We took a trip to the grocery store today and I have to say I couldn't believe how well Mr. C did with the 2 hour excursion. He usually likes to push his own cart and I spend a lot of time making sure he stays near me, isn't crashing into me or others, and isn't putting random objects in the cart.
Normally I try to avoid the longer trips and save those for when I am able to go by myself, but our fridge was bare and I couldn’t wait any longer. I had noticed, along with others that see him, he has been much calmer since we have been using the brushing with him 2-3 times a day leading up to the 7 days of more frequent sessions.
When we got there he actually chose to ride in one of those carts that are like a car, which he rarely chooses because he doesn’t usually like to sit still. When he has chosen them in the past, I spend the entire time trying to keep him in the cart, but I thought we would give it a try and I buckled his seat belt.
He had brought his toy Woody from Toy Story with him and played with it contently for most of the trip, until we got to the cheese section in the very last row. Suddenly, he decided to throw him in the air. The next thing we know Woody is on top of the cheese display against the wall. An employee nearby tried to reach him without much luck, so he got my name in order for me to pick him up later after they were able to get him down with a ladder.
As we walked away from the cheese case, Mr C was beside himself. He was crying and screaming, “Woody! Woody!” I tried to explain we would have to get him later, but he didn’t seem to understand. An elderly couple walked by and jokingly said, “You gotta stop pinching him!”
The employee must have felt bad and went and got the store manager to get Woody down for us. However at this time, Mr C’s cries for “Woody! Woody!” had changed to “Sponge Bob! Sponge Bob!” and I wasn’t quite sure what he was referring to. Did he see something in the store? Was he confused about which toy he had thrown? Although we don’t have a Sponge Bob toy.
I just keep pushing my way through the store, when the manager comes up and says to him. “Are you missing something?” Mr C didn’t respond, but when the manager presented him with Woody Mr C said, “Thank you” then “No! Sponge Bob!” as if to say “No, I don’t want Woody, I want Sponge Bob don’t you know that!”
We both chuckled and I thanked the guy again, but he did become calm again once he was able to have his Woody back. So, the trip was ultimately a success with this minor exception. I do think he has learned not to throw his toys around the grocery store!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sensory Processing Disorder
We have suspected for some time that some is just not quite right with Mr C. Although he is very talkative, social, and extremely smart (knows all his letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc.). There has always been something about him that seemed very different from other children. Mostly with respect to his language skills and hyperactivity. I suppose that my experience with autism and ADHD has made me more aware of how a child should be developing, but with him I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was wrong for the longest time.
Experiencing this as a parent instead of a professional has given me a whole new perspective. For a long time I was going back and forth with, “Well, he seems okay.” to, “Boy it just seems like something is not right.” From the beginning he was always a difficult sleeper and he has always had this incredible amount of energy that still amazes me. This weekend we finally got the answers we were seeking.
I had been familiar with sensory processing disorder in children with autism, but did not entirely know the signs for it as an entity all by itself until I started doing research for my web site Child Behavior Guide. After recognizing many of the symptoms in Mr C and having him evaluated by an occupational therapist, we were able to determine that the differences I was seeing was in fact due to sensory processing difficulties.
Not that I would want him to have sensory processing issues, but what a relief to know that I was not imagining these things. You have some people telling you, “Oh he is fine. Stop worrying.” and then people, such as his preschool teacher saying, “I really think he is showing some autistic-like behaviors.” Of course the autistic-like behaviors she was seeing were merely the symptoms of sensory processing disorder that many children with autism also have.
So, we are going to start a program called the Wilbarger Brushing Protocol. It is very intense and requires sessions every 90 minutes – 2 hours for at least 7 days, so we are planning to start next week. The object is to help provide internal organization to his nervous system. The OT that recommended it said that she has noticed dramatic results in many children, including a child speaking in sentences after no talking at all! We will see!
Experiencing this as a parent instead of a professional has given me a whole new perspective. For a long time I was going back and forth with, “Well, he seems okay.” to, “Boy it just seems like something is not right.” From the beginning he was always a difficult sleeper and he has always had this incredible amount of energy that still amazes me. This weekend we finally got the answers we were seeking.
I had been familiar with sensory processing disorder in children with autism, but did not entirely know the signs for it as an entity all by itself until I started doing research for my web site Child Behavior Guide. After recognizing many of the symptoms in Mr C and having him evaluated by an occupational therapist, we were able to determine that the differences I was seeing was in fact due to sensory processing difficulties.
Not that I would want him to have sensory processing issues, but what a relief to know that I was not imagining these things. You have some people telling you, “Oh he is fine. Stop worrying.” and then people, such as his preschool teacher saying, “I really think he is showing some autistic-like behaviors.” Of course the autistic-like behaviors she was seeing were merely the symptoms of sensory processing disorder that many children with autism also have.
So, we are going to start a program called the Wilbarger Brushing Protocol. It is very intense and requires sessions every 90 minutes – 2 hours for at least 7 days, so we are planning to start next week. The object is to help provide internal organization to his nervous system. The OT that recommended it said that she has noticed dramatic results in many children, including a child speaking in sentences after no talking at all! We will see!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wounded Bowler
Mr C got his first battle wound today on a trip to the bowling alley. We were having such a great time too. Until he slipped on his way up to throw his ball and fell forward with his 6 lb ball in hand. He landed in such a way that his right hand started to become swollen right around the base of his thumb. Poor little guy. We thought maybe it was just bruised, but he continued to cry for an extended period of time. So, we decided a trip to urgent care was needed.
The incident occurred at a small local alley near our home. Right after it happened I went to the neighboring room where the bar was, to ask for some ice. There were about 5 or 6 people hanging out playing some Golden Tee, and after explaining what had happened, someone said “Please don’t sue.” Then someone else said, “Please don’t make her pay for the ice.”
The thought of suing had never even crossed my mind and really I have to say that I am appalled at some of the law suits that take place now a days. Have we really become the type of society that is willing to ruin another person’s life or profession just to make some money? When did money become so much more important than people?
Part of me can understand why someone might sue a doctor due to a negligent mistake that led to their child developing a pervasive developmental disorder or something, such as cerebral palsy. I can also definitely understand purposeful negligence or doing something despite knowing it is wrong. However, are doctors supposed to be superhuman without ever making a mistake? Can you imagine someone coming to your profession and suing you for accidentally dropping a piece of paper? We’re humans, we make mistakes!
The pressure must be unbelievable and unfortunately with our sue happy society we may eventually cause aspiring doctors or other high risk jobs to just say forget about it. It’s not worth it. Then, where will we be? We’ll have all this money, but end up dying because we can’t find anyone that is willing to treat a mild case of strep throat.
So anyways, you may be wondering… What happened to his hand?? Well, we went to urgent care and got some X-rays. Luckily it is not broken. I guess children have pretty soft bones and are usually resilient to accidents. He did get a splint due to a contusion and the importance of protecting areas around growth plates, which surprisingly he has kept on. Tomorrow may be different story.
The incident occurred at a small local alley near our home. Right after it happened I went to the neighboring room where the bar was, to ask for some ice. There were about 5 or 6 people hanging out playing some Golden Tee, and after explaining what had happened, someone said “Please don’t sue.” Then someone else said, “Please don’t make her pay for the ice.”
The thought of suing had never even crossed my mind and really I have to say that I am appalled at some of the law suits that take place now a days. Have we really become the type of society that is willing to ruin another person’s life or profession just to make some money? When did money become so much more important than people?
Part of me can understand why someone might sue a doctor due to a negligent mistake that led to their child developing a pervasive developmental disorder or something, such as cerebral palsy. I can also definitely understand purposeful negligence or doing something despite knowing it is wrong. However, are doctors supposed to be superhuman without ever making a mistake? Can you imagine someone coming to your profession and suing you for accidentally dropping a piece of paper? We’re humans, we make mistakes!
The pressure must be unbelievable and unfortunately with our sue happy society we may eventually cause aspiring doctors or other high risk jobs to just say forget about it. It’s not worth it. Then, where will we be? We’ll have all this money, but end up dying because we can’t find anyone that is willing to treat a mild case of strep throat.
So anyways, you may be wondering… What happened to his hand?? Well, we went to urgent care and got some X-rays. Luckily it is not broken. I guess children have pretty soft bones and are usually resilient to accidents. He did get a splint due to a contusion and the importance of protecting areas around growth plates, which surprisingly he has kept on. Tomorrow may be different story.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Darn Ducks
My husband works as the Golf Superintendent of a local country club, so we often like to go take a ride at the golf course with Mr C as a fun activity. After going out to dinner, we decided it was such a beautiful evening that we would take a ride. As we were going down a path, Mr C began to get very excited about some ducks he noticed in a pond we were passing.
Well, if you know anything about golf courses, you know that ducks and geese are not exactly a welcomed species. They often destroy the course and leave behind undesirable “droppings.” So, as Mr C began to excitedly say “Look at the ducks mama! Look at the ducks Daddy!” My husband mumbles… “Yeah those darn ducks..” with more than a hint of frustration.
The next thing I know, Mr C is saying, “Go look at the darn ducks mama? Ooh look! Two darn ducks!” As we drove away he continued on for a few minutes about the darn ducks. Guess we need to watch what we say right honey???
Well, if you know anything about golf courses, you know that ducks and geese are not exactly a welcomed species. They often destroy the course and leave behind undesirable “droppings.” So, as Mr C began to excitedly say “Look at the ducks mama! Look at the ducks Daddy!” My husband mumbles… “Yeah those darn ducks..” with more than a hint of frustration.
The next thing I know, Mr C is saying, “Go look at the darn ducks mama? Ooh look! Two darn ducks!” As we drove away he continued on for a few minutes about the darn ducks. Guess we need to watch what we say right honey???
Sunday, April 18, 2010
More Tortilla!
After a weekend with the extended family, we all decided to head out to breakfast before separating to our homes. Mr C with his tortilla infatuation asked for one from the server when she asked him what he wanted to drink. She said “Do you just want me to bring it on a plate or what?”
So, I ask him, “Do you want cheese in it or just the tortilla?” He says, “Just the tortilla.” So, I tell her to cut it into triangles and bring it on a plate. A few minutes later she arrives with his plate full of tortilla pieces. He says, ”Want cheese on it please!” Oh Dear…. So, I said to the server, “I’m sorry do you mind just putting some cheese on it and nuking it in the microwave?”
She was so sweet and took the plate to fix it up for him. Then here is the real kicker. She comes back with this great looking plate of tortilla pieces covered generously in melted cheese. She says to him, “How does this look? Do you want to eat this?” He inspects the plate and says, “No!” Very matter of fact. Then she laughed and said, “Boy there’s just no pleasing you, is there!” Of course he did eat it eventually as I told him there was no chance of sending it back another time. But the table got a pretty good laugh. Picky picky!
So, I ask him, “Do you want cheese in it or just the tortilla?” He says, “Just the tortilla.” So, I tell her to cut it into triangles and bring it on a plate. A few minutes later she arrives with his plate full of tortilla pieces. He says, ”Want cheese on it please!” Oh Dear…. So, I said to the server, “I’m sorry do you mind just putting some cheese on it and nuking it in the microwave?”
She was so sweet and took the plate to fix it up for him. Then here is the real kicker. She comes back with this great looking plate of tortilla pieces covered generously in melted cheese. She says to him, “How does this look? Do you want to eat this?” He inspects the plate and says, “No!” Very matter of fact. Then she laughed and said, “Boy there’s just no pleasing you, is there!” Of course he did eat it eventually as I told him there was no chance of sending it back another time. But the table got a pretty good laugh. Picky picky!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bedtime potty
It’s amazing to me how quickly kids learn how to delay going to sleep. How can you resist your child sweetly calling out each night “Hug mama?” Well, after three requests for hugs, two requests to go potty and one for a “Drink of milk? Juice? Fine, I’ll take water.” Does it ever end? One hour later and finally there is silence. The potty part is a difficult one to battle because you definitely don’t want any “accidents” in bed.
Somehow, Mr. C has learned how to control his bladder in such a way that he pees just small amounts at a time. Then when he says he has to go potty, he really goes, but just a very small amount. What a little smarty pants?!? I also think he purposely holds his bowels all day until it’s time to go to bed. Then he has to sit on the toilet for 10-15 minutes. I’m assuming it would probably take less time than that during the day, but at night he has nothing better to do but sleep, so he is just going to take his sweet time.
He’s also suddenly very private about going to the bathroom. He says, “No mama” while pointing for me to leave. My only problem with this is that if I don’t catch him in time when he is ready to wipe, you never know what kind of mess you might end up having to clean. We have managed to flush an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet at one point in time. Luckily the prayer for that flush to clear the pipes was answered, thank goodness!
Somehow, Mr. C has learned how to control his bladder in such a way that he pees just small amounts at a time. Then when he says he has to go potty, he really goes, but just a very small amount. What a little smarty pants?!? I also think he purposely holds his bowels all day until it’s time to go to bed. Then he has to sit on the toilet for 10-15 minutes. I’m assuming it would probably take less time than that during the day, but at night he has nothing better to do but sleep, so he is just going to take his sweet time.
He’s also suddenly very private about going to the bathroom. He says, “No mama” while pointing for me to leave. My only problem with this is that if I don’t catch him in time when he is ready to wipe, you never know what kind of mess you might end up having to clean. We have managed to flush an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet at one point in time. Luckily the prayer for that flush to clear the pipes was answered, thank goodness!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Favorite Foods
Children seem to constantly have a favorite food that changes from week to week. Initially, Mr C just loved cheese. If he asked for “Cheese?” and you told him no, he would say, “Yellow cheese?” if you said no to that he would say, “White Cheese?” Gotta love his determination and creativity for getting what he wanted. After cheese he absolutely used to love chicken nuggets. So much that a family friend asked us what kind of sauce he wanted for his birthday.
Currently, his new favorite food is a cheesy tortilla, except initially he didn’t call it a cheesy tortilla. Somehow he has mixed Chuck E Cheese with tortilla and now he keeps asking for “Chuck E tillas, please?” He is also recently fond of Rice Crispy Treats, but refers to those as “Rice Christmas treats” Oh the funny things kids say!
Mr C has proven to be a bit of a picky eater, but it’s hard to blame him considering the number of allergies and restrictions we place on his diet. He can’t eat anything with nuts or eggs because he is allergic. We don’t allow any foods with red dye 40 because I have seen firsthand that it makes some children act crazy, including Mr. C. We also have to limit foods that are spicy or with citrus or citric acid because he has horrible reflux that causes him to have frequent night waking and breath that smells like vomit.
So, you may be asking, “What can he eat?” Not much I tell you! Going to restaurants is the worst because you never know what has eggs in it. They hide eggs, nuts, and citric acid in everything. So, we try to stick to the good ole grilled cheese with fries (no peanut oil). Also, living in a small town makes it more difficult to get to specialty food stores.
The one great thing about a child with allergies is that I always have a good reason not to give my child junk food and candy, which I consciously avoid because I think that sugar is very addictive. I myself am trying to get off the stuff. It’s like crack or something. Actually, I read the other day that it affects the body similar to heroine, which is why it is so addictive. It also is as bad for the body as crack. It causes the same effects at a much slower rate that society deems as more acceptable. Ahh! Just say no!
Currently, his new favorite food is a cheesy tortilla, except initially he didn’t call it a cheesy tortilla. Somehow he has mixed Chuck E Cheese with tortilla and now he keeps asking for “Chuck E tillas, please?” He is also recently fond of Rice Crispy Treats, but refers to those as “Rice Christmas treats” Oh the funny things kids say!
Mr C has proven to be a bit of a picky eater, but it’s hard to blame him considering the number of allergies and restrictions we place on his diet. He can’t eat anything with nuts or eggs because he is allergic. We don’t allow any foods with red dye 40 because I have seen firsthand that it makes some children act crazy, including Mr. C. We also have to limit foods that are spicy or with citrus or citric acid because he has horrible reflux that causes him to have frequent night waking and breath that smells like vomit.
So, you may be asking, “What can he eat?” Not much I tell you! Going to restaurants is the worst because you never know what has eggs in it. They hide eggs, nuts, and citric acid in everything. So, we try to stick to the good ole grilled cheese with fries (no peanut oil). Also, living in a small town makes it more difficult to get to specialty food stores.
The one great thing about a child with allergies is that I always have a good reason not to give my child junk food and candy, which I consciously avoid because I think that sugar is very addictive. I myself am trying to get off the stuff. It’s like crack or something. Actually, I read the other day that it affects the body similar to heroine, which is why it is so addictive. It also is as bad for the body as crack. It causes the same effects at a much slower rate that society deems as more acceptable. Ahh! Just say no!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wild Animals
It’s amazing how it can start at such a young age for boys to realize the power they have with their urinary equipment. While hanging out the other day, Mr. C said he had to go potty, which usually he is able to easily do this by himself no problem. All of a sudden I hear what sounded like urine hitting the inside of a bucket. Oh yes, he had flipped his stool over and chose to go inside that instead of the toilet.
Does he see this somewhere to imitate or just suddenly decide, “Hey I wonder what would happen if I did this!” I suppose that children with wild imaginations are often those that others want to be around because they are fun.
If you just do the same things every day without changing things up a bit, you might miss out on some excitement. Now, I am just waiting for him to go in a potted plant in the corner of a friend’s house. I have heard of that happening before. Just the other day I saw a boy going on a tree in the middle of the park (no joke), not sure where that child’s parents were.
Recently, I read that children are just wild animals in need of being tamed and trained. This does make sense in a strange and unusual way that I don’t like to think about. However, I think raising children is more than just taming a wild animal.
You can have a dog that does everything you ask without any thought as to why you are asking it to do that. Is that the kind of child I want? Not really. My husband said that he heard the dog breed Border Collies are actually considered to be smarter than two-year-olds. What?!?
I’m not sure whether I consider someone or something to be smarter simply because it/she/he does something asked immediately without questioning why or trying to do what he/she really wants. Doesn’t it seem smarter of a child to refuse when he/she doesn’t want to do something than to be some brainless obedient living thing that would jump off a cliff simply because its master said to.
I’m trying to raise Mr. C to think for himself, problem solve for himself, and be a leader, not an obedient follower, all while still teaching him to respect authority and love others unconditionally. Am I dreaming to think this is possible? I don’t think so.
Does he see this somewhere to imitate or just suddenly decide, “Hey I wonder what would happen if I did this!” I suppose that children with wild imaginations are often those that others want to be around because they are fun.
If you just do the same things every day without changing things up a bit, you might miss out on some excitement. Now, I am just waiting for him to go in a potted plant in the corner of a friend’s house. I have heard of that happening before. Just the other day I saw a boy going on a tree in the middle of the park (no joke), not sure where that child’s parents were.
Recently, I read that children are just wild animals in need of being tamed and trained. This does make sense in a strange and unusual way that I don’t like to think about. However, I think raising children is more than just taming a wild animal.
You can have a dog that does everything you ask without any thought as to why you are asking it to do that. Is that the kind of child I want? Not really. My husband said that he heard the dog breed Border Collies are actually considered to be smarter than two-year-olds. What?!?
I’m not sure whether I consider someone or something to be smarter simply because it/she/he does something asked immediately without questioning why or trying to do what he/she really wants. Doesn’t it seem smarter of a child to refuse when he/she doesn’t want to do something than to be some brainless obedient living thing that would jump off a cliff simply because its master said to.
I’m trying to raise Mr. C to think for himself, problem solve for himself, and be a leader, not an obedient follower, all while still teaching him to respect authority and love others unconditionally. Am I dreaming to think this is possible? I don’t think so.
Monday, April 5, 2010
"Look Mom, airplanes!"
Well, the other day I came out of my bedroom from changing my clothes and Mr. C had gotten into the pantry (forgot to put the child proof lock in place) and was throwing dry mashed potatoes all over the floor. As I walked into the room he was picking up what he had thrown onto the floor and was throwing it into the air like snow.
While it did give me a mess to clean up, it was actually a pretty hilarious sight to see. What I am curious to know about is how he happened to pick that particular box of all that were available and what made him decide to dump it on the floor.
Children can be very entertaining at times. Sometimes you have to get over the inconvenience and just laugh at the situation. I had a friend tell me once that her son had gotten into her maxi pads with wings one time and stuck them to the wall all over the room. When she entered the room he said, “Look Mom, airplanes!”
Another friend said that they named their daughter after the last name of a family that had shown them what it meant to be great parents. When their children had gotten into some crayons that they used to make a colorful drawing on the wall, instead of lecturing and yelling, they took a picture frame and nailed to the wall around the drawing. That child may be an artist today and might not have otherwise had his/her spirit been dampened due to some simple marks on the wall.
I have recently been learning that appreciating children for who they are no matter what they are doing is the ultimate battle and success of becoming a good mom.
While it did give me a mess to clean up, it was actually a pretty hilarious sight to see. What I am curious to know about is how he happened to pick that particular box of all that were available and what made him decide to dump it on the floor.
Children can be very entertaining at times. Sometimes you have to get over the inconvenience and just laugh at the situation. I had a friend tell me once that her son had gotten into her maxi pads with wings one time and stuck them to the wall all over the room. When she entered the room he said, “Look Mom, airplanes!”
Another friend said that they named their daughter after the last name of a family that had shown them what it meant to be great parents. When their children had gotten into some crayons that they used to make a colorful drawing on the wall, instead of lecturing and yelling, they took a picture frame and nailed to the wall around the drawing. That child may be an artist today and might not have otherwise had his/her spirit been dampened due to some simple marks on the wall.
I have recently been learning that appreciating children for who they are no matter what they are doing is the ultimate battle and success of becoming a good mom.
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