It has been almost 15 years since I graduated as an Occupational Therapist at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) working in the field of psychiatry and pediatrics most of that time. It has also been almost 7 years since I became a mother and thereafter two more babies in four years followed!
Before studying, I worked as an au pair in the Netherlands and have been a babysitter since I can remember. I was crazy about babies and have always had a passion for children. I grew up in a loving home with very dedicated parents and a mother who quit her job as a teacher to be a full time mom. She read every single book and attended every seminar on parenting there was, in an attempt to raise us well! So I considered myself really privileged to could have had a SUPER roll model mom.
One would therefore think I had ample knowledge and experience in the field of parenting, but NOTHING could have been further from the truth. Nothing could have prepared me for having my OWN children!!
In an attempt to further increase my knowledge and skill in helping my patients and giving guidens to parents (and helping myself!), I read many books and did numerous courses with regards to early childhood development, child psychology and parenting. I also qualified as an Ayers Sensory Integration Occupational Therapist, completed an advanced course in play therapy and became a SmartBrain (child development institute) instructor.
Still, I don’t have all the answers and I will be searching for them till the day I die!! But in the mean time, I do wish to share some of what I have learned along the way. Maybe, just maybe, the next mom (or dad) might not feel so overwhelmed as I did when becoming a parent or at least can ask-the-OT if need be!!
Ask-the-OT 