We are all familiar with the five senses: taste, touch, vision, hearing, and smell. We also have a movement sense called proprioception that tells us where our body is in space and how much force we are using. Participating in activities that provide heavy work/proprioceptive input to the muscles and joints can be very calming, regulating, and organizing, decreasing stress and anxiety and increasing focus and attention. Heavy work input also helps us better regulate the sensory input coming in from the other sensory systems so we can respond to it more accurately (for example, input like loud noises or the feeling of certain clothing textures). Engaging in heavy work input will help enable your child to follow through with daily activities, such as getting dressed, and following directions. They will also be able to sit still longer because they feel grounded and know where their bodies are.
It is important that the heavy work activities provide the right amount of input for your child. For example, if they are carrying something that is too light, it will not provide any benefit. Conversely, if something is too heavy, it may be frustrating. It is also best to have your child do a functional task. For example, ask them to take something heavy to the kitchen. Possible heavy work activities include: take out the trash and carry a laundry basket to their room, a grocery bag with unbreakable items into the house, a bucket of blocks to the playroom, a pail of water across the backyard, a backpack full of books into the house, or a shopping basket at the store. Carrying heavy items can also be play-based. For example, your child could do turtle walks by placing a large pillow on his back and seeing how long he can crawl around with a “heavy shell” on his back. Using this tool can help children in all zones. Please ask your children to carry a heavy object when you notice they are having difficulty self-regulating.
It is important that the heavy work activities provide the right amount of input for your child. For example, if they are carrying something that is too light, it will not provide any benefit. Conversely, if something is too heavy, it may be frustrating. It is also best to have your child do a functional task. For example, ask them to take something heavy to the kitchen. Possible heavy work activities include: take out the trash and carry a laundry basket to their room, a grocery bag with unbreakable items into the house, a bucket of blocks to the playroom, a pail of water across the backyard, a backpack full of books into the house, or a shopping basket at the store. Carrying heavy items can also be play-based. For example, your child could do turtle walks by placing a large pillow on his back and seeing how long he can crawl around with a “heavy shell” on his back. Using this tool can help children in all zones. Please ask your children to carry a heavy object when you notice they are having difficulty self-regulating.