"To the best of one's ability" - Synonym?

Question

I'm trying to rephrase

We help children move and play to the best of their ability.

It's about children with movement concerns, so this seems semantically correct to me.

I just need a different phrase.

Can you suggest anything other than "as well as they can"?

I've reviewed the suggested duplicate, but it doesn't answer my question.

Possible duplicate of Analogue of "to the best of our knowledge" — FumbleFingers, Nov 08 '18 at 13:29
Yes, I thought about that. Is this correct? Shouldn't it be "as well as they can"? — Gerry Dimova, Nov 08 '18 at 13:36

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

1

How about as freely as possible?

"We help children move and play as freely as possible".

Collins:

freely
4. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If something or someone moves freely, they move easily and smoothly, without any obstacles or resistance.
The clay court was slippery and he was unable to move freely.

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

Community

1

answered Nov 08 '18 at 14:16

alwayslearning

28,026
6
46
99

Appreciate your comment! I thought about this, too. Unfortunately, I don't think it's correct because, in reality, many of these children won't be able to move freely. Therapy helps them move more than before but it can't guarantee "freely". Damn this is hard! lol – Gerry Dimova Nov 08 '18 at 14:32
Noted; Answer edited to revise the suggestion to "as freely as possible". – alwayslearning Nov 08 '18 at 14:40
That's a good one! Thank you. I wish I could give you an upvote but I don't have enough points yet. – Gerry Dimova Nov 08 '18 at 14:46
I ended up using freely. It was for a client and they loved it. I think the case is solved. Thank you! – Gerry Dimova Nov 09 '18 at 16:00

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

You could consider utmost either as a noun or as an adjective.

As a noun:
"We help children move and play to their utmost."

As an adjective:
"We help children move and play to their utmost ability."

Merriam-Webster:

utmost adjective
ut·most | \ˈət-ˌmōst, especially Southern -məst\
Definition of utmost (Entry 1 of 2)
2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount

utmost noun
Definition of utmost (Entry 2 of 2)
2 : the highest, greatest, or best of one's abilities, powers, and resources

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 08 '18 at 19:37

1

If you want to use a phrase that means the same thing and also doesn't imply somebody's disability, you could say:

We help children maximize their potential.

This can apply not only to movement but to anything else they do. If you want to mention play or movement specifically, you can qualify it by prefacing it with something like when it comes to recreation.

Using it in the context of children with disabilities is fine, but it can be equally used for anyone, so it doesn't have any kind of unstated assumptions behind it.

answered Nov 08 '18 at 19:37

Jason Bassford

38,040

Perhaps not so much maximizing their potential as reaching their potential. I might be making minimum wage but I might have the potential to make $50/hr in my current city. But if I moved I might be able to make $100/hr. So by moving I could maximize my potential- But I’m still only making minimum wage. I need help reach my potential- whether it’s the $50 or the maximized $100 – Jim Nov 11 '18 at 05:45

"To the best of one's ability" - Synonym?

3 Answers3