I’m trying to make my son’s 2nd birthday while on #COVID lockdown a happy one

As you may or may not know, today is Elliott's 15th birthday. Today also marks the second birthday in row that he's celebrated on COVID lockdown. While Lizze and I are trying to make arrangements for the boys to go over, it's not a quick process. There's a lot of planning that goes into visits when you are in the middle of a pandemic and have high risk people in both households. Elliott is bummed because he wasn't going to be able to see his mom on his birthday. As bad as this is going to sound, I was excited to to hear that he was feeling this way. The reason for that is not because I'm a dick but rather it shows me that he is indeed healing and…

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Sleeping Tips for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses many unique challenges for you as a parent. Sleeping Tips for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) One of the most commonly affected areas involves sleep. Good sleep during pregnancy is certainly important, but so too is adequate rest postpartum and into childhood for both you and your child. As your child ages, lost sleep usually results from their inability to sleep. If they can’t fall asleep, have bad dreams, or wake up frequently, then they may wake you up directly or indirectly through the noise they make. Making matters worse, they’ll suffer from the effects of poor sleep. Losing even a few hours of sleep is enough to cause negative effects on their mood, energy, and cognitive skills, especially for…

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Looks like we’re watching #Scoob today, courtesy of @WBHomeEnt

I just want to say thank you to Warner Brothers for sending my kids this media box, including a Blu-ray of the new release of #Scoob and some promotional swag. The kids were so excited and surprised. We've actually seen Scoob when it released on digital a little while back and it was awesome. Totally a family friendly movie that everyone will enjoy. As a kid, I lived on Scooby-Doo and it's so cool to see this get a 2020 update. In Scooby-Doo's greatest adventure yet, see the never-before told story of how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined forces with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved, Scooby and the gang face their…

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I’m about 90% sure it’s a Thursday

I'm up early and about 90% sure it's a Thursday. We've just hit day 140 of COVID19 lockdown and everything just sorta slurs together anymore. Groceries are on the agenda for today and they'll be arriving in a few hours. The kids are still sleeping and aside from my noisy ceiling fan, the house is completely silent. It's actually kind of amazing how quiet it is. While I'm still very tired and could probably go back to bed for a little longer, I'm going to enjoy the quiet and maybe even workout before the kids get up. I have a new episode dropping for the podcast tonight and it's one I'm really excited about. You can visit listen.theautismdad.com and get caught up on all the previous episodes while you're waiting.…

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Top Ways to Keep Your Family Physically and Mentally Stimulated During The Pandemic

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 global pandemic has taken a toll on the world. Every country, every sector, and of course, every home can testify to the fact that it has not been easy. Media coverage has clued us in as to how countries and certain industries have been coping during this time. But the family unit is out of the public eye and equally getting hit in more ways than one.  Image Credit  But if there’s one thing about the human race that’s constant, it's our ability to adapt and find ways to thrive. Based on that, it's important to seek out ways to keep you and your loved ones stimulated during these gloomy times. Mental health management is just as important as the physical aspect in…

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Here’s what happened

It's been a few days or maybe a bit more than that but I'm back and ready to move forward. I wanted to explain what happened that kept me away for the last few days because it was nothing serious. As you may or may not know, I run my own dedicated server for this site. It's been this way for years. Yes, it's expensive but I basically outgrew everything else and this was the best approach. The site more than pays for itself, so it's not a financial issue. Anyway, my server software was out of date and the only way to upgrade at this point was to completely reimage the server with the updated software. Unfortunately, that's not something I can do from my end. That meant completely…

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People not wearing masks makes it harder to leave the house

I've had a pretty decent week. There were some challenges but overall, it's been okay. In fact, there were some very positive moments that helped me get through the not so positive moments. The kids are doing well but the pandemic is really beginning to wear them down. We've been trying to get out into nature at least a few times a week. I felt that we were pretty safe until recently. As COVID-19 is worsening in Ohio and it's crystal clear that most people simply refuse to wear a mask. With more and more people venturing out, it's becoming harder and harder to avoid contact. Our last trip to Quail Hollow was very concerning and as much as I hate to do this, we're going to have to limit…

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Mental Health Management

Mental health might be a little harder to manage than usual. Especially at the moment with Coronavirus stopping people from doing the things they love. You might manage your mental health by going to work. Perhaps by socializing or seeing loved ones. Everyone is different, but unfortunately Covid has shifted life. Managing one's mental health isn’t always easy, but it can be easier. When you’re trying to do this while working a full time job, being a parent, etc. it can all add up and overpower quite quickly. The tips below can help shift your perspective. Remember though, especially when it comes to mental health, people are different. What works for one might not work at all for another. It’s important to apply any advice you see in a bespoke…

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