activities of daily living
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What Are Daily Living for Preschoolers and Kindergartners?
Activities of daily living include activities surrounding personal hygiene, managing personal belongings and mealtime activities. Simple Ways Parents Can Teach Activities of Daily Living Parents should recognize that teaching their children ADLs is just as important as promoting the development of communication and cognitive skills. Parents can take simple measures to help their children develop ADLs, such as teaching them to feed a pet or help with the dishes. Putting away toys is an essential ADL for children, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. Parents can turn it into a fun activity by creating timed races around the action to encourage participation. Parents can also emphasize the benefits of helping with activities like sweeping the floor. This will create value in the activity by not labeling it as an “obligation.” Dusting is another key ADL, and it’s vital for parents to stress its importance as they teach children. Parents can do this by explaining that dusting can help prevent allergy symptoms from starting. When the kids are old enough to help with dishes, it’s important to break down the process. This can be accomplished by teaching them how to dry dishes. Utilizing a little creativity can help teach children the ADL of putting dirty clothes in the hamper. For instance, kids can learn to utilize a reach-and-grab tool for picking up clothes. When it comes to sorting laundry, it’s essential to allowing children to categorize the dirty clothes. This can be done by either size, color, or fabric. Making the bed is an essential ADL that can be easily overlooked. To prevent this, parents could establish a monetary reward system that includes “fines” if the chore isn’t completed. The ADL of washing hands may be automatic for parents, but it’s not for children. To make it a routine act, parents could tape a graphic of the hand-washing process near the sink as a reminder. Brushing teeth is also a crucial step in maintaining proper personal hygiene. Parents can work with their kids here by breaking down the process into specific steps. If parents have a pet at home, they can turn the animal’s mealtime into an ADL. To do so, they can use a designated container that’s marked with a line to show ho much food to provide. Finally, watering plants can be a useful way to develop ADLs. Parents can teach children how to help here by placing a marked Popsicle stick into each plant’s pot to indicate how much water needs to be poured. Source: https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/11-tips-for-teaching-activities-of-daily-living/ |