Do you ever wonder what your child’s gestures and movements mean about their mental health? Listen in and find how you can predict their needs using movement. Click here for Show Notes and Resources It’s music to my ears when an expert talks about the ‘whole child’. Today we explore the importance of movement and how we can guide, support and predict our children’s needs by observing their movement.  What We Talked About Understanding how movement therapy can help us and our children integrate many emotions Observing how our child moves and interacts with others How parents can use simple movements or dance to connect with their children Educating our children about their 3 brains, head, heart, and gut Understanding the polyvagal theory and the function of the vagus nerve  We are naturally feeling moving beings Things to Remember “Movement is always happening and it’s always available. We might not be able to move with big jumping motions but we can always move.” “We have 3 brains: The one in your head, the one in your heart, and the one in your gut.” “Find an opportunity to really connect with your child not only through words but with your whole mind, body, spirit.” – Dr. Lori Baudino “Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.” – Carol Welch “Movement is the essence of life.” – Bernd Heinrich “The body says what words cannot.” – Martha Graham “The child has an instinct to coordinate his movements and to bring them under control.” “Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of his mind comes through his movements.” – Dr. Maria Montessori “Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement.” – Alfred Adler  Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor