• About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Menu
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Instagram
Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
Search
Close
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Menu
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Contact
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skin Care
    • Fashion
  • Healthy Living
    • General Health
    • Fitness
    • Weight Loss
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Natural Remedies
    • The Keto Diet
      • Keto for Beginners
      • Keto Meals
      • Keto Snacks & Sides
      • Keto Desserts
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Pregnancy
    • New Baby
    • Parenting Tips
    • Kids Activities
  • Special Needs
    • Autism
    • Anxiety
    • ADHD
    • Depression
    • Sensory Processing
    • OCD
    • ODD
    • Selective Mutism
Instagram
Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
Search
Close

ODD

25 Energizing Brain Breaks for Kids | Engaging your students in regular brain breaks in the classroom can help improve attention, focus, retention, self-regulation, and more! We’re excited to share our favorite quick and easy movement ideas to help kids shed excess energy, and have included ideas for children in preschool and kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school. These activities are fun, calming, and perfect for indoor recess days! #brainbreaks #brainbreaksforkids #sensorybreaks

Focus and Control: 25 Energizing Brain Breaks for Kids

16 IEP Tips for Parents | If you’re the parent or teacher of a student with a learning disability, challenges with executive functioning, or a developmental delay like autism or ADHD and you want to know how to prepare for an IEP meeting, progress monitoring tips, how to ensure your child’s accommodations are being met, and how to set IEP goals and objectives, this collection of ideas is for you! #IEP #IEPmeeting #IEPtips

Learning support for your child: 16 IEP tips for parents

Art Therapy for Kids | Perfect for emotional healing, anger management, helping kids deal with feelings related to trauma, grief, and divorce, and for kids with mental health challenges and special needs like autism, ADHD, OCD, and anxiety, this collection of simple and creative art therapy projects and crafts will help your child deal with their emotions and heal. #arttherapyforkids #arttherapyprojects #arttherapyactivities

Art Therapy for Kids: 22 Activities to Help Your Child Cope and Heal

27 Play-Doh Games or Kids | Play-doh mats are a great way to teach kids their numbers, letters, and shapes, and there are so many free printables for different themes, like the weather, the seasons, and various holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter. They also help develop a child’s fine motor skills! Check out our favorite play-doh activities for fun in the classroom and at home. #playdoh #playdohactivities #playdough #playdoughrecipe #playdoughactivities #finemotoractivities

27 Play-Doh Games & Activities to Develop Fine Motor Skills [& More!]

Good Behavior Charts for Kids | Looking for the best reward system for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, kids in first grade, and beyond? From our best tips for creating sticker charts, to our fave free printable behavior charts, to reward chart ideas you can use for just about anything, these DIY ideas will inspire you to replace punishments and consequences with positive reinforcement! #behaviorcharts #rewardsystem #behaviormanagement #chorechart #positiveparenting #positivediscipline

Good Behavior Charts: 28 Reward System Tips and Templates for Kids

Dealing with Oppositional Defiant Disorder | Parenting and teaching a child with ODD is hard, but there are many different treatment and therapy options, and this post contains all the signs and symptoms as well as 18 strategies to help parents and teachers discipline a child with ODD (and ADHD) at home and in the classroom. From behavior charts to logical consequences to anger management, these ideas are practical and effective! #ODD #oppositionaldefiantdisoder #ADHD #positiveparenting

Dealing with Oppositional Defiant Disorder? 18 Tips for Parents and Teachers

If your kids are prone to after school temper tantrums, this post explains why they occur, how to identify triggers, and the best coping strategies to prevent an after school emotional meltdown. Perfect for kids of all ages and abilities, included special needs kids with autism, sensory processing disorder, and ADHD, these parenting tips will also help your children with self-control and self-regulation! #tantrums #meltdowns #backtoschool #autism #SPD #ADHD #specialneeds #parenting #parenting101

The After School Emotional Meltdown: 15 Preventative Tips for Parents

Therapy Toys for Special Needs Kids | 19 easy and fun occupational therapist approved toys for kids with developmental delays like autism, sensory processing disorder, and cerebral palsy. Perfect for use in speech therapy, play therapy, occupational therapy, and at home, these products and activities help kids develop their gross motor and fine motor skills, aid in language development, and help improve cognitive skills.

19 Therapist-Approved Therapy Toys and Games for Special Needs Kids

Visual Schedules for Children with Autism | Looking for daily routine charts to use in the classroom? Need free printables to use at home? Looking for DIY daily and weekly visual schedules for autistic children? From simple charts that teach life skills, to behavior support ideas, to portable PECS pictures, learn how to make your own visual routines and where to buy ready made communication boards that last.

Visual Schedules for Children with Autism: How and Why They Work!

How to Stay Calm When Your Child is Yelling | Want to know how to stay calm as a parent, even when your children are out of control? We’re sharing 9 tips for moms and dads who want to know how to be more patient, calm, and present with their kids. Whether your child is just misbehaving, or struggles with developmental delays like ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, and/or ODD, these behavior management tips will help!

Special Needs Parenting: How to Stay Calm When Your Child is Yelling

30 Play Therapy Activities for Kids | 30 simple therapeutic activities for children you can use in a counseling setting or at home to help a child express their emotions surrounding a trauma or ongoing feelings of anxiety. Perfect for toddlers, kids in preschool, school-aged kids, for tweens and teens, and kids with autism, ADHD, and anxiety, these activities offer a great way to teach healthy anger management and coping skills.

Play Therapy Techniques: 30 Therapeutic Activities for Children

Breathing Techniques for Anxiety in Children | If you’re looking for simple relaxation techniques and breathing exercises for kids that work at home and in the classroom, we’ve got 10 ideas to help. These calming activities are perfect for anxiety and stress as well as anger management, and help teach healthy coping skills so kids can calm down on their own when big emotions strike.

Breathing Techniques for Anxiety: 10 Calming Activities for Kids

Gluten Free Casein Free Diet for Autism | The GFCF diet is one of many alternative autism treatments, and some parents see an improvement in autism behaviors when they put their child on a gluten free and dairy free diet. We’re sharing our best beginner tips for a smooth transition to the diet as well as 20 of our favorite kid-approved GFCF recipes to help get you started.

Gluten Free Casein Free Diet for Autism: 29 Tips & Recipes for Parents

DIY Good Behavior Chart for Kids | Looking for a reward system to support your positive reinforcement efforts with children either at home or at school? Perfect for parents trying to control rambunctious boys, teachers trying to enforce classroom rules, and moms who desperately want their morning routines to run smoother, these ideas also work well with special needs kids with autism, ADHD, etc.

Positive Parenting: DIY Good Behavior Chart for Young Kids

21 Sensory Break Activities for Kids | Also known as ‘brain breaks’ & ‘movement breaks’, these sensory breaks for kids are perfect to help students with ADD, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, autism & other developmental delays calm down & focus in the classroom. Perfect for teachers & parents, these fun ideas also develop gross motor skills, improve self-regulation & help with behavior management in the classroom.

Sensory Integration at School: 21 Sensory Break Activities for Kids

11 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child | The internet is full of all the things you should never say to an anxious child as well as great coping skills and tips about children and anxiety, but what parents really need is a list of things to say to an anxious child when big emotions take over. We're sharing 11 ideas and our favorite anxiety books for kids!

How to Help Kids with Anxiety: 11 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child

56 Occupational Therapy Activities for Kids | Whether your child has sensory processing challenges, struggles with fine motor, gross motor, and/or visual motor skills, needs help with handwriting, or needs core strengthening exercises, we have 56 fun learning activities that are perfect for kids with developmental delays like autism and sensory processing disorder. These pediatric OT ideas will not disappoint!

Learning Through Play: 56 Occupational Therapy Activities and Tips for Kids

17 Zones of Regulation Activities | Trying to teach self-regulation in the classroom or at home? These ideas, lesson plans, worksheets, games, and activities teach kids self-control and self-discipline while also helping them practice their social skills. Perfect for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school, NT kids and children with autism and other special needs, these activities are great for parents and teachers alike!

Self-Regulation in the Classroom: 17 Zones of Regulation Activities

Anger Management for Kids | Learn how to teach children self-control with these anger management tips for kids. From coping skills and behavior charts to fun kids games and effective stress relief tips and toys, teaching children to control big emotions isn’t as hard as you might think. We’ve even rounded up 26 super fun anger management activities for kids that feel more like play than work!

Anger Management for Kids: 8 Meaningful Ways to Calm Big Emotions

33 sensory diet activities for kids with autism and/or sensory processing disorder | With occupational therapy tools and ideas, this collection of fun activities is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and school-aged kids, and can be practiced both in the home and in the classroom at school. Perfect for parents and teachers alike, we’ve included proprioceptive, vestibular, tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory, and oral motor activities to address all your child's needs!

Sensory diet activities: 33 fun ideas for kids who need sensory input

Self Esteem Activities for Kids: 11 Fun Ways to Develop Self-Respect | If you’re on the hunt for games, crafts, teaching tools, and therapy ideas for girls and boys to help develop self-esteem and self-confidence, you’ve come to the right place! Perfect for parents, teachers, and even elementary school counsellors, this collection of self-esteem activities for kids is perfect for children in preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond.

Self Esteem Activities for Kids: 11 Fun Ways to Develop Self-Respect

Page1 Page2
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Follow Us On Instagram

@Merakilane / #merakilane

‘STOP TRYING TO CALM THE STORM. CALM YOURSELF, T ‘STOP TRYING TO CALM THE STORM. CALM YOURSELF, THE STORM WILL PASS.’ —Unknown . My daughter went back to school virtually today, and while the Type A in me is excited we’re back in some kind of routine, I had forgotten just how chaotic and impractical distance learning is. A province-wide internet outage took down her teacher within 2 hours, shattering any hopes I had of grabbing a little time to myself to get caught up on all of the work stuff I’ve been putting off for the last 3 weeks. I’ve dried tears, prepared snacks, provided new Zoom logins, helped with grade 4 math, and I even made paper plates out of construction paper for a last minute craft. . Wash, rinse, repeat. . All is good in our world again, and soon we’ll dive back into those math problems and whatever else is on tap for homework before I retreat to my office to print off tomorrow’s agenda and worksheets. We’ll all play Roblox before dinner to help us unwind after a crazy day, and I’ll stay up later than I want to tonight trying to get caught up because I know tomorrow will bring more unforeseen challenges, and I hate starting my day feeling behind schedule. . Parenting in a pandemic is extra messy, and if this sh*t storm has taught me anything, it’s that we need to give ourselves a hell of a lot of grace right now. There will be days where we’re super productive and get through everything on our never-ending ‘to do’ lists, but there will be many more days where we feel like we’ve accomplished absolute nothing. . It’s on these difficult days that we need to remind ourselves that our most important job right now is making sure our kids are healthy and happy, and that they feel safe and loved. When they look back on this time, they won’t remember if the house was clean and the laundry was folded, how often we ordered takeout, or if we gained weight. All they will remember is how we showed up for them - even on the days we were struggling to show up for ourselves. . If the return to reality has you feeling overwhelmed today, stop trying to calm the storm. Take a deep breath, get present in this moment, remind yourself what’s important, and focus on that instead. . We’ve got this. 💙
BACK TO REALITY… . Are you ready to get back at BACK TO REALITY… . Are you ready to get back at it? . While we’ve certainly been busy organizing, packing, and getting our new home ready and didn’t really relax as much as we’d hoped to over the holidays, I’ve enjoyed operating at a slower pace the last couple of weeks. We’ve stayed up late, slept in a little bit each morning, had too much to eat and drink, and enjoyed a break from routines and schedules. . Toronto is currently under lockdown, so my daughter is going back to school virtually tomorrow while my husband and I continue to work from home. It’s not ideal, but we’ll make it work and I’m excited to get back into a routine. The time away from my computer helped me reset and recharge, and I feel like I’m starting 2021 with more realistic expectations of myself. And that feels good. . 2020 was definitely not my favorite year, but when I look back at the last 12 months, a lot of really great things came from it. It gave me more time with my husband and daughter and brought us much closer than our busy, pre-2020 lives would’ve ever allowed. It helped me reconnect with friends I had lost contact with due to the craziness that is being a working mom. And it helped me form amazing new friendships that I will cherish forever. . I know 2021 is likely going to be just as challenging - if not more so - as 2020 was, but for the first time since becoming a mom, I finally feel like I have a tribe of people around me. I feel less lonely than I’ve ever felt in my life, which is hilarious since we have been holed up in our house for ~10 months, but it feels pretty amazing. . I’m not sure where I was going with this post, but suffice it to say I’m ready to caffeine and conquer! ☕️
‘ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE. KNOW THAT ‘ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE. KNOW THAT IT IS YOU WHO WILL GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, NO ONE ELSE.’ —Les Brown . I think we can all agree that 2020 was the absolute shits, and I know we’re all looking forward to a chance to start fresh in hopes that the universe will be a little kinder to us in 2021. . Of course, our lives aren’t going to magically go back to the way they were at 12:01 am. It’s not easy to be positive right now, but instead of getting stuck in the suck, remember that the only thing you have control over is your attitude. You can continue to feel sorry for yourself and mourn all the ways your life has changed, or you can straighten your crown and focus on all of the good things happening in your life. . If you dig deep enough, you’ll see that there is so much to be grateful right now. . And if you can’t think of anything that you feel proud of or that brings you joy, then it’s up to you to create it. Accept responsibility for your life. Stop making excuses and be the change you want to see. . Instead of thinking of 2021 as another year of lockdowns and restrictions while we wait for vaccinations to take place and herd immunity to take hold, look at it as an open book. . 12 new chapters. 365 new chances. 🥂
‘BE PRESENT WHERE YOUR FEET ARE.’ —Unknown . ‘BE PRESENT WHERE YOUR FEET ARE.’ —Unknown . What do you do when you have downtime? . I haven’t had time off since last Christmas. We hit the ground running in January as we were planning a 2-week family vacay in March and wanted to do ALL THE THINGS beforehand so we could unplug and enjoy the trip. Our vacation obviously got cancelled, and we’ve been on autopilot ever since. I feel like the pandemic has either made people really busy, or extremely bored. There’s no in-between! . My team and I have been busy working ahead over the past couple of months as I really wanted to unplug and unwind for a few weeks over the holidays and now that the craziness of Christmas is over, I don’t know what to do with myself! . I’m caught up on This Is Us, we finally watched The Undoing, I’m almost done Open Book, I’ve done a lot of drawing on my iPad, I’ve had a lot of wine, I’ve eaten a ton of chocolate, we’ve played games, I’ve done my nails…and I’m bored, lol. But unless I find something else to do, I have to face packing up this house (we’re moving, ya’ll!) and I can’t face that just yet. . 👇🏻how do you unwind?
‘WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? IT IS TENDERNESS FOR THE PAS ‘WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? IT IS TENDERNESS FOR THE PAST, COURAGE FOR THE PRESENT, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.’ —Agnes M. Pahro . The holidays are going to be extra hard for many this year. Whether you’re living under a lockdown with travel restrictions, voluntarily cancelling plans to keep yourself and the ones you loved safe, or dealing with heart-breaking loss, please know that you are not alone. . While we are all navigating the same storm right now, remember that we’re not all in the same boat. If you are lucky enough to be surrounded by excitement and chaos, enjoy the insanity of it all. Embrace the mess and be grateful for all your blessings, and don’t forget to check in with those who are less fortunate than you are. . And if there’s an empty chair at your table due to distance, sickness, or loss, remember that it’s okay to not be okay right now. The holidays can be hard at the best of times, and this year is unlike any we’ve ever experienced. Feel the feels, reach out to others, and be kind to yourself. . Merry Christmas my beautiful friends! 🥂
‘WORRYING IS LIKE PRAYING FOR THE OUTCOME YOU DO ‘WORRYING IS LIKE PRAYING FOR THE OUTCOME YOU DON’T WANT.’ —Denis Morton . This is your Monday morning reminder that no amount of anxiety can change the future, and no amount of regret can change the past. Worrying about something you have no control over does nothing but interfere with your ability to be fully present in this moment. So, inhale the good shit, exhale the bullshit (also a Denis Morton quote), and have faith in your ability to handle whatever life throws at you. ☺️
Is this thing on? . It’s been a MINUTE since I p Is this thing on? . It’s been a MINUTE since I posted here, and I’m not even sure I’m the same person anymore, lol, so I figured I’d re-introduce myself. . My name is Gwen and I’m the founder and managing editor of Meraki Lane - a website dedicated to sharing all of the latest tips and trends to help you be the best version of yourself in the least amount of time. . I’m 43, married to the man of my dreams, and the proud mama of a feisty 9-year-old who has an infectious personality and love for life. I grew up in Singapore, live in Toronto, and have an unhealthy obsession for clothes, shoes, peanut butter, makeup, and my Peloton bike. . I’m also anxious AF. I’ve struggled with high functioning anxiety since I was 9, but you probably wouldn’t even know if you met in IRL. I grew up at a time when mental health challenges were something to be deeply ashamed of and it took a global pandemic for me to finally realize that it’s okay not to be okay. . I’ve been thinking a lot about this little account of mine and how I want it to evolve. I’m never going to be a beauty influencer, I suck at taking photos of my food, and no one on the internet wants to see videos of me working out. While I love seeing other people do these things, they fall way outside of my skill set and comfort zone. . What I can offer is a candid look at my life with anxiety - the things that help me cope, the quotes that make me think, the mantras that keep me grounded, the products I love, and the memes that make me laugh and remind me not to take life too seriously. . My experience with anxiety probably won’t look like yours, but even though I may not be able to relate to your struggles, my hope is that I make you feel a little less alone. 💙
Copyright © 2020 Meraki Lane Inc. · Site by Lennox Creative Co.
Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer