Movement and Milestones

02/02/2026

After preparing for over a year - completing my return to practice hours, doing course after course, figuring out all the logistics and stepping outside of the box I started Movement and Milestones.

🤷‍♀️I had no idea how it was going to go and I had no idea if people would even know why kids need physio - after all private physio with kids is not the done thing here in Northern Ireland. But I did know that I had the knowledge, skills and training to help them.

😬So I launched my website, promoted on social media and saw my first patient TWO years ago.

🤩It's been brilliant and I have loved it (except the admin - I do not like that at all!)

💙 Thank you for entrusting me with your child, for following my advice, for sharing my details and for following along on social media.

Hoping to keep growing over the next two!

30/01/2026

🌟🌟NEW CLINIC 🌟🌟

I have been saying it for years and now I am getting to be a part of it!

So excited for this new monthly childrens clinic in partnership with

Get in touch for more info.

29/01/2026

✨️Why milestones matter

Tummy time alternatives

1️⃣ Tummy time on mum or dads chest - a lovely way to do tummy time as babies love to look at faces. Bend elbows in under shoulders and support the shoulders.

2️⃣ Carry baby over your arm - I love this one because you dont have to take extra time out of your already busy day! And baby can lie their head down on your arm when they get tired.

3️⃣ Once babies are 6m they want to be up and playong at a vertical surface is a great way to do 'tummy time.' I love using a baby walker or an activity table inclined up against the sofa.

⤵️Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these

28/01/2026

✨Why milestones matter?

Let me start by saying tummy time is not the be all and end all. It is important to vary a babies play positions - back, tummy, side lying and supported sitting.

Little and often is the way to go especially if your baby struggles with tummy time.

If your baby finds tummy time challenging then check back in a couple of days and I’ll show you some alternatives which will help.

27/01/2026

✨Why milestones matter

From around 4 months babies will start to bring their feet up off the floor and eventually into their mouth.

Here are a couple of play ideas to encourage that skill and build tummy strength.

23/01/2026

Had a lovely visit to P2 Bloomfield Primary School to talk to them all about physiotherapy and how fun my job is!

23/01/2026

✨Why milestones matter?

In this little mini series on milestones we are going to look at what else is happening.

From the outside we see a baby move or reach a certain a milestone but behind the scenes there is so much more going on in babies brain and body.

Babies should be playing with their feet around 4/5 months.

21/01/2026

Lovely review 💙

19/01/2026

Amazing!!

This is a fabulous opportunity for your little one and their pre school year.

I hope over time we see more pre schools and schools realising that children need to move and play in their early years and beyond 🙂

Have you heard we are opening Northern Ireland’s first ever purpose built Forest Pre- School THIS SEPTEMBER?

We’ve been very busy transforming our new Forest area into something truly unique and amazing.

Here’s what a typical day may look like-

🐞 8:45- Arrival & welcome- children settle in using the self register and gather at the welcome circle to discuss any exciting news they may have to tell and the plans for the day ahead.

🐛 9:15- Forest exploration- free play with child initiated activities including exploring, practical skills, creative play, and physical challenge.

🦢 10:20- Campfire snack- may include toast, pancakes, muffins, Clandeboye yoghurt & fruit

🌳 10:40- Story and rhymes around the campfire.

🕷️ 11:00- Focused Activities- eg fire lighting, cutting firewood, tool use, nature craft.

🔥 12 noon- Packed lunch

🌺 12:25- Adventure walk through the wonderful Clandeboye woods/ games

🏡 1pm- Tidy up, Goodbye circle where children express what they’ve learned and what they have enjoyed most that day. Prepare for home.

🌳For more information don’t hesitate to contact us at preschool@learningwithoutwalls.net

16/01/2026

✨ 2016

Jumping on this trend because 2016 was a big year for us.

🤰I started off the year very very pregnant and had my second son at the beginning of February. He was the best wee (and rather large!) baby.

Over the next few months we got used to life with a baby and toddler and prepared to leave NI and move to Haiti.

🇭🇹 In June we packed up our stuff, rented our house out and moved to Haiti. Our boys were 2 and 4 months.

☀ They loved being outside all day everyday and we enjoyed taking them to the beach and the pool. But they did spend most of their time on our campus where we lived, our toddler stopped wearing shoes and my baby learned to crawl and stand on concrete paths and stony roads.

👧I started working part time Bethesda Medical Center and this was the beginning of the physio department being set up there. This is where I learned so much about working with children and how to work with limited resources. This experience has helped me so much in what I do now.

It was quite the life.

Hard but good.

What followed was

Fuel shortages
Insecurity
Road blocks
Protests
Adoption
A new physio department with Haitian staff
Two evacuations from Haiti
Two Canadian winters
Many many many flights
Living in three different countries
Starting Movement and Milestones.

Maybe the next ten won't be as crazy 😂

#2016

15/01/2026

Here are some truths around babies and their milestones.

1. Lazy babies don’t exist. Sure some our more motivated to move than others but they are all born with an intrinsic desire to move. When they don’t there is a reason for that.

2. I can speak from first hand experience here. One of my children was 11lb1…. At birth 😬. He followed a typical pattern of development and met all of his milestones at the appropriate time. The size of your baby has nothing to do with whether they reach their milestones or not.

3. Given the right environment and opportunity a baby will follow a typical pattern of development. With weakness or tightness or a neurological issue then the pattern won’t be typical - a baby will then a struggle to meet a milestones or skip it altogether but this is not typical. Check back tomorrow to hear about a baby who demonstrated this beautifully after a couple of treatment sessions.

Next week we will have a look at why milestones matter and what is going on behind the scenes when a baby is learning a new skill.

06/01/2026

👶 The first baby clinic is this Saturday 10th January and we have one appointment left at 9.30am.

This clinic will specifically address any developmental concerns you have about your baby. The appointment will last between 45 - 60 minutes and you will come away with treatment, advice, guidance and a booklet of helpful activities to help your baby with their gross motor milestones.

DM if you would like the last slot. The next one won't be until February.