Make a Difference Training and Consultation by Beth Reeder

Who is seeking a preschool/preK teacher position starting this summer, and continuing year round?
Wichita area
I have a Butler student who is interested.

(**this article is copied from another post**) What are your thoughts....
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Research shows that when toddlers crawl into laundry baskets, curl up inside them, or turn them into boats, beds, hiding spots, or tiny safe worlds, they’re not being silly; their brain is seeking containment, comfort, and sensory organization.

They’re not being dramatic.
They’re not “making a mess.”
They’re not giving you a hard time.

They’re having a moment of regulation. And they’re telling you, in the only language they have, “This feels cozy… help me make sense of my world.”

Because here’s the truth:

Toddlers live in a world that feels enormous; rooms that seem too big, noises that feel too loud, spaces that shift and change. Their bodies are small and their nervous systems are still learning how to interpret sensory information.

A laundry basket becomes more than a basket.
It becomes a boundary. A hug made of wicker.
A tiny place where the world shrinks to a manageable size.

When they climb inside, their brain experiences a sense of containment, and containment feels calming.

Their mind is learning:
“I fit here.”
“This space feels safe.”
“I can control this.”
“My body knows what to expect.”

And practicing that truth often looks like:

curling up inside an empty basket,
sitting in it while holding toys,
turning it upside down and hiding under it, dragging it to another room,
or asking you to push them around in it like a ride.

🧠 According to sensory processing research (Ayres, 1972; Dunn, 1997), toddlers naturally seek proprioceptive and vestibular input which are sensations that help them understand where their body is in space. Cozy, enclosed spaces help the brain organize these signals.

And neuroscience adds:

A contained space reduces sensory overwhelm.
It creates a predictable boundary.
It mimics the safety of a “nest.”
It supports emotional regulation.

To them, the basket isn’t random. It’s soothing.

This means:
Their climbing is real. Their need is real.
Their desire to “live inside the basket” for a while is real.

Their body is asking for grounding,
not correcting.

And here’s the beautiful part:

Every time you let the laundry basket become part of their play, not perfectly, just patiently, their brain wires for creativity, emotional safety, and sensory integration.

🧠 Research (Porges, 2011; Siegel & Bryson, 2014) shows that when a child finds a self-chosen way to regulate, and an adult honors that choice, the nervous system learns how to stabilize more quickly.

But when we dismiss their instinct with:

“Get out of there.”
“You’re being silly.”
“That’s not a toy.”

Their brain doesn’t learn confidence.
It learns restriction.

Why does this matter?

Because the way we respond to the small ways they seek safety becomes the way they learn to seek it later in life.

Will their future voice say:

“I shouldn’t need comfort.”
“My needs are inconvenient.”
“I should hide my overwhelm.”

Or will it say:

“I can find what helps me.”
“I’m allowed to take up space.”
“I’m safe to self-regulate.”

Guidance isn’t about keeping the basket empty.
It’s about understanding the child inside it.

So instead of:

“Come out.”
“That’s weird.”
“You don’t need that.”

Try:

→ “You like how cozy it feels in there.”
→ “This space feels just right for you.”
→ “You found a safe little spot.”
→ “I see you. I’m here.”

Because emotional resilience doesn’t grow from tidiness. It grows from being known, supported, and understood in the smallest, sweetest moments.

One laundry basket, one content toddler,
one rewiring moment at a time. 🤍

References:
• Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders.
• Dunn, W. (1997). Sensory processing patterns in early childhood.
• Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory.
• Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2014). The Whole-Brain Child / co-regulation research.