profile

Connected Paediatrics

Connected Paediatrics Weekly: Build up and burst!

Published 9 months ago • 2 min read

Hi Reader

Dad Joke: Do you wanna hear a construction joke? I'm still working on it!

Song of the Week: Inkululeko Lyndani ft Bhodloza​

Development is interesting. Mainly because it doesn’t work the way we think it does…let me explain.

Let’s take the first year of life as an example. We initially assume that it’s pretty much a straight timeline from prone and supine to roll to sit to crawl to pull to stand…and on and on…but it isn’t.

It’s much more of a “build up and burst” type of deal where all the pieces of the puzzle have to first assemble before the function can happen. And during that assembly time it looks like nothing is happening (unless you’re a Connected Paediatrics doc and you know what those mini-milestones are and how to assess them) and then all of a sudden parents will say “Just out of the blue she pulled herself up and I found her standing in her cot!”

The steady build-up of control, strength and coordination happens under the surface and then the magical moment hits where all the quadrants connect and the skill expresses itself. Understanding this and imparting this to parents (often impatient that the thing the book says should happen is not happening) is where the art of working with developing bodies comes from.

Interestingly I had exactly that happen to me this weekend (not pulling to stand…I think I have that one under control) but rather I have been on a 10-month immersion program into SOT paediatrics with Peak Potential taught by Drs Marty Rosen, Nancy Watson and Ken Cooper which culminated in a 3 day hands-on event. Through the initial phases, I felt like some concepts were sticking whilst others didn’t quite fit, some adjustments made sense and others didn’t sit comfortably…until…

This weekend the pieces clicked, the quadrants locked together and the skill started to express itself. It was a build-up over time that was sometimes frustrating, sometimes exciting but at the end of the day you cannot see the big picture…until all of a sudden you can.

And then of course you can’t unsee it.

Learning is build-up and burst. If you feel you haven’t burst yet…just know you’re still building.

Chat soon

Mike

Join us at these seminars:

Connected Paediatrics

This newsletter is for you if you are a chiropractor who enjoys treating paediatric patients.

Read more from Connected Paediatrics
University hats going up with a motivational message

Hi Reader Dad Joke: Why did the scarecrow win an award at university? Because he was out-standing in his field. Today was a big day for our family. We’ve just arrived home from dropping my daughter off at University for the first time, still can’t quite believe we’re here already. The build-up has been intense. It’s been a good few weeks of thinking back, dusting off the memories and wanting each moment to last just that little bit longer. As part of the last week, I have been checking and...

17 days ago • 2 min read
Mike Teaching

Hi Reader Paeds in Motion 2: Toddlers to Teens is happening on 13 & 14 March 2027 - in Johannesburg! This is exactly the kind of thinking we’ll unpack in March. If paediatric practice is an area you want to become genuinely good at, this is an important part of your journey. Many chiropractors feel confident working with infants but when a 6 year old with posture issues or a 14 year old athlete walks through the door, uncertainty creeps in. Our Paeds in Motion 2 seminar gives you the clinical...

20 days ago • 1 min read
A lot of people ask how you get a child to sit still while you examine them…and here was the answer

Hi Reader Dad Joke: What did the ocean say to the beach? Nothing it just waved. What a week it’s been. From getting stuck in the middle of the UK airline drama and having to cancel a full day of patients to ending the week by assisting Dr Marty Rosen with his UK SOT paediatric certification hands on component. There is something about watching someone who has honed his craft over decades. The depth of knowledge and the different perspectives he can give off the cuff are remarkable. But the...

24 days ago • 2 min read