Is repetition actually stalling your child’s progress?

Hello Reader!

It's been a while! I hope you've been well and your children are all healthy and learning. As you know, I put this series of newsletters on hiatus for a while when things got a bit overwhelming last year. I'm happy to be back, at a new pace!

These newsletters will come every month, so that you can continue fostering development and learning for your kiddos, sharing what I learn in my office from working with kids, and what I learned through NeuroMovement® and other modalities. I hope you'll find those useful!

This week, we’re busting a big one: The Repetition Myth. We’re often told that if a child does something 100 times, it’ll "stick." How many times has your OT or PT repeated the same exercise without variation? Sure, we may bore our kids into learning, but we all know intuitively that's not the most efficient way.

That's because the brain doesn't crave repetition; it craves information. Constant drills often lead to "zoning out," while small, varied attempts actually wake the brain up. Explore the science here.​

🧠 Try This Next time you’re helping your child with a movement (like reaching for a toy, or saying a word), instead of repeating it 10 times fast, do it once, incredibly slowly. Let them feel what it's like. Exagerate the movement, or insert small variations each time. This gives the brain high-quality information instead of just noisy stimulation.

📖 From One Parent to Another

I have worked with a mom of a child with CP who was exhausted from "prescribed" daily leg stretches, and endless repetitive "reflex integration" exercises.

Her daughter would cry, and Mom felt like a failure. When we switched to "exploring" how the hips moved with tiny, gentle circles for just 2 minutes, the leg spasticity let go and the child was able to move her leg independently. The mom's eyes widened when her daughter reached for her toes on her own for the first time.

It wasn't more effort; it was better information.

📅 What's Happening Now

I’m opening up 3 spots for Free Discovery Calls this month. If you feel stuck in the "repetition loop" and want a different path for your child’s development, let’s chat.

Pediatric NeuroMovement Intensives are happening in Montreal weekly and the next weekend spots are 21-22 February. Reserve now!

🌙 Before you go

Your child’s brain is a brilliant learner, not a computer that needs "data entry." Sometimes, less is truly more.

Warm hugs to all ❤️

Joana