The SS Oliver
We are fans of storage bins. The plastic ones that store everything from old clothes to Christmas ornaments. They are sturdy, durable, and most importantly (when it comes to basement storage) are tight enough to keep spiders and other creepy crawlies from setting up shop in our storable goods.
Given my long-time love of the storage bin, I wasn't too surprised to see Ollie's Occupational Therapist walking up the driveway with one. I assumed she noticed our clutter and was good-heartedly helping us straighten up. She's done things like this already, noticed something we need and surprising us with a visit with that very item.
De-cluttering was not the trick she had up her sleeve.
Turns out, the storage bin was the latest weapon in her arsenal geared to get Ollie upright.
Ollie spends a couple hours each day in his bin, strengthening his sitting muscles. Its sides are slightly higher than shoulder-height, and the smallish size prevents him from straightening his legs, forcing him to "circle sit" with the bottoms of his feet together. The higher sides give him stability for when he starts to topple, and teaches him that his arms can be used to catch himself.
Ollie's love-affair with the bin wasn't as instant as mine, however. His first couple sits proved stressful for him, but once his beloved Puppy blanket was in there with him, it wasn't so terrible.
In fact, he seems to like it.
We've named it the SS Oliver. With a pull-handle-string (actually speaker wire), it also doubles as a Choo-Choo-Train, with him being tugged around the house in a new game.
Whatever works with this kid.
Matty and I commented that we never would have thought that a storage bin would be a helpful tool, and had we thought of it, we certainly wouldn't have told anyone.
It seems wrong, to mention that Ollie's hanging out in his storage bin, but you gotta admit, it's pretty cute.
Given my long-time love of the storage bin, I wasn't too surprised to see Ollie's Occupational Therapist walking up the driveway with one. I assumed she noticed our clutter and was good-heartedly helping us straighten up. She's done things like this already, noticed something we need and surprising us with a visit with that very item.
De-cluttering was not the trick she had up her sleeve.
Turns out, the storage bin was the latest weapon in her arsenal geared to get Ollie upright.
Ollie spends a couple hours each day in his bin, strengthening his sitting muscles. Its sides are slightly higher than shoulder-height, and the smallish size prevents him from straightening his legs, forcing him to "circle sit" with the bottoms of his feet together. The higher sides give him stability for when he starts to topple, and teaches him that his arms can be used to catch himself.
Ollie's love-affair with the bin wasn't as instant as mine, however. His first couple sits proved stressful for him, but once his beloved Puppy blanket was in there with him, it wasn't so terrible.
In fact, he seems to like it.
We've named it the SS Oliver. With a pull-handle-string (actually speaker wire), it also doubles as a Choo-Choo-Train, with him being tugged around the house in a new game.
Whatever works with this kid.
Matty and I commented that we never would have thought that a storage bin would be a helpful tool, and had we thought of it, we certainly wouldn't have told anyone.
It seems wrong, to mention that Ollie's hanging out in his storage bin, but you gotta admit, it's pretty cute.
2 comments:
Yup pretty cute.... And what a great idea!!
very interesting! dan used to push lyzzi around the front room in a plastic bin at the same age,,,i can still see the look on her face,,she looked like a little queen!
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