My thoughts Archives - Page 410 of 1481

How we handle one of our kids with #Autism being home from school

It was a rough night but I did get some sleep and so did Elliott. Having said that, we had Mr. Emmett throw a wrench into our plans today because he woke up not feeling good. Emmett loves school and so faking an illness to stay home isn't his thing. His stomach was upset and there was no getting him to do anything. Lizze and I kept him home because we didn't know what else to do. It's really frustrating because Emmett struggles with expressive language in a very big way. Gaining insight into what he's experiencing is no easy task. Sometimes we can only step back and look at everything as a whole, making a decision based on our best guess. Emmett's home from school and when one of…

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February 27, 2017

Elliott / My thoughts

Why this Dad is sleeping on the couch tonight

Let me tell you about my favorite way to start the new week. By favorite I mean the absolutely worst way to begin the week cause it sets a tone that seems to follow me through the rest of it. Picture this, the boys are in bed, and I just hit the Walgreens to pick up a gallon of milk and some ice cream. It's Sunday and that means Lizze and I plan on being parked on the couch, killing time until Last Week Tonight begins at 11pm. This is our Sunday ritual and the way we say goodbye to the weekend and hello to the week ahead. Unfortunately, on this Sunday, Mr. Elliott decides he's not going to be able to fall asleep. Did he plan this out because…

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February 27, 2017

My thoughts

Limiting screen time for my kids with #Autism

One of the things we discussed with the boy's pediatrician the other day, was how much screen time she recommended per day. The boys weren't happy with that question being asked but that didn't stop the discussion. She said she doesn't want them having more than two hours of screen time a day, if possible. That's tablet, TV and video games combined. We've been wanting to make this change for some time but it keeps getting bumped. Lizze and I are going to work out exactly how we will approach this change. After school on Monday, we will sit down with the kids and loop them and explain everything. We will probably do this in increments because kids on the Autism Spectrum tend not to do well with change, and…

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February 26, 2017

My thoughts

We have no kids today

The kids were gone last night and won't be back until dinner-ish today. Lizze and I stuck close to home last night because our plans today will take us out of town for a little bit. It's not going to be anything major, but we're going to lunch and to do some shopping. We went to bed relatively early last night and I was up pretty damn early this morning because my Dad was coming over to help me fix the ass backwards plumbing in our shower. It took a bit of improvising but we now have a working shower again and for that, we're grateful. I'm feeling pretty energized today and not at all needing to take a nap. I know I probably should take advantage of the time…

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February 25, 2017

My thoughts / Vivint Gives Back

How automating the lights in my house helps my son with #Autism to sleep

If you're a regular reader, you know about all the struggles we face in regards to sleep with two of our three kids with Autism. The biggest challenge over the years, has been with Emmett. We've never been able to really nail down what his issues were related to, and we've only been met with sporadic success until recently. I've spoken many times before about Vivint and how I've implemented their technology throughout our home, in order to make it safer. Since our initial installation, I've been finding more creative ways of using this tech to help my wife and I better care for our three boys with Autism. It's safe to say that I've been inspired by my Vivint experience, and bitten by the home automation bug. As I've made small…

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February 24, 2017

Gavin / My thoughts

The weird things my son with #Autism says

The things I talk about in this post are not meant to be disrespectful for Gavin. If you're an Autism parent, you'll probably have at least some experience with your kid saying something weird in front of someone in public. They don't mean anything by it. It's just those pesky, awkward social and conversational skills. We've all been there and it's okay to talk about these moments because if we don't have a sense of humor, we'll go crazy at a much faster pace. It's a sign of a good day when I've made it this far without collapsing from exhaustion. 😁 The boys got off to school without too much headache and we really do appreciate the effort they put in to make that happen. Not having to deal…

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February 24, 2017

Emmett John / My thoughts / Sensory / Shoes and Socks

My son’s sensory issues totally kicked my ass today

Mother of God, I didn't think we were going to survive this morning. Everyone was in a great mood and that's awesome. Elliott and Emmett were getting along and there wasn't any fighting whatsoever. Let me tell ya, that almost never happens. All of that awesomeness ended the moment it was time to put shoes and socks on. Our mission of helping Emmett tolerate his shoes and socks began about 7:15 am and we finally arrived at the school at 9:00 am. It took almost two hours to work through the sensory issues this morning. There was so much screaming and panic over how his socks felt funny, I wouldn't be surprised if my neighbors, three doors down could hear him. We came so close to throwing in the towel and…

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February 23, 2017

Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Why #Autism Parenting blogs are SO important

There are always those people who don't understand or misunderstand the purpose of this site or my writing style. I wanted to provide some insight into the how's and why's because I've received a large influx of new readers and I'd like everyone to understand why I do this. I'm connecting with quite a few families that are just beginning their Autism journey. They're looking for a path, and I'm able to help provide them with a place to start and sanity as they move forward. When people are just beginning this journey, they feel very much alone. There are feelings of isolation and that no one understands. While some may not understand this, Special Needs parents find comfort in knowing they aren't the only ones depressed, frustrated, overwhelmed, imperfect,…

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February 22, 2017