Some days you just gotta congratulate yourself because no one is going to do it for you! As a sensory parent, no one is hosting some grand dinner for you to honor your Outstanding Dedication and Perseverance.
My big win was this weekend at a birthday party. We arrived a little bit late and the place was in full swing. My 5yo took one sweeping glance at the “dance party” birthday and instantly insisted I sit with him for a while.
Initially I was thinking, why can’t my kid just join in for once without any drama? But then the drama didn’t come. He sat quietly and asked me to scratch his back. This from a tactile defensive kid. So he was trying to find a way to acclimate to the loud music and commotion. Hugging or cuddling would have been too much. But today the back scratching was just right. …continue reading
When you have an SPD kiddo, the situation naturally vacuums up any time you used to have for yourself. Oh sure. Other parents will say they’ve experienced the same thing, but we insiders know differently. So when my husband and I manage the occasional date night, there’s no way we are going to settle.
That wasn’t the case a couple of years ago. We were still trying to convince ourselves that we could keep skipping along. Everything was going to be just fine. Whatever comes our way we can manage. We’re two capable adults, right?
But there comes a point in time where you have to stare the heartbreaking truth straight in the eyes. We’re not doing well. Our family is not doing well. And we don’t know how to make it better.
Humbling. I think humbling is the best way to describe raising an SPD child, let alone two. It makes you face your own weaknesses. It forces you to realize that what you once defined as being strong was wrong. And it makes one ask for help — which is easier for some than others. Want to guess where I was on that spectrum? …continue reading
