Sometimes I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to find the right sensory strategies for our kids. The right routine. The right activity. The thing that's finally going to make mornings, school, shopping or homework easier.
But honestly, so much of the sensory support that happens in our house doesn't look like a “sensory strategy” at all.
It's the fidget I've thrown in my handbag before we go out.
The headphones we grab because somewhere might be noisy.
A squishy sitting in the cupholder of the car.
Five minutes jumping on the trampoline before we need to get dressed.
Not asking a million questions the second the boys get in the car after school.
They're tiny things. Half the time I don't even really think about them anymore. But they make things just that little bit easier. And I've realised over time that “a little bit easier” actually matters a lot.
A fidget isn't going to make an overwhelming supermarket suddenly not overwhelming. But it might give busy hands something predictable to do while we're waiting at the checkout.
Headphones aren't going to make a loud assembly quiet. But they might make it possible to stay in the room.
Five minutes of movement isn't going to change everything that happened during a long school day. But it might help a body that's been holding it together all day start to let some of that tension out.
And sometimes that's enough.
I think we can overlook these things because they seem too simple to really count as support.
It's just a fidget.
They're just headphones.
It's only five minutes.
But if something reduces how hard your child's nervous system has to work to get through something, I'd say it counts.
And the other thing I've learned is that support doesn't always need to be something we add.
Sometimes it's removing something.
One less demand after school.
Not rushing the transition.
Letting them stay in the car for another few minutes.
Not expecting conversation straight away.
Giving them a bit more time.
None of this is particularly groundbreaking. And I think that's kind of the point. Sensory support doesn't have to be complicated or Pinterest-worthy. It doesn't need to involve a perfectly planned sensory routine or a cupboard full of equipment.
Sometimes it's just noticing the little things that already help.
What does your child naturally reach for when they're overwhelmed? What makes getting out the door a little easier? What seems to help after school, during homework, or when you're somewhere busy?
You don't need to start tracking everything or turn it into another job. Just notice. Because those little patterns can tell us a lot. So if things have been feeling hard lately, maybe the question isn't always:
What else should I be doing?
Maybe it's:
What's already making this a little bit easier?
And can we do a little more of that?
Small moments really can have a big impact.
Liz
Written by Liz - social worker, sensory mum, and the human behind The Sensory Sloth.
