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Rachel McFedries

Occupational Therapist | play educator

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Tag: community

Posted on July 11, 2019July 11, 2019

How Alexa Helps Us Stay Off Screens

Yes I know. It seems a little counter-intuitive, doesn't it? Bring a "smart device" into your home, and it will reduce the time your kids…

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Posted on October 4, 2018November 1, 2018

The Stages of Changing to Plastic Free

The move to removing single use plastic bags from our economy is coming, with one of NZ's leading supermarket chains removing them from use next…

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Posted on August 23, 2018

The Gift Experience That Keeps on Giving: A Tram and Gondola Pass

For the last couple of years my husband has gotten a Christchurch Tram and Gondola annual pass for Fathers' Day. The first one was a…

Continue reading → The Gift Experience That Keeps on Giving: A Tram and Gondola Pass

Posted on November 19, 2017November 19, 2017

A Home Birth Story – part two: baby’s arrival

In my last post, I wrote about preparing for a home birth. I left that post being taken straight back to feeling heavily pregnant - 38…

Continue reading → A Home Birth Story – part two: baby’s arrival

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“I could fit inside your tummy I think, if I curled up really small” ~ Mr 6 😳 Errrr I don’t think so dude! . Seriously these guys are so intrigued by the whole pregnancy and birth process. It’s been really neat to involve them in the journey. It’s a very different experience having older kids this time - our age gaps are small so the boys were only 2.5 and almost 4 when their little sister was born! Seriously, the things they come up with are rather amusing 😆 . One of the reasons I’m looking forward to another home birth is so that these guys can experience it alongside us. I know it’s an entirely personal thing, but for our family (and me) as long as they have a support person alongside, I welcome them to be part of their siblings’ birth. It’s a pretty magical thing to witness and helps to normalise birth for them! Our eldest still remembers snippets from his sister’s birth and talks about it with us occasionally ❤️ . Did you have your older children at a sibling’s birth? . #homebirth #family #mumofthree #threekids #soontobefour #siblings #birth #birthwithoutfear #empoweredbirth #pregnancy #35weeks #midwivesareawesome #kidquotes #funnythingskidssay #sixyearolds
I don’t really care about certificates or reading levels. I don’t really care about where my kids are “up to” on the curriculum. I don’t really care about those things at all. . THIS is what I care about. THIS is what makes me proud. . That they made their own mud pit. That they made up imaginary games in it for hours. That they crafted a bridge out of a perfectly formed muddy sandy clay mix. That they helped each other and worked as a team. That they invited their little sister into play. That they helped wash her down after she got all muddy. That they had a water fight, laughed with each other, and gave little sister a lick of an ice block after she fell and grazed her knee. . That they can play for hours on end. That they care about one another and show empathy. That they are creative, happy, and settled. . THIS is what I am proud of. . #freeplay #letthembelittle #playallday #playoutside #natureplay #backyardplay #mudplay #mymagicalmoments #mytinymoments #childhoodunplugged #parenting #schoolholidays #brothers
Wet chalk painting 🎨 a relaxing Friday afternoon creative session for the three kids at my house this afternoon 💖 They loved colour mixing and creating masterpieces. The wet chalk is a beautiful smooth texture, lovely to draw with and mix! . The best thing about this is you can start off with dry chalk, extend that to making the chalk wet💧then extend it some *more* by introducing different textures/things to draw on 🙌. I added some large flat stones when they were almost finished colouring the wood and it kept them engaged for a wee while longer 🌟 . They were so proud of their masterpieces. Ages 5, 3, and 2 years. . Have been dying to try this since seeing it on @naturallycuriouschildren’s account in the middle of our NZ Winter 😆 finally getting outside more now that it’s Spring ☀️
Have you ever wondered why an Occupational Therapist is so passionate about play? I mean, don’t OT’s just go into people’s workplaces and assess their workspaces? 🤔😆 . Occupational therapy as a whole can be a very misunderstood profession. People assume the term “occupation” is related to people getting jobs, keeping jobs, etc. And whilst that’s true in some roles, it’s just a tiny slice of OT world. . It can be helpful to think of the term “occupation” as “activity”. And for kids, their main activity/job is PLAY. . Play is how children learn, grow, develop and thrive. Occupational Therapists are experts in analysing the occupation of play! . And if something is a barrier to play, then we can help problem solve and recommend solutions. . Which is why I talk so much about screen time, which can be a major barrier to play. If parents are having to manage the resulting screen time tantrums, withdrawal, and settling their kids back into play, it can result in *less time* overall in play. Settled, child-led free play helps kids thrive. . It goes to say I’m pretty obsessed with play and helping families on their journeys to ‘less screens, more play’. I love chatting play, barriers to play, managing screens in a healthy realistic way, and thriving kids. . Play is the way. Play is a child’s work. Play is magic!
“Mum why are you always holding your tummy, does it feel like the baby’s going to fall out?” {Mr 6}. Why yes son, yes it does! . 34 weeks and I think I might go into hibernation. That way I can avoid all of the “wow, when are you due?” questions. All of the aches and pains are now full force upon me: sore hips, braxton hicks, leg cramps, reflux, ummmmm what else?! Oh yeah, swollen feet. I’m tempted to park in the accessible parking spots wherever I go just to avoid walking any distances... that would be ok, right?! . Starting to s l o w down, which is a good thing. I pretty much can’t handle a full day with the kids because it involves too much physical being on my feet type of work. Give me the couch please! . Nesting is full force with sorting out baby clothes, setting up the Moses Basket, oh and let’s not forget making a birth plan (aka “let’s just see what happens/you’ve got this Mama!). . Let’s hope the next six weeks fly by. In the meantime I’ve started a wee bit of Christmas shopping seeing as I’ll be a bit busy come December! . #whenareyoudue #sixmoreweeks #34weeks #34weekspregnant #nesting #babynumber4 #familyofsix #pregnancy #babymama #mumoffour #overit #realtalk
Just working through changing my profile over. Over the last year I feel I’ve outgrown The Stay at Home OT. My blog name has served me well... it has helped me keep my identity as an OT throughout the journey of mothering. I love blogging and will still keep it up when I can! Next year I will still be a “Stay at Home OT” with a wee infant at home buuuuut I feel like I’m leaving that name behind. . So now you get my very original personal name. Even though my last name is incredibly hard for some people to “get” 😆 No clever business name for me over here folks! . #onlineentrepreneur #occupationaltherapist #otmom #mumssupportingmums
Hitting ‘send’ on this article to Family Times Editor @kinetabooker felt scary. Why? Because for me, it was quite a vulnerable article to write. It touches on the reality of how bad our screen time was and the struggle I went through cutting it back. It’s a piece in which I put myself out there, as I truly believe that it’s a common issue for more families of young children, and aren’t we all just trying to do our best? . Have you read it yet? I popped it up onto my ‘online course’ highlights reel if you want to take a look. And of course, hit me up in a DM if you want help to do the same in your fam x . Let me know your thoughts! . #lesscreentime #moreplaytime #screentime #nomoresquareeyes #nmse #onlinecourse #onlineentrepreneur #occupationaltherapist #otmom #mumssupportingmums #preschoolers #earlychildhood #evidencebasedparenting #parenting #mumlife #momlife #nzblogger #published
That stat about two year olds is kiiiind of encouraging (be nice if it was lower though!) but that stat about four year olds 😕. . Why is this important? It’s important because: . 🛴 less screen time means less risk of obesity, Dr visits, illnesses, and hyperactive behaviour for our kids! 🏥 it means a healthier New Zealand in the long run, saving our nation’s future. 💵 it means saving our health system money in the long run. 🌳 it means setting our kids up to be healthier youth and adults as they grow! . Don’t get me wrong: I’m not advocating for perfect parenting and no screens at all *if you still want to use them*. Just try to be mindful and stick to the guidelines. . If you’re after help with managing your kids’ screentime, then check out the link in my bio x . Ref: MSD (2019) Government Report on the Effects of Screen Time and Preschoolers
Even though I had a super busy day today, it was nice to take a moment to stop and smell the roses (daffodils) with these two. Only 8 more weeks until their little sister arrives! . Super comfy maternity top kindly gifted by @mrssmithclothing. I’ll be wearing this one all summer as it’s breastfeeding friendly 🌟

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