All that parents want for their children is to see them thrive, to have them sleep well, move confidently, learn easily, and feel calm and connected. Each child’s development is done at their own pace. Behind many of these milestones that we see in childhood is the developing nervous system. From a baby’s first movements, learning to walk, run, play, and balance, the nervous system is central to this.
What Does ‘Nervous System’ Mean ?
Nervous system regulation is the body’s ability to respond and adapt to the demands of their environment. For a child, what this looks like is responding appropriately to the world around them. This means they’re able to move between activity and rest, focus and play, excitement and calm, smoothly.
A well regulated child isn’t necessarily calm all the time. Children are supposed to express a wide variety of emotions. Having a regulated nervous system allows them to have the capacity to respond to these experiences and then return to their own unique settled state.
How Do I Tell If My Child’s Nervous System is Unregulated ?
When a child’s nervous system is under increased physical, sensory, and emotion demands, parents may notice changes in behaviour, movement, emotional regulation and ability to settle.
Difficulty settling or sleeping
Increased irritability
Trouble concentrating
Clumsiness or poor coordination
Increased emotions
Development Is About Movement
Movement is one of the primary ways children develop their brains. Every time a baby reaches for a toy, rolls over, crawls, balances or climbs, their brain is working to strengthen and create new neural pathways.
Over time these experiences develop to support
Balance
Coordination
Body awareness
Fine and gross motor skills
Visual tracking
Learning and attention
Healthy and free movement provides valuable sensory information to the brain, helping to build efficient movement patterns and adapt to new challenges.
Getting Checked
Chiropractic adjustments provide specific input to supporting healthy movement and spinal function, aiming to help children navigate the physical and neurological demands of growth and confidence. Our chiropractors use techniques that are tailored specifically and are appropriate for each child and their presentation.
