My friend, M is an amazing mama, and she did her research and figured out some things that would help make a difficult transition as easy as possible for their new little man!
One recommendation M found during her research was a "beanbag bath". Patty Cogen writes in her book, Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child:
Many, although not all, children feel soothed by broad, deep pressure on their bodies. While in utero the fetus experiences pressure from the surrounding fluid and uterine muscles. Parents in many cultures swaddle newborn babies to reproduce this sense of containment. For an older child, parents can duplicate this pressure-induced sense of calm and security in two ways: One is what I call a 'beanbag bath'. . .both techniques help raise your child's level of 'Parent Juice' to encourage your child to stay close to you and feel calm and relaxed. To start a beanbag bath, lie on the floor and place several large beanbags on your body. . . then have the children try it, etc. (166)
So when I asked M what I could get for her as a "baby gift", she asked for these large beanbags.
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| Large green beanbag, 18x18, 3 lbs |
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| Large orange print beanbag, 18x18, 3 lbs |
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| And the bags together |
I also learned that beanbags similar to these are helpful for children with sensory processing difficulties. Since these bags have therapeutic value, they are, of course more expensive. A friend sent me this link for a therapeutic beanbag. Granted the bag in the link has more features than my simple 18x18 beanbag, but I must confess I balked at the price tag of almost $93.
I am not a certified dealer or maker or anything of therapeutic materials (yes, that's a disclaimer!), but I would love to work with parents on making something similar for their children with sensory processing difficulties. Contact me with your needs and what you think will work for your child. A base price for a set of 2 18x18 beanbags, when I buy the materials, is $45 + shipping. Let me know your color, fabric and bean preferences!
We can work together on any extra features that you would like for your child, and talk about pricing as we get just what you need.
This is very interesting. How do you get the "beans" in the beanbag to stay flat and not bunch up? Do you lay them on the child when they're sleeping?
ReplyDeleteI actually used lentil beans for this bag. I'm going to try popcorn for future bags to avoid any mildew issues should the bags get wet. These lay flat because there's lots of space. The bags are so big, that there's room for 3 lbs of beans to move around inside the bag. My guess is that the parents or kids for that matter can then shape the bags indifferent ways to have more or less pressure on the part of their body that feels right for them.
ReplyDeleteI'm also going to check on the price and texture of waterproof materials in case anyone would like beans specifically for their shape and feel rather than popcorn.
Cristy made these beanbags for my three year old son who has had limited sensory exposure. When the beanbags arrived, he put them straight into his bed (the place where he hoardes everything he really loves!)
ReplyDeleteHe also enjoys pulling them around in his wagon, showing me how strong he is (and using his core muscles and producing endorphins at the same time.
This morning, after a difficult transition, he walked to the living room, sat on the floor, and quietly pulled a beanbag onto his lap. Perfect!