Tygerberg Hills Occupational Therapy

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

Many schools expect 6-year-olds to sit quietly for seven hours a day, five days a week. Minimal movement, long lectures, and rigid schedules are the norm, yet children’s natural energy and curiosity are often overlooked.

When kids struggle to comply, adults frequently label the behavior as defiance, inattention, or a medical issue. This response ignores the fact that the environment itself is misaligned with developmental needs. Young children’s brains are still wiring for focus, self-control, and executive function. Extended sitting and lack of physical activity clash with their neurological development.

This misalignment is not a discipline problem. It is a design problem. Schools are structured around outdated models that prioritize conformity over cognitive growth, creativity, and emotional regulation.

Solutions include integrating movement breaks, hands-on learning, flexible seating, and shorter, interactive lessons. Environments that match developmental stages allow children to focus, learn effectively, and manage their energy naturally.

Understanding that behavior is shaped by context empowers parents and educators to advocate for systems that work with children’s brains, not against them. Proper design nurtures engagement, learning, and wellbeing without punishment or unnecessary labeling.

04/01/2026

Sleepovers are often seen as innocent fun, but research shows they can carry hidden dangers. Studies indicate that seventy percent of childhood abuse occurs during sleepovers, most often by someone the child knows, not strangers.

Children naturally trust familiar faces, which can make them more vulnerable during unsupervised nights. Even well-meaning families may underestimate the risks of leaving children in unfamiliar environments or with peers and adults who are not fully vetted.

Setting boundaries and saying no to certain sleepovers is not overprotection. It is proactive safety. Parents who communicate openly about risks help children understand boundaries without creating fear or shame.

Alternatives such as supervised gatherings, day visits, or structured activities provide opportunities for socialization without compromising safety. Teaching children about consent, awareness, and speaking up empowers them to protect themselves.

Being cautious does not diminish childhood experiences. Protecting children from avoidable risks ensures that fun and social growth do not come at the expense of long-term safety and emotional well-being. Thoughtful supervision can preserve joy while safeguarding health.

28/12/2025

New motherhood makes your brain never shut off due to hormonal shifts, intense neural rewiring and prioritizing baby’s needs (like danger detection via the amygdala, sleep deprivation and the sheer mental load of constant readiness, creating a state of hyper-vigilance that feels like your mind is always “on” for the baby’s safety and needs. This isn’t just brain fog; your brain is physically adapting to bond and protect, but the constant alert as and lack of rest keeps you wired.

🗂️Why the Brain Won’t “Shut Off”

Severe sleep deprivation triggers a persistent stress response cycle that keeps the brain in a state of high alert.

📑Hyper-Vigilance: Lack of sleep leads to hyperactivity in the amygdala, the brain’s emotional and threat-detection center. This creates a state of “on-call”alertness, where the brain remains hyper-sensitive to infant cues (like a quiet whimper) even during rest.

📑HPA Axis Dysregulation: Chronic exhaustion overactivates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, causing elevated cortisol levels. This biochemical stress keeps the body in “survival mode”, making it physically difficult to relax or fall into deep sleep when given the chance.

📑Postpartum Insomnia: Sudden drops in progesterone (which has a calming, sedative effect) and estrogen (which helps regulate the time it takes to fall asleep) can lead to clinical insomnia, where the mind continues to race despite extreme physical fatigue.

🗂️Other Major Effects of New Motherhood on the Brain:

Beyond sleep loss, the transition to motherhood (often called matrescence) involves a profound biological “upgrading” of the brain.

📑Synaptic Pruning: First-time mothers experience a significant reduction in gray matter in regions responsible for social cognition. Rather than a loss of function, this is a “pruning” process that makes the brain more efficient at bonding and understanding a newborn’s nonverbal cues.

📑Enhanced Sensitivity: The brain’s reward centers (driven by dopamine and oxytocin) become more active, making interactions with the baby feel intensely rewarding. This helps ensure the mother prioritizes caregiving over other basic needs like food or rest.

28/12/2025

Writing by hand strengthens learning because it forces your brain to slow down and process meaning. When you form letters, multiple brain regions activate together. These include memory, language, and motor control. This deeper engagement helps information stick longer than typing or scrolling.

Research from University of Stavanger shows stronger brain connectivity during handwriting than keyboard use. Studies by Virginia Berninger and Karin Harman James confirm that handwriting improves recall and concept learning. A landmark study from Princeton University and University of California Los Angeles found that students who handwrote notes understood ideas better than laptop users. If you want durable knowledge, pen and paper still work best.

28/12/2025

Resharing our most popular Quote of the Day of 2025 - November