KéKAY Method and KéKAY Kids Club

The BEST thing a parent can learn is that it is not about you, AND it is ALL about you! Learning to read your child and unlearning to respond to your own triggers. This is where the work lies.

Behaviour doesn't lie.
It tells you exactly what a child needs - if you listen. 💚

We use mid-line crossing to help students reset. Understanding OT involvement in a child's development is crucial. 👍

Over on the website, we have a resource all about preschool midline crossing.
These age-appropriate activities target midline crossing and are great for motor planning, visual motor skills, and brain breaks for the preschool age. https://www.theottoolbox.com/crossing-midline-activities-for-preschoolers/

There are some early warning signs we might see in the preschooler who struggles with crossing their midline. When we see a difficulty with the integrated motor patterns, this can be an indicator for various challenges.

🚩Some of the ways that difficulties with preschool crossing midline will present as:

>>Not developing a dominant hand. Students use the left hand for left sided tasks and the right side for right sided tasks. https://www.theottoolbox.com/hand-dominance-laterality-functional-activities-kids/
>>Showing delays in crawling, or an atypical crawling pattern. Here is a great article on Cross Crawling Activities. https://www.theottoolbox.com/cross-crawl-exercises/
>>Rotating or turning their entire body to retrieve objects on the other side of their body instead of reaching across the body to the other side
>>Having difficulty with age-appropriate self-care tasks like dressing or grooming activities
>>Skipping or doing jumping jacks in an uncoordinated manner. Check out this post on Gross Motor Midline Crossing Exercises​: https://www.theottoolbox.com/crossing-midline-march-gross-motor
>>Difficulty making a horizontal line across a piece of paper (may stop in the middle and switch hands, or pause visually) or forming letters
>>Visual perceptual difficulties: https://www.theottoolbox.com/visual-perceptual-skills/
>>Challenges with age-appropriate literacy skills (identifying letters, following pictures in a story- due to difficulty with visual tracking across the midline. Here is info on visual tracking: https://www.theottoolbox.com/what-is-visual-tracking/

If you see these things in the preschool years, it's ok! Kids develop at different rates. Try adding some play ideas that target these gross motor movements: https://www.theottoolbox.com/crossing-midline-activities-for-preschoolers/

This is what we believe and practice at the KéKAY Method. We see consistent results in improvement in learning abilities and the calm mental state of our students! LOVE! 😁

Beyond the Script: Why Unstructured Play is the Heart of Childhood In a world increasingly defined by curated schedules and "educational" apps, we often forget that the most profound learning doesn’t come with a manual. We’ve become experts at managing childhood, but in doing so, we might be crowding out the very thing children need most: the freedom to do abso...

If they talk back...
When your child talks back… it’s not the moment to get louder.
It’s the moment to get clearer, calmer, and more intentional.

Here’s what to do instead:
• Pause first — give yourself a second before reacting
• Lower your voice — calm leads calm
• Don’t match their tone — it escalates the moment
• Use the magic sentence:👉 “I see you’re upset.”
• Listen before correcting — even if they were rude
• Acknowledge the feeling, not the behavior
• Help find a solution together
• Address the disrespect later — when they’re regulated

🧠 What’s actually happening:
When kids “talk back,” their brain is often in a stress response (fight/flight). The thinking part of the brain goes offline, and the emotional brain takes over. That’s why logic, lectures, and raised voices don’t land.
🧠 Why yelling doesn’t work:
A louder voice signals threat. Their brain shifts further into defense mode—so you get more pushback, not more listening.
🧠 Why “I see you’re upset” works:
When a child feels seen, the brain begins to calm. This helps bring the thinking brain back online, making cooperation possible.

What not to do:
• Don’t shame (“You’re being so disrespectful”)
• Don’t lecture in the moment
• Don’t demand instant compliance when they’re overwhelmed

What works instead:
Connection first. Correction later.

Because once your child is calm, that’s when you teach:
👉 “You can be upset, but you can’t speak to me that way.”

That’s how you build respect and connection 💛

Check out our classes tab or post your comment or questions in our SKOOL Community. The link is in the comments

I wish more teachers and parents had the bandwidth to explore this

“Many of the adults whom we ultimately admire most were not easy teenagers,” Russell Shaw writes. He argues that kids with a flair for critical thinking and principled dissent should be championed: https://theatln.tc/oheEh228

🎨: Millie von Platen

🎈 Sunday Funday Tip: Use a whisper voice

Lower your voice instead of raising it—kids naturally lean in to listen.

🧠 Why Whispering Works (Neuroscience Fact): When you lower your voice, your child’s brain has to work a little harder to hear you, which increases focus and attention. At the same time, a calm, quiet tone signals safety to the nervous system (instead of threat), so your child stays regulated and more open to listening.
👉 Loud voices can trigger a child’s stress response (fight/flight).
👉 Quiet voices invite curiosity and connection.
In short: whispering helps your child’s brain lean in instead of shut down.

I'm wondering if you know someone who has been wanting parent coaching. 🥳

Our awesome KéKAY Method Program now has a Parent section. Parents can reach out to us directly for 1:1 calls to get help or sign up for one of our monthly workshops - When Your Child Won’t Listen - How to stay calm, end power struggles, and build a stronger bond.

Additionally, they can sign up for the 90-day CALM LEADER, CONNECTED KIDS program! Helping parents handle melt-downs with love and limits in 7 easy steps.
If you know someone, send them our way. We are excited to finally launch this program! The link is in the comments 💕💕

Round up your friends, grab the neighbors, and get ready for the most unforgettable camp ever—where forts are serious business, water balloon battles get wild, cardboard turns into masterpieces, and kids run, snack, create, and play like it’s their full-time job!

SUMMER CAMP!!! 🐸😁😍

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT_WulZAfwr/?igsh=ZXk0cG10ZnBkYW5o