Thrive Therapy

05/21/2023

If you are in the Kansas City area and you have ever collaborated with, brought your child to or generally been in the vicinity of Marena Mitchell, you know this to be *her* at her core. And it 👏is👏awesome👏.

Preach it sister 🎯🎯🎯 These kids will change the world when adults 1. believe in them 2. TELL them they believe in them & 3. Encourage them to find their flight path & watch them soar 🐥🦅🦚

What if we STOPPED underestimating kids?

👀 What if we viewed each child as competent, incredibly smart, and capable?

😊 What if we spent our time with kids focused on connection, shared joy and genuine admiration?!

😍 What if the connection was based on what the child loves?

➕️ What if we viewed the child in ONLY a positive way?

🙅‍♀️I've been a speech-language pathologist for 18.5 years and a business owner for 10. I've learned one thing that has been consistent. Adults and their agendas are the barriers. Adults' beliefs in the child are either the barrier or the reason for growth. When we let those go and see the child for the amazing human they are, the child shines.🌟🌟🌟

👂Kids know who believe in them. Kids know if you like them. Oh, do they know! They are listening and watching. Show up for them and see the difference it makes.

~Marena Mitchell, Speech-Language Pathologist/Owner

05/09/2023

♥️

It doesn’t matter how you feed your little one, we all do it with love❤️

Photo taken by: Felicia Saunders Photography

01/22/2022

🥳Happy one year birthday Thrive Therapy! 🥳

We are celebrating by announcing that Thrive Therapy is now an in-network provider for select insurance plans! Find out more about the services available at www.wearethrivetherapy.com and contact me directly through messenger, the above website or at Gena@wearethrivetherapy.com for information regarding coverage for your individual or group policy.

Thrive Therapy is a home-based pediatric speech therapy service focusing on infant and early childhood feeding and swallowing as well as early childhood speech, language and AAC therapy. Our mission is to alleviate the barriers families face and allow their children to THRIVE! We serve the Topeka an...

12/06/2021

❤️

I’m really not a fan of the whole “foremilk-hindmilk” chatter…
I think the reason I really dislike it is because it puts the blame on the mother as if something is wrong with your milk. It’s not - your milk is perfect. This isn’t what is going on 🙅‍♀️
First off, you only make one kind of milk! But it’s not “homogenized” so the fat naturally separates out *in your breast*
👉🏻The fat sticks to the sides of your milk ducts and further up near where milk is made
When a baby starts a feed, they initially get this “watery” milk that’s sitting right there at the ni**le. As the feed continues, the fat comes down too. Massaging your breast before and during a feed can help your fat come down, and a letdown especially helps.
So there is just one milk - your breastmilk. So why do we hear about this whole “too much foremilk, not enough hindmilk” stuff?
WELL I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!
When a baby is not feeding well, they are not going to get the fat to come down. They primarily get this “watery” milk… cue:
💨 gassy, fussy baby
💩green, frothy poops
📉 possibly not growing well
But the root cause of those issues has NOTHING to do with your milk. It’s your baby struggling to get your milk out.
📣 It’s a *feeding issue* 📣
You can do all the things that the internet tells you to about “getting the hindmilk”, or “making your milk more fatty”, but if you don’t fix the feeding issue, the problems will just start to stack up.
Your milk is more than just fat. Your baby uses EVERYTHING in your milk to grow ❤️

11/27/2021

🦃🥧🥗🥐

"Just take ONE more bite, then you can have dessert!"
Wouldn't it be nice if there were other ways to help your picky eater finish their meal?! Well there are!

We know that bribing/bargaining is overall ineffective, yet we all do it (Jordan, A. et al., 2020). So, next time you're at the dinner table, try these variations of "eat another bite" that encourages conversations about food rather than making it a battle over control!

If you have experience or advice in this area with your own child or life experiences, we'd love to hear from you in our comments! 🧡🧡🧡

04/02/2021

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
The children with autism I have had the immense privilege to know have taught me a lifetime of lessons too long to list. Let’s start with resilience, JOY, grit, determination and the ability to turn well-meaning, stuffy, boxed-in expectations on their head. Tears of pride well up when I reflect on their many beautiful faces and tender souls. The world is infinitely better with them in it.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

02/21/2021

02/21/2021