The Magic of Sensory Play with Gina Sadilek

In today’s episode of the “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with guest Gina Sadilek, who will be talking about the importance of sensory play, her Etsy Shop, ‘A Magical Minute’ and her Instagram @amagicalminute. 

 

 

Episode Highlights

• 01:30 – Dr. Carla asks if Gina’s two daughters have anything to do with how she started ‘A Magical Minute’.
• 02:47 – Gina says that they sold somewhere around 600 kits that they've made, so it's been quite a whirlwind.
• 05:10 – Gina reveals that she has been talking to some physical therapists and they were telling her how useful it would be in physical therapy for improving people who have had strokes or something like that.
• 07:10 – Dr. Carla enquires Gina about her mom’s favorite kit.
• 09:10 – Gina has got around 2800 Instagram subscribers and most of them are Moms.
• 11:00 – The guest talks about the importance of sensory play and the way she leaves that sensory play in with the books.
• 14:20 - It's been quite an interesting journey because due to COVID Gina couldn’t send her daughter to preschool when she was three, and now it is so nice to see how she socializes with other kids.
• 16:10 – Gina had a very hard time when Isabel was a newborn. She says she is not a baby person so that was hard for her.
• 18:10 – They eat almost all meals together as a family and that's been good for their kids to be sitting around the table and talking. They don't do any devices during dinner time and mealtime which is so important.
• 20:45 – Dr. Carla requests Gina to share maybe one or two kernels of wisdom with the listeners.
• 21:00 – Gina shares that it is so important to introduce different sensory bases or tactile things to your kids, and then also just the concept of reading to your children.

 

 

Three Key Points

1. All the kits have play dough in them that Gina’s mom makes by hand and then they include different kinds of little bits and bobs in there for the kids to play with. The construction kit includes construction cars, little signs that have railroad crossing on them, some rocks, and others.
2. Gina states that she has been so lucky to connect with amazing women and moms out on the Instagram platform and it's been an interesting process. She got into replay setup with both of her daughters like introducing different textures, water play, and all of that. 
3. Dr. Carla mentions that a beautiful part about intentional parenting is that natural enjoyment that comes up because you love your kids and enjoy being with them.

 

 

 Tweetable Quotes

• “You partnered with your mom, tell me a little bit about how that happened.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly
• “But my daughter ended up loving the construction kits.” - Gina Sadilek
• “What a fun toy it would be to join with your child or grandchild in using your using your kids.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
• “Now, a little bit more about your Instagram account.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
• “She's made a lot of great friends and she loves being there.” - Gina Sadilek
• “Yeah, babies stuff was just not for me.” - Gina Sadilek
• “We're very lucky and blessed that we're all able to sit down at the table together and eat dinner.” - Gina Sadilek

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• Dr. Carla Marie Manly Website LinkedIn Twitter   Instagram
• A Magical Minute Instagram Website
• Podcast Editing