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More Than Just Toilet Training

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More Than Just Toilet Training:
Understanding What’s Really Behind the Challenge

As we continue exploring our 2026 theme, Reclaiming Potential with Clarity, we’re looking beyond the challenge of toilet training and asking an important question: what’s really happening for my child?

Toilet training is one of those parenting milestones that almost every family experiences differently.

Some children seem to master it quickly, while others need a little more time, support and understanding. If you’ve ever wondered why your child isn’t quite “getting it” yet, you’re not alone.

At Explore and Soar, we know that successful toileting isn’t just about learning to use the toilet. It’s about understanding what your child’s body is telling them and helping them develop the skills they need to respond confidently.

Understanding Your Child’s Body

Toileting is one of our everyday self-care skills, just like eating, sleeping, dressing and showering. One of the biggest helpers in learning these skills is a sensory system called interoception.

Interoception is our body’s internal messenger. It tells us when we’re hungry, thirsty, tired, too hot, too cold, if we are in pain or when we need to use the toilet. As children grow, they gradually learn to recognise these body signals and respond to them. For some children, this awareness develops naturally, while others need extra support to understand what their body is trying to tell them.

There Is Often More Than One Reason

If your child is finding toileting difficult, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not trying. Sometimes there are underlying reasons that make toileting more challenging. These might include:

  • Difficulty recognising when they need to use the toilet.
  • Reduced core strength or gross motor skills, making it harder to sit and balance.
  • Challenges following the sequence of toileting.
  • Sensory sensitivities around the toilet environment.
  • Retained reflexes that may influence continence.
  • Feeling worried or uncertain about using the toilet or public toilets such as school or community.

Understanding why your child is finding toileting difficult helps us choose the right strategies to support them.

Our Favourite Strategies

Every child is different, so there isn’t one approach that works for everyone. However, these are some of our favourite ways to support children as they learn.

  • Wait until your child begins showing awareness of being wet or needing the toilet.
  • Talk through each step of toileting as it happens. Children learn so much by watching, listening and joining in.
  • Use visual schedules to break the routine into manageable steps.
  • Make sure everyone supporting your child uses the same approach at home, preschool or school.
  • Keep the experience positive and playful with songs, encouragement, rewards where needed and praise. 
  • If your child needs extra support, don’t be afraid to ask for help early. 

Before You Begin… Our Biggest Piece of Advice is Simple

Observe your child. Notice when they seem aware of needing the toilet. Notice what they find easy. Notice what feels difficult. Notice what happens before accidents occur.

The more we understand what is happening for your child, the easier it becomes to choose strategies that support their success. Remember, toilet training is not a race.

Every child develops at their own pace, and progress will rarely be a straight line. There will be successes, setbacks and plenty of learning along the way. Be patient with your child and just as importantly, be kind to yourself.

We’re Here to Help

At Explore and Soar, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to participate confidently in everyday life, and toileting is no different. If you’re feeling unsure about where to start, or your child is finding toileting particularly challenging, we’d love to help. Speak with your treating therapist or contact the Explore & Soar team by calling 0477 708 217 or sending an email to admin@exploreandsoar.com.au.

Together, we can understand what’s happening, build the right foundations and support your child to achieve greater confidence and independence.

Until next time,
Jess

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2026

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Strong Hands Through Play Building Confidence, One Squeeze at a Time

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Strong Hands Through Play:
Building Confidence, One Squeeze at a Time

As we continue exploring our 2026 theme, Reclaiming Potential with Clarity, we’re focusing this month on fine motor development and one question we often hear from families is “why does my child find tasks like handwriting, buttoning clothes, using cutlery or opening containers so difficult?”

While these activities may seem simple, they rely on strong and coordinated muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists.

When children find these tasks challenging, it’s important to look beyond the skill itself and understand the foundations that support it. Questions we might ask include:

  • Does your child have difficulty sitting for a period of time?
  • Does your child tire easily when writing?
  • Do they prefer using their hands instead of utensils or pencils during the day?
  • Do they become frustrated with dressing tasks?
  • Do they struggle to manipulate small objects?

These challenges can sometimes indicate that the muscles and coordination skills within the hands are still developing. Often, when families come to us with concerns about fine motor development, one of the tools we may introduce is Theraputty. It might look like a simple piece of putty, but when used purposefully, it can help strengthen the foundations needed for many everyday activities.

What is Theraputty?

One tool occupational therapists often use to support hand strength and fine motor development is Theraputty, a resistive putty that looks similar to playdough but provides greater resistance, making the muscles in the hands and fingers work harder. At Explore & Soar, we regularly use Theraputty in therapy sessions and may recommend it as part of a home program to support ongoing skill development.

The best part? Children often see it as play, while we know they’re building important foundations for everyday activities.

Why Do We Use It?

Theraputty can help develop:

  • Hand and finger strength
  • Pencil grasp and control
  • Coordination
  • Bilateral hand use
  • Dexterity and manipulation skills
  • Independence in everyday tasks
  • Engagement for extended period of time

These skills support participation in activities such as handwriting, dressing, eating, craft, construction play and many other daily routines.

Making Strengthening Fun

One of the reasons we love Theraputty is its versatility. There are endless ways to make strengthening engaging and playful.

Some of our favourite activities include:

  • Rolling the putty into balls or snakes
  • Pinching scales onto a snake using fingertips
  • Squashing it into pancakes or pizzas
  • Hiding small objects inside for a treasure hunt
  • Creating letters and names with rolled pieces
  • Stretching, pulling and squeezing with both hands

These activities help strengthen little hands while keeping children motivated and engaged.

Strong Hands Create Opportunities

At Explore & Soar, we know that fine motor development is about much more than strengthening hands.

It is about supporting your children, engaging with their friends, getting ready in the morning and having fun whilst doing it. By focusing on fine motor development, we’re helping our children to develop strong, coordinated hands which can help to;

  • Write with greater confidence
  • Manage dressing tasks more independently
  • Use cutlery effectively
  • Engage in craft activities
  • Participate in classroom tasks
  • Develop confidence in everyday life

When we understand the foundations behind a challenge, we can provide support that is purposeful, specific and meaningful for every child and family we work with. 

That is what Reclaiming Potential with Clarity is all about.

We’d love to Support Your Family

If you’ve noticed your child finding fine motor tasks difficult, or you’re wondering whether additional support may help, we’d love to have that conversation with you. Speak with your treating therapist or contact the Explore & Soar team by calling 0477 708 217 or sending an email to admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

Together, we can explore what is behind the challenge and support your child to build the foundations for confidence, participation and success.

Until next time,
Sophie

PUBLISHED JULY 2026

Home Resources

Here is a visual Theraputty home program handout we’ve created for you to start today.

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What’s Really Behind Your Child’s Gross Motor Skills?

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What’s Really Behind Your Child’s Gross Motor Skills?

Let’s Begin at the Start

From the very beginning of life, your child is learning how to move. In the early months, this may look like curling into your chest, lifting their head during tummy time, pushing up through their arms, rolling from side to side, or reaching for a toy. As they grow, these early movements become crawling, sitting, pulling to stand, climbing, walking, running and jumping.

These are not just milestones – they are building their foundations of ‘Motor Patterns’ that support how to move in space, how much force to use, move both sides of the body together, and how to feel safe and steady in an organised, coordinated and confident way. All motor patterns stem from our reflexes, here’s the blog link to learn more.

This is why occupational therapists often look beyond whether a child can complete a skill and focus on how they move. A child may be able to run, climb or jump, but still use extra tension, speed, effort or avoidance to stay in the activity instead of moving with ease and control. Understanding these foundational movement patterns helps us identify what a child’s body may still be learning.

Flexion and Extension: Learning to Move the Body In and Out with Control

One of the earliest motor patterns children develop is flexion and extension. 

  • Flexion is the body’s ability to curl, bend and bring the body inwards. 
  • Extension is the ability to straighten, push, lift and move against gravity. 

These patterns begin during tummy time, rolling and floor play as babies learn to balance curling up, bringing their hands and feet into the middle of their body and stretching movements, lifting up their head, pushing arms up and away from the body. As children grow, this foundation supports sitting upright, climbing, running, jumping, landing and changing direction.

When flexion and extension are well developed, children move with more ease and control through the front and back of their body. Their body can activate when needed and relax afterwards. They may be able to sit, play, climb and move without constantly needing to adjust their body.

When this pattern is still developing, some children may use different strategies to help feel in control:

  • Hold tension through their neck, shoulders or body to stay upright
  • Move stiffly or brace themselves
  • Appear rigid in movements
  • Collapsed, slouch, lean on furniture or tire easily
  • Lying down often
  • Tiring quickly
  • Prefer to be inside to play than outside
  • Struggle to maintain attention and regulation because so much energy is used to stabilise the body

In occupational therapy, activities such as rolling, climbing, swinging, rough play, bouncing on exercise balls and crashing into mats are used in a tailored way. This helps children build body awareness and movement control in a playful fun way. 

The beauty of all of these activities is that they can also be done at home, in your backyard or at a park with a grassy hill and swings.

Top and Bottom: Learning to Stabilise for Movement together

Top and bottom motor patterns refer to how the upper body and lower body work together. Children need to develop stability through their hips, legs, trunk, shoulders and arms so that their body can move in an organised way.

This foundation supports:

  • Crawling and climbing
  • Jumping and balancing
  • Stepping over objects 
  • Walking on uneven surfaces
  • Moving safely through playgrounds
  • Standing at the sink to brush teeth
  • Balancing whilst putting pants on 
  • Climbing into the car
  • Sitting at a table for drawing or eating

When this pattern is working well, a child can keep their body steady while their arms or legs move. Their movement looks more controlled and organised.

When it is still developing, movement may look effortful or less coordinated. Children may:

  • Move their whole body as one piece
  • Arms or head collapses during movements or forget arms or legs when climbing – moving arms first or only legs. 
  • Seek crashing or movement to feel more organised
  • Avoid movement because it feels unpredictable
  • Use momentum to move through an activity and not activation of muscles.

OT sessions often target this pattern through obstacle courses, balancing on beams, climbing over, under or through equipment, crawling through tunnels and pushing balls, and stepping stone activities, moving through crash mats that combine movement with stability in a fun and meaningful way. 

What has been a fun obstacle course or activity that your children have loved? Was it made at home or somewhere in your community?

Left and Right: Building Coordination, Rhythm and Flow

The left and right motor pattern is how the two sides of the body work together. This includes using both sides of the body at the same time; alternating sides, crossing the middle of the body, using one side to stabilise while the other side completes a task and coordination movements smoothly.  

This pattern develops through crawling, walking, climbing and later supports:

  • Ball skills
  • Riding bikes or scooters
  • Playground games
  • Sport and dance
  • Motor planning and coordination

When left and right integration is well developed, movement looks rhythmic and automatic.

When this pattern is still developing, children may:

  • Rely heavily on one side of the body
  • Avoid crossing the middle
  • Swap hands during activities
  • Find ball skills or bike riding difficult
  • Struggle with coordination during play
  • Avoid playground equipment
  • Look more effortful and hard work to keep going 
  • They may know what they want to do, but their body may not yet know how to put the movement together smoothly

These challenges can also affect social participation when games feel too fast or unpredictable. This can become too overwhelming and have difficulty adjusting their body to the environment and others around them. 

In OT, activities such as crawling, animal walks, climbing, scooter boards, swings and throwing games help both sides of the body work together through timing and rhythmicity while building confidence and body awareness.

Why These Foundations Matters Beyond Gross Motor Skills

Motor patterns are important because they sit underneath so many of the skills families care about. They support:

  • Running, jumping and climbing
  • Handwriting and sitting posture
  • Dressing and toileting
  • Using cutlery and opening lunchboxes
  • Participating and joining in school, sport and family life

Movement foundations are also closely linked to emotional regulation. When a child’s body feels organised and stable movement can help them feel calm, alert and manage emotions. When movement feels unstable, effortful or unclear, the body has to work harder, children may appear avoidant, frustrated, silly or overwhelmed.

Reclaiming Potential with Clarity

When your child is bouncing on an exercise ball, crashing into mats, crawling through tunnels, swinging, climbing, rolling, balancing, pushing or pulling, they are not just playing. They are learning how to organise their body, use their muscles with control, understand where they are in space, coordinate both sides of their body, be more confident in movement and feel safe in their environment. By understanding motor patterns, we can look beneath the surface and see what a child’s body may still be learning. 

Check out some previous blogs that may give you ideas on what you can do in the community and different gross motor activities you can do at home that target your tummy neck and shoulder muscles.

Occupational therapy uses purposeful play to strengthen these foundational motor patterns so bigger skills can develop with more ease. By understanding what sits underneath movement, we can better support children exactly where they are in their development. If you have been wondering whether your child could benefit from this kind of support, we would love to have that conversation with you. Reach out to your treating clinician or touch base with us here or call 0477 708 217.

Until next time,
Maddie

If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

PUBLISHED JUNE 2026

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The Juggle of Life: Getting Back to Basics

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The JUGGLE OF LIFE:
GETTING BACK TO BASICS

Every year around this time, life just seems to be a little busier, a little more chaotic – another appointment to juggle or follow up on, another school event or sporting activity – sometimes it feels like we tick one thing off the to-do list and add five more in its place. It’s the kind of busy that comes with parenting any number of children while also juggling some level of employment.

Why does it feel like families of children 0-14 years are so busy?

Facts: Did you know?

  • In June 2025, 44% of all Australian families had children or dependents aged between 0-14years.
  • Around 82% of families are classed as couple families, while 16% are classed as single parent families. 
  • Of all the couple families, 73% have both parents employed, with another 22% with one parent employed. 
  • The percentage of dual employed parents has risen over the last 20 years (2005-2025) by over 10%.
  • Single parent families also have a high rate of employment with 71% of single mothers and 81% of single fathers employed. 

(Labour Force Status of Families, June 2025)

For comparison, in June 1990, 49% of couple families were both employed (Labour Force Status and other Characteristics of Families, Australia, June 2000).  

No wonder parents or caregivers of children under the age of 14 are feeling so time poor and exhausted! This is such a drastic contrast compared to some of the experiences of our parents, yet we still aim to provide our children with similarities to our childhoods. We are generally trying to fit more ‘things’ into our lives now, more than ever before, without enough time in the day to do it all.

As parents, how can we support ourselves in ‘Reclaiming our Potential with Clarity’ in 2026?

How can we, as working parents or caregivers, get back to basics so we do not burn out or feel the parental guilt that we should be doing more? 

Work out what our non-negotiables are

What are your values? What are your boundaries? How can you try to protect and ensure that each day, week, month as the year goes on, you are keeping these non-negotiables at the forefront of your planning. 

Prioritise connection

As humans, we need connection of some form. It is hardwired into our brains. We need to feel a sense of belonging to a community – be it our immediate family, our friends, a community or sporting group. Prioritise how you can ensure you have connections sprinkled across your week.

Give yourself some grace; be flexible; be ok to say ‘no’.

Not every day or every week is going to be smooth sailing. There are going to be times where we need to be able to pivot because priorities change, life throws us a curve ball. We need to be ready, accept and be able to adapt in the moment. It doesn’t mean that you are failing because you were late to an appointment, or to soccer training. It doesn’t mean you do not care if you have to reschedule a coffee catch up with a friend. It just means in that moment, a different priority presented itself and needed to adapt. That could be an appointment for your child, or that your child is needing more connection and time with you and needs you to be present to watch their soccer training rather than dropping them off this week. Rearranging your schedule and adapting to what is the priority or non-negotatiable that day is ok. Saying “no, not at this moment” is a great skill to have, don’t be afraid to use it. A great piece of advice I have received is, “no is a complete sentence”. You do not have to justify yourself to anyone.

Check in with yourself and schedule in your own self care

As parents, we tend to let our needs become the bottom of the barrel so to speak – mums particularly are renowned for this. We see this every day within our families we support. But it comes back to instructions we hear from flight attendants on planes – you must put on your own oxygen mask first before assisting children or others. We need to make sure we are scheduling some time for our own self care – to fill our cup, to put on our oxygen mask; to ensure we can keep going! To ensure we can keep all the wheels turning as needed. It could be as simple as taking a bath, getting up a little earlier to enjoy a morning coffee before the household wakes, a quick 15 minute movement break or online Pilates video. Whatever it is that makes you feel good!

Check in on others too

If you are feeling it, you can probably guarantee someone else within your work or social or family circle is also feeling disconnected or busy. You may not have the time to catch up at length – but I encourage you to send the text to say just thinking of you or how are you, share the funny reel or crazy random photo that encapsulates your mood at that moment. It’s an opportunity for connection and to also say to another – “hey, I’m here, I’m walking alongside you also”.

And if you need some more ideas of ways to support yours and your family’s routine, please chat to our team. We may not have all the ideas or answers, but we might be able to help point you in another direction to find them. We are here for you, we see you and in this juggle of life with you!

Until next time,
Lori

References:

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025, June). Labour Force Status of Families. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-status-families/latest-release.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2000, June). Labour Force Status and other Characteristics of Families. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6224.0

If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

PUBLISHED MAY 2026

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The Power of Relationships: Parent to Child Connection

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The Power of Relationships:
Parent to Child Connection

You may have heard people say, “all Occupational Therapists do is play”— and they’re not wrong! Through play, we use our knowledge and skills to support children’s development in meaningful and engaging ways.

At Explore and Soar, one of our core values is Connections for Life. We prioritise strong relationships with our clients, families, and community, knowing that connection is central to achieving meaningful outcomes. The most powerful of these is the parent or caregiver–child relationship, and strengthening this bond is at the heart of what we do.

Our team is trained in the DIR/Floortime Model, developed by psychologist Stanley Greenspan. This relationship-based approach underpins our therapy and focuses on supporting each child’s development through connection, play, and individualised strategies.

What is DIR/Floortime?

DIR stands for Developmental, Individual Differences, and Relationships-Based. This model recognises each child’s unique developmental stage and personal profile, while using the parent–child relationship to support growth across key developmental areas.

In our sessions, therapists work alongside both the child and caregiver. We model strategies through play, provide opportunities for parents to practise them, and offer real-time coaching and feedback. This approach not only supports skill development but also builds confidence in applying these strategies at home — where it matters most.

Key Components of DIR

Developmental (D)

Children develop through a series of Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities, which build the foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive growth. These range from early regulation and engagement to complex thinking and reflective skills into adulthood.

There are nine (9) essential Developmental Capacities in building the foundation every child needs for optimal emotional-social growth and development. These nine levels outline vital developmental domains, even identifying the last three domains work from adolescence to adulthood. How amazing is that?!

  1. Regulation and interest in the world (0 – 3months)
  2. Engaging and relating – often referred to as ‘falling in love’, think cooing baby (2 – 5 months)
  3. Intentionality and two-way communication (2 – 10 months)
  4. Complex communication and shared problem solving (10 – 18months)
  5. Using symbols and creating emotional ideas (18 – 30 months)
  6. Logical thinking and building bridges between ideas (30 – 48 months)
  7. Multiple perspectives (4 – 7 years)
  8. Grey area thinking (6 – 10 years)
  9. Reflective thinking and internal standard of self (10 years to adulthood)

During our parent coaching sessions we often reference DIR/Floortime through this visual representation. We hope this looks familiar!

Individual Differences (I) 

Every child processes and responds to the world differently. This includes sensory processing, movement, communication, and problem-solving. Understanding these differences helps tailor therapy to each child—and can also support parents in reflecting on their own preferences and interactions.

Relationships-Based (R)

Strong, responsive relationships are essential for learning. Through connection, co-regulation, and shared interactions, children build the skills needed for development. Therapists support families to strengthen these interactions in everyday life.

Key DIR Strategies

Affect

Using facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language to engage a child emotionally supports connection, regulation, and learning.

Co-regulation

By tuning into and responding to a child’s emotional state, caregivers help them feel supported and regulated. This might mean matching their energy or gently guiding them back to a calm state.

Two-way Communication

Back-and-forth interactions — both verbal and non-verbal — help children understand the impact of their communication and build foundational social and language skills.

Using Floortime at Home

Floortime is a play-based approach that encourages connection, communication, and emotional development. Through playfulness, Floortime allows the fundamental connection in addressing and co-working on the DIR areas of development for each client. Some simple strategies include:

  • Set aside uninterrupted time (10–30 minutes) once a day with your child
  • Follow your child’s lead and join their play
  • Expand play by introducing emotions and new ideas
  • Turn actions into shared interactions
  • Be kind to yourself—this is a learning process for both you and your child

How Explore and Soar Can Help

We integrate DIR/Floortime principles into all our sessions, creating fun, engaging, and meaningful therapy experiences. We also prioritise parent coaching, empowering families to confidently apply these strategies at home.

If you’d like to learn more or incorporate these approaches into your sessions, we encourage you to speak with your therapist or contact our team.

As Stanley Greenspan said, “Let’s help our children become the poets of their inner lives.”

Until next time,
Sophie

If you’d like to chat more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Call us on 0477 708 217 or email admin@exploreandsoar.com.au

PUBLISHED APRIL 2026

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