The OT Mom

The OT Mom 👋 I’m Olivia, a pediatric OT & mom sharing tips to support your baby & toddler’s development.
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From feeding to fine motor, potty training to play—follow for realistic advice, helpful tools & baby gear recs that actually make sense.

06/17/2026

✨ GIVEAWAY TIME ✨

One lucky winner is getting a $350 Avenlur gift card to put toward the play equipment your family has been eyeing! 🎉

As a pediatric OT, I love products that encourage movement, climbing, creativity, and independent play and Avenlur has so many great options for growing kids.

HOW TO ENTER:
✨ Follow Olivia Powers, OTR | Baby + Toddler Development and avenlur
✨ Like this post
✨ Comment PLAY below and tell me which Avenlur item you’d choose if you won
✨ Share this post to your stories and tag me for a bonus entry
✨ Tag a friend for additional entries!

⏰ Giveaway ends Sunday at 11:59 PM CT.
🎉 Winner will be announced Monday in my stories.

Good luck!

This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram. Open to U.S. residents 18+ years old. Void where prohibited.

06/16/2026

When most people think of telehealth, they think of one thing. But healthcare is so much more than that.

One thing I find really exciting is seeing platforms like Mochi Health expand beyond a single focus and give people access to care for a variety of health concerns, all from home.

Whether you’re looking for support with nutrition, skincare, hair loss, nausea, menopause symptoms, or other wellness goals, telehealth is making healthcare more accessible than ever.

As a busy mom, I appreciate having options that fit into my life. Being able to connect with providers, ask questions, and manage my healthcare from my phone means I’m more likely to actually prioritize my own health.

Because taking care of yourself shouldn’t require rearranging your entire schedule.

What health goal have you been putting off because life is busy? đź’ś

06/16/2026

Fun activities that are secretly building my 3-year-old’s independence. ✨

One of the best ways to help toddlers become more independent is to let them practice real-life skills through play.

Some of our favorites:
• Pouring water between cups
• Washing toys at the sink
• Using tongs to transfer objects
• Wiping tables and cleaning up spills
• Matching socks from the laundry
• Peeling bananas and clementines

These activities help build coordination, fine motor skills, problem-solving, confidence, and the practical life skills they’ll use every day.

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is giving them opportunities to practice being capable. 💚

Comment SKILLS and I’ll send you links to the items we use!

What practical life skill activity does your toddler love helping with right now?

06/12/2026

As a pediatric OT, I spend a lot of time talking about milestones and development.

But one of the most important things I want parents to remember is this:

Childhood is not a race.

Your child doesn’t get extra credit for reading first. They don’t win a prize for counting first. And they aren’t falling behind just because they’re taking a different path than someone else.

Childhood is meant for exploring, playing, getting messy, asking questions, building confidence, and learning about the world around them.

The truth is, many of the skills we worry about rushing can’t be rushed at all.

So if your child is busy collecting rocks, pretending to be a dinosaur, splashing in puddles, or stopping to look at every bug on your walk…

They’re not wasting time, they’re being a CHILD.

And that’s exactly where they need to be. ❤️

What is something your child is obsessed with right now?

06/12/2026

If your child’s shirts are constantly ending up with stretched-out collars, wet spots, or tiny holes from chewing, there’s usually more to the story.

For many children, shirt chewing is a way to get oral sensory input. It can help them feel calm, focused, organized, or regulated when their nervous system is craving more sensory feedback.

Instead of only trying to stop the behavior, it can be helpful to provide appropriate opportunities for oral sensory input throughout the day. This might include chewy or crunchy snacks, drinking through a straw, blowing activities, or safe chewing tools designed for kids who seek oral input.

Have you noticed your child chewing more when they’re concentrating, bored, overwhelmed, or tired?

Comment CHEW and I’ll send you links to some of my favorite oral sensory tools and alternatives.

06/10/2026

Hi, I’m Olivia, a pediatric OT & mom. 💛

One of my favorite things about age 3 is watching play become so much more intentional. This is the age where imagination takes off, conversations get bigger, and toys start becoming tools for storytelling, problem-solving, creativity, and independence.

When choosing toys for this age, I look for open-ended options that can grow with a child rather than toys that only do one thing. The best toys are often the ones that encourage movement, pretend play, building, creating, and exploring.

Comment GIFT and I’ll send you my full list of favorites for this age, including the ones my son has played with the most. 💛🧸

✨ Save this post for birthday ideas, holiday shopping, or the next time you’re wondering what to add to your playroom.

đź’› Follow for more pediatric OT tips, toy recommendations, and toddler development content.

06/08/2026

As a pediatric OT, one of my favorite ways to build independence is through everyday routines like getting dressed. The key is setting kids up for success by choosing clothing that allows them to participate.

That’s one reason we’re loving pajamas. The magnetic closures make it easier for little hands to practice dressing skills independently, giving toddlers more opportunities to try, problem-solve, and build confidence.

I know it’s tempting to jump in and help. It’s faster. It’s easier. But every time we allow our children to participate, they’re building skills that go far beyond getting dressed.

Independence isn’t built by watching. It’s built through doing.

Comment PAJAMAS and I’ll send you the link.

What skill is your toddler currently working on?

✨ Follow for more ways to build independence through everyday routines.

06/06/2026

Parents often ask me for activities that are easy to set up but still support development, and this one checks both boxes.

All you need is a spray bottle, water, and some stencils. As your toddler sprays, they’re working on hand strength, grip strength, bilateral coordination, and motor planning, all important skills for things like coloring, cutting, dressing, and eventually handwriting.

The best part? It feels like play to them while you get a few minutes to sit back and enjoy your coffee.

Comment STENCIL and I’ll send you the links! 👇

And if you found this helpful, engaging with posts like this is one of the best ways to support creators you love. I spend a lot of time sharing free pediatric OT tips, activities, and resources, and every like, comment, save, and share helps more families see this content. ❤️

06/05/2026

100,000. 🤍

Honestly, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around that number.

When I started this page, I was living full-time in an RV with a newborn, trying to navigate motherhood while working in home health OT pediatrics. I never imagined that sharing what I know, what I’m learning, and even what I’m still figuring out myself would grow into this incredible community.

Over the years, there have been seasons where creating content felt easy and seasons where it felt really hard. There were long nights, busy workdays, toddler tantrums, self-doubt, algorithm frustrations, & plenty of moments where I wondered if anyone was even listening.

But I kept showing up.

I kept sharing the things I wish more parents knew. The things I was learning as a therapist. The things I was experiencing as a mom. And somehow, one post, one conversation, and one parent at a time, this page grew into 100,000 of you.

Because of this community, I’ve had opportunities I never dreamed of. I’ve been able to help parents and caregivers all over the world, collaborate with brands I genuinely love, & create more flexibility to spend time with my son.

To celebrate this milestone, I’m excited to partner with for a giveaway! 🎉

Toki Kids was one of the very first brands to take a chance on my page, and I’ve loved watching them grow over the years. They now offer so many amazing products, and one lucky winner will receive a $150 credit to their website!

And because I’m feeling extra grateful, there may be a few more giveaways coming over the next week featuring some of my favorite products. 👀

✨ HOW TO ENTER:
• Follow both and
• Comment 👇🏻 how long you’ve been following my page
• If you’re new, tell me what you’d like to see more of

✨ BONUS ENTRIES:
Tag a friend, coworker, family member, or anyone who would enjoy following. Each tag is an additional entry!

⏰ Giveaway closes June 9th at 11:59 PM CT.
🎉 Winner will be announced June 10th.

Pediatric OT, toddler development, parenting tips, toddler behavior, tantrums, potty training, sensory play, toddler activities, developmental milestones, fine motor s

Hi, I’m Olivia, a pediatric OT & mom.When a child hits, kicks, bites, or throws things during a tantrum, it can feel ove...
06/05/2026

Hi, I’m Olivia, a pediatric OT & mom.

When a child hits, kicks, bites, or throws things during a tantrum, it can feel overwhelming. In those moments, our instinct is often to stop the behavior immediately, teach a lesson, or find the perfect consequence.

But during the peak of a tantrum, your child’s brain isn’t in a place to learn.

Instead, focus on what matters most:
✔️ Keep everyone safe
✔️ Hold the boundary
✔️ Stay as calm as you can
✔️ Save the teaching for later

You can be understanding and firm at the same time.

“I know you’re upset.”
AND
“I won’t let you hit.”

That’s not being permissive. That’s teaching emotional regulation while keeping everyone safe.

What’s the hardest part about handling tantrums for you right now? Let me know in the comments. I may use your answer for a future post.

❤️ Save this for the next hard day.
đź’™ Share it with a parent who needs this reminder.

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