The eureka moment that Playbiz started

Posted by AlykaAdmin on 08 November 2016

I graduated from my 4-year degree in 2000 with a spring in my step ready to start my first job as an occupational therapist (OT).
 
Working within a team of doctors, speech pathologists, physiotherapists and social workers, I was fortunate to learn things that were outside of my regular ‘OT training’. I remember feeling pretty confident, capable and equipped as a 21-year-old.
 
Fast-forward 5 years and I was working as a nanny, looking after two boys aged four and two. Such delightful boys – always lots of fun and so entertaining. 
 
Then, the time to prepare Mister Four and Mister Two for starting school arrived. Argh, bring on the resistance!!!
 
The drawing and colouring in we’d once cheerfully enjoyed together? It ground to a sudden halt! The sitting down to do art and craft? Gone!
 
And if that wasn’t challenging enough, if I asked the boys to sit with me at the table they sensed with their new superhero intuition that I was inviting them to join me in a ‘fine motor’ activity and they bolted – one to the toilet, one outside to ride his bike. You get the picture…
 
I thought to myself, “Jeepers, how can I expect a parent to actually be able to do a home OT program to help their child’s development within the daily chaos of life? It’s impossible!”
 
And a far more dire thought soon followed: “Had the home programs I’d given parents for their kids been unrealistic and ambitious? Had they even been able to do them?!”
 
That’s when I had my light bulb moment: what about creating a road map for giving kids’ a great start to their school journey that’s super easy to adopt because:
 

• As far as the child knows they’re playing and enjoying themselves (but you know that really they’re learning and developing their crucial foundation skills)

• You can incorporate them into your daily activities

•  And you only need household materials

 
Enter PlayBiz! Ta-da!
 
It’s kind of like nice-flavoured cough medicine, making the helpful, practical things that can be a little hard for your kid to swallow go down much easier (and without anywhere near as much fuss!).
 

PlayBiz – little skills shape big futures