Read more about the article Is it okay to need a break from your child with #Autism? I have the answer. 
Autism Parenting Advice / My thoughts

Is it okay to need a break from your child with #Autism? I have the answer. 

Okay folks, I generally try to avoid giving direct parenting advice, because everyone's situation is different. What works for me or my family, may not work for you or yours. That doesn't stop people from asking for advice all the time though.  I've decided that I will begin offering non-specific, widely applicable Autism parenting advice. Take it or leave it. ☺  Let's begin with a very important one.  Is it okay to need a break from your child with Autism?  This is one of those questions that probably enters every Autism parents mind at least once. As parents, we have this irrational idea that because our child/ren have Autism, we aren't allowed to experience emotions like anger, frustration, or even resentment.  Somehow, it became unacceptable to have a very human…

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June 10, 2017
Read more about the article Why it was a sleepless night for this #Autism Dad 
My thoughts

Why it was a sleepless night for this #Autism Dad 

It was a rough, sleepless night once again. Emmett woke up, and wouldn't go back to sleep unless he was clinging to me. He has a really, really loose tooth, and it's uncomfortable. Once he woke up, he became aware of his tooth again, and freaked out.  He ended up climbing into our bed, and falling back asleep.  Unfortunately, by the time we made it to that point, it was really late, or really early, depending on how you look at it.  It should be a pretty quiet day, as all we have is one appointment. I'm hoping to sneak in a bit of a nap before having to actually to go anywhere. 

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June 9, 2017
Read more about the article #Autism has had an impact on our marriage and here’s how we deal with it
Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

#Autism has had an impact on our marriage and here’s how we deal with it

When you're special needs parents, being exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, and frustrated, is sorta of the status quo. It goes with the territory, and we all experience this from time to time.  Today, was one of those days where Lizze and I were so stressed out, that it created some conflict between the two of us.  Conflict isn't something unheard of in a marriage, and ours is no exception. What often happens, is we become so stressed out, and overwhelmed, we end up allowing it to come between us.  We spend our patience on the boys, and don't always leave enough for each other. We're both spent, and that can lead to silly disagreements, which can lead to some that aren't so silly.  The reality is that when we're so overwhelmed,…

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June 9, 2017
Read more about the article I’m a frustrated #Autism Dad, and here are a few reasons why
Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

I’m a frustrated #Autism Dad, and here are a few reasons why

I'm feeling frustrated because so far, the summer isn't going how I'd like it to. I wanted to keep the kids moving, and have fun, but that's not happening as much as I want it to.  Emmett's is in a flare, for the second time since school has been out, and that tends to dictate what we can or cannot do. It involves a great deal of sleepless nights, screaming, and fighting to get him to eat anything. It's exhausting, and seems to last forever.  When he's feeling good and wanting to do something, Elliott will be in a place where he doesn't want to do anything.  Each of the three boys have very different special needs, and they are often in conflict with each other, making life especially difficult.…

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June 8, 2017
Read more about the article Why I had a rough night
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts

Why I had a rough night

It was a rough night, because Elliott was never able to fall asleep. He had sort of a trying day, and was too wired to fall asleep. Mind you, this was on Melatonin, and his nightly Benadryl for allergies.  As a result, I didn't get much sleep, because while the cameras monitor their movements, I don't like going to bed while the boys are awake.  Anyway, this has me running short on both energy, and patience today.  Mr. Emmett is in a foul mood today, and that doesn't come as too much of a surprise. I was hoping today would be better for him, but clearly that's not the case.  We ended up having a last minute appointment this morning, and after which, I want to take the boys to…

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June 8, 2017
Read more about the article How Autism related meltdowns impact me as a parent, and how I cope
Emmett John / Insights and Education / Inspirational Posts / Meltdowns / My thoughts

How Autism related meltdowns impact me as a parent, and how I cope

One of the hardest parts of being an Autism parent for me this week so far, is meltdowns. When it comes to Autism, I always tell people never make assumptions. Having said that, I feel pretty safe saying, if you're an Autism parent, you're probably intimately acquainted with meltdowns.  Meltdowns are exhausting for everyone, not just the person having one.  I mentioned earlier in the week that Emmett was coming into a new fever cycle. When he hits one of these things, he's generally quite miserable, and far more prone to meltdowns.  The fever cycles don't cause the meltdowns directly. They seem to decrease his ability to cope with all the things around him, that would already lead to a meltdown. Things like light, sound, his clothes, and pretty much…

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June 8, 2017
Read more about the article How to easily change your @VivintHome device names
My thoughts

How to easily change your @VivintHome device names

In this brief tutorial, you will learn how to change the device names on your Vivint Smart Home system. The most common reason you would want to do this is that you've moved one or more of your Ping cameras. Most people will want the camera name to reflect the camera's location. This tutorial will show you how to change the device names, so you can accomplish this.   https://youtu.be/yeFaIDjdS4g Changing you the device names on Vivint Smart Home system   Load the Vivint app on your mobile device Tap the menu button on the top left of your screen Tap on Device Settings in the left panel Locate the device you want to rename from the list and tap on it Tap on the current name to edit and let it process…

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June 7, 2017
Read more about the article It was a draining day, and we are doing it again tomorrow 
My thoughts

It was a draining day, and we are doing it again tomorrow 

I'm completely drained after today. I've been nonstop since this morning, and I'm fricking exhausted. We went from bed, to the dentist, to the Garden Center, to Dr. Pattie's, to Walgreens, and finally home again.  For the most part, the boys did awesome today.  Both Elliott and Emmett are physically, and emotionally drained after the dental excitement this morning. Keeping that in mind, the few meltdowns we had this afternoon were understandable.  Once the boys were in bed, Lizze and I went to bed ourselves. We're both drained, and have to be ready to do it again in the morning. Gavin has to be at Dr. Reynolds first thing.  With any luck, I'll get some sleep tonight.. ☺ 

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June 6, 2017