Family of the week with Katie C.

My family and I live in Billings, Montana. There is myself, my husband Mike, 4-year-old Grace, and our 1-year-old Adeline.

We use routines on a daily basis. We use them for basic living, such as: waking up, eating breakfast, brushing our teeth, and so on throughout the day. We also use them because our daughter Grace is special needs. She is diagnosed with Dyspraxia, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), along with significant developmental delays. Grace functions best when we have a pretty solid routine structure. Much like kids on the Autism Spectrum, she is very set in her routines and she has meltdowns and gets upset when those routines are disrupted or changed.

Grace functions best when we have a pretty solid routine structure.

The kids and I love being outdoors and enjoying the weather when it cooperates (it is Montana after all). My husband or I often take them to the park near our home. We love going to the zoo as well. I work out of the home full-time, and my husband works shifts opposite from me. This way, our kids don’t need to attend daycare, and Grace can attend her therapy appointments easily. The downside is that we don’t spend much family time together. We really try to make the most of the days where we do get a day off, and take a drive to the mountains, or even go see a movie. That is what I consider precious family time. Time when we can make memories as a family and enjoy being together, even if it is for a short time.

I think the Octopus Watch will be a great tool for Grace. Not only can we set up a good routine for her (brush teeth, put on clothes, eat breakfast, go to school…), but now we can incorporate chores (make her bed and feed the dog). We are also going to incorporate a sensory diet as well. We are going to include activities, such as: spinning, swinging, jumping, tumbling, and compression. I think she will love feeling like a “big girl” when she is able to complete tasks on her own.

I firmly believe that structure truly helps kids function and succeed.

I also think that this watch will be great for kids of any ability. I firmly believe that structure truly helps kids function and succeed. I believe that this watch will be great at teaching kids accountability. Instead of us parents constantly nagging our kids, they get a ping from the watch and know it needs to be done. I think younger kids will feel proud when they are able to show some independence.

I think it would be great to include icons, such as: trampoline, a jump rope, a swing or swingset, a merry-go-round, a potty, gymnastics symbol, movie symbol, dinner plate, shoes, shirt & pants, a car, a dog, a bed, crayons/pencils, toothbrush, a medicine symbol, a building symbol (to represent school, store, doctor office…).