Heart of an OT?

Dear Melissa,

What's the heart of a good Pediatric OT? 

A common mantra I enjoy is "when you love your job, you never work a day in your life!"  I admit it, I am an Occupational Therapist (OT) that loves the job and I am not alone. What is the heart of a good pediatric OT? He or she has to LOVE their job.That's it! It's simple. However, a more illuminating question might be,"why do you love your job?" In the spirit of recognizing OT month, I reached out to several of my fellow Children's Therapy TEAM OT's to ask this question. They shared the following responses: 

“I love the connections I build with people and helping them reach their own personal goals…whether it be learning to tie shoes, or motor planning to salute a scout leader.”
-Katie Gehrki

"I love being an OT because I love watching kiddos discover and use their unique strengths to develop self-esteem while reaching their goals in therapy and beyond." 
-Bridget Glynn

“I love being able to combine my creativity skills with my understanding of science...child development and brain functioning. Relying on these skills lets me be innovative and helps my kiddos have fun and make great progress.” 
-Allison Schmitz

“I love being an OT because I love working on skills that kids use in their everyday lives!  Plus, we get to have the most fun.”  
-Dana Tolle

“I love being able to help give children the tools to succeed in their daily lives. I love the pride and smile on their face when they meet a goal. And, I love that OT's have a client centered, holistic approach that puts emphasis on working with the families, teachers, and other individuals who impact the child’s life.”  
-Kelly Yates 

“I love seeing the excitement for the parents and kids as they master new skills that they have worked so hard to achieve. Focusing on the child’s ‘occupation’ allows her to succeed with life changing skills.”  
-Kati Bullington

So let me summarize why we LOVE being pediatric occupational therapists, while of course putting in my own two cents!

It Works!  
We wouldn't do this if we didn't see progress. We know how hard our kiddos struggle to meet their goals, and I can’t tell you how many times I have smiled for a full week when a child has met a much anticipated milestone!

Medicine + Creativity = Win, Win.  
Most of us love science and medicine. But we also love problem-solving and creativity. This allows us to live in the best of both worlds!

FUN!  
Um…my “office furniture” consists of a ball pit, trampoline, swings, and a wicked-cool light room. My “office supplies” include play-dough, scooter boards, UNO cards, and glitter glue. Best workplace ever?  Yes, I think so! Take of tour of my clinic and see for yourself. 

It takes a village…
Yes, we are problem solvers, but we are not egotistical problem solvers.  Parents, grandparents, extended family, doctors, other therapists, teachers, even the martial arts instructor…all of these people are in my client’s “village”.  I love having input from all of these loving, caring adults in order to help my kiddo meet his fullest potential. 

Practice, practice, practice. 
I am a mama of 2 young children. I love that I have “work kiddos” that are the same ages as my “biological kiddos”.  Now, I am sure that my biological kiddos hate it, but I have the unique opportunity to practice therapy techniques all day long at work, then all day/weekend long at home. Cool therapy techniques, games, books, TV shows, crafts, books, etc. I am constantly passing these ideas back and forth between my two worlds and I love it!

Do you love being a pediatric OT?  

Are you a parent/child who loves your pediatric OT? Please share! 

email: share@childrenstherapyteam.com

Reference: American Occupational Therapy Association