Striped Umbrella
00046	Table & Stacking Chairs & Striped Umbrella
00081	Adirondack Chair White
00083	Adirondack Chair Honey
00085	Adirondack Chair in Espresso
00102	Outdoor Sling Chair
00105	Outdoor Chaise w Umbrella
00106	Outdoor Table & Bench Set w Cushions/Umbrella
00108	Outdoor Storage Bench w Cushion
00128	Pirate Sandboat
00130	Backyard Sandbox
00165	Outdoor Sandbox w Canopy
00174	Pink Camping Chair
00175	Blue Camping Chair
00176	Outdoor Playhouse
00178	Activity Playhouse

How to Help a Child with a Learning Disability

A learning disability can be classified as a number of different disorders that hinder a child's capacity to learn. A learning disability could affect the way that a child listens, thinks, reads, writes, spells, and speaks. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, there are currently 2.4 million students that have a diagnosed learning disability and receive special education services in schools.

If you are the parent of a child with a mild to severe learning disability, you may feel overwhelmed. The first step in the right direction is to understand simple ways to help your child better comprehend their schoolwork to make it easier for them to learn at home and at school.

Love and Support: Positive Reinforcement

The foundation to help any child with a learning disability is to offer encouragement, love, and support through positive reinforcement. This in itself is often enough to give your child the confidence that they need at home to finish their school work and pay better attention during class.

Positive reinforcement will ensure that your child has an improved sense of self-confidence so that they can remain determined - even when they are overwhelmed by class assignments, homework, and especially tests.

Remember, it's not your job as a parent to cure your child of this disability; your job is to empower your child to face challenges with optimism and confidence so that they are better prepared to learn.

Do Your Homework as a Parent

On top of helping your child with their homework every day after school, it helps to do your own homework as a parent. This means doing your research on the latest developments and techniques available to help better teach your child, in spite of their learning disability.

Although it is helpful to reach out to specialists and therapists, becoming an expert on the subject yourself will help you to be better prepared to give your child the tools that they need to learn at home and at school.

This improved understanding will also help you to become an advocate for your child to ensure that they get the help that they need. If your child is still in a regular classroom with a learning disability, it may be almost impossible for them to advance in their class if they are not given special attention.

Communicate Better at School

Last but not least, the next time that you sit down with your child's teacher or principal to discuss their education, use these tips to better communicate to ensure that your child gets the education they deserve:

•     Set clear goals with their teacher.

•   Listen carefully to the options the school has available.

•    Propose new learning solutions based on your research.

•  Stay focused on how to meet your child's needs in and out of the classroom.

•    Stay positive in all discussions.

•   Don't give up, even if you don't get the answers you are looking for the first time.

Bethany Ramos is a full-time freelance writer that co-owns her own e-commerce website, The Coffee Bump. The Coffee Bump specializes in a wide variety of Bunn coffee makers and assorted coffee and espresso products.

I Love My Stability Ball!

It sometimes feels strange to say you love an object but the plain simple truth is I love my stability ball. I first purchased an exercise ball I because my physical therapist recommended it for stretching my back. I was having back pain and hip pain and I could not find the source of what was causing it. I don’t lift heavy things and although I work out I don’t do strenuous exercise so I just could not figure it out. Physical therapy helped but I could not keep that up forever. The point of therapy is to help improve your function or pain. Then therapists are supposed to teach you how to get results at home. 

 FitBall Burst Resistant Exercise Balls

Having a therapy ball to use every day made a huge difference for me. At first I just used it to stretch my back and work my core with basic abdominal exercises. With a few minor adjustments I had a lot of exercises to do so I could vary my workout so I did not get bored. Using a therapy ball helped my back a lot. Just having it to stretch out would have been enough but the added benefit of core strength and postural stability was a bonus I really didn’t expect. 

Despite all these benefits to my body a few weeks into my new routine I realized that my hips still hurt every day after work. I talked to my physical therapist and after a few discussions we realized that my pain came after long periods of time at my desk. She recommended I use the ball at work which I never thought of before. I thought she meant stretching at the office which would not work for me at all but she was actually recommending using it instead of my chair. At first it just sounded too radical. I had a mental picture of my exercise ball rolling around the office or me falling off and my legs flying up in the air. In the end desperation prevailed and I decided to give it a try.

Standard Gymnastik Balls

Before committing to potentially looking weird work I did some research to see if there was any information online about using a ball as a task chair. Apparently using a therapy ball as a chair is not that uncommon. Occupational therapists even have a term for it. They call it dynamic seating. By sitting on something in motion it keeps your core engaged, provides a cushion for your bones and joints, and promotes improved posture. The bottom line is it might be a solution to ease my discomfort and that is what I was looking for.

Although it seemed that was a good idea it did not change my fears about the ball rolling away while I was on it. Here my research came in handy. I had found that there are balls with feet to keep them steady or inflatable ball rings to keep balls in one spot. Although the balls would not roll away these abll supports still allowed enough movement to promote dynamic sitting. There are even ball chairs that have a sturdy frame on caster wheels so it looks more like a task chair.  I even found that there were seating discs I could use on my regular chair that simulate the feeling of being on a ball.

Since I already had a ball I chose to try the ring first to see how it worked. It did not take long. I noticed the difference the first day. My hips were not as tight and back hurt less. It is not a miracle but it is a definite improvement which is really what I was looking for. To avoid having to take my ball home every day for my stretching routine I purchased a separate ball for work. 

Gymnic Physiorolls

Before this process I had no idea that the exercise balls I use in my Yoga and Pilates classes could be used as a chair. Purchasing a stability ball was supposed to be a simple way to stretch my back when I was alone at home. Instead it turned out to be a life changing solution to a major issue. I used to hate sitting at my desk because I had to get up to stretch too often. I am so much more productive now which makes me feel better about myself and that makes me a happier person too. I really do love my therapy stability ball.