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Self care refers to all the things we do to keep our bodies safe and healthy. The main areas of self-care for a school-aged child are sleeping, eating/drinking, toothbrushing, dressing, and bathing/grooming.
Research shows that getting enough sleep is extremely important for your child’s development and brain function. Getting your child to go to sleep and stay asleep is often one of the most difficult tasks for a parent, and there are many different opinions about the best ways to do this. We do not support one method over another, but recommend that parents find the method that they feel most comfortable with, and that fits their child and family.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with trying to get your child to sleep, you can talk with your doctor, a public health nurse, an occupational therapist, or another health professional in the community.
It is extremely important for children to brush their teeth twice per day, using fluoride toothpaste. Children under 6 years of age should have an adult finish the job to make sure his teeth are cleaned well. If you have specific questions about how to brush your child’s teeth, please talk to your dentist or another dental health professional.
If you are overwhelmed trying to get your child to brush her teeth, you may want to talk to a dental health professional, to a public health nurse, or to an occupational therapist.
For information about typical developmental milestones for self-care, please click on one of the links below. In each area, you will also find information about when to ask for help.
If you have concerns about your child at any age, please feel free to contact us to speak to a professional. You can also make a referral to our centre at anytime.
R.E.S.T. Workshop
We received physiotherapy for our daughter who was being considered for a helmet for plagiocephaly. From our first appointment to our last, we received wonderful care. The staff at CTFRC were always very friendly, welcoming, and had a great spirit. The Physiotherapist was very kind, gentle and provided us with so much knowledge!
The outlet to have a professional available for help and advice and direction was key in our success, along with the tips, tools and education I received. They are so great at checking in and making sure I know there are supports, if necessary.
Having someone to talk me through the stages and calm my nerves about [my child's] development is what helped me the most. the sessions were always super informative and gave great advice on what to work on with [my child]. Just having the peace of mind that we were on the right track. I appreciate the service so much and I would recommend to any concerned parent!