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
New Year’s Resolutions. Everyone makes them. Lose weight, eat healthier, watch less T.V., spend more time with your family, exercise, lessen your stress. January rolls around and I’m glued to “Dr. Oz” and “The Doctors” talking myself into a lifestyle change. Nodding my head along with the audiences saying, “I need to throw all the junk food out of our pantry. I need to get off the couch and find that Pilates DVD that’s been missing for the last couple years. I need to take more bubble baths, read more books, and spend less time on the computer.”
This year my New Year’s Resolutions are very different from past years. I have a child with sensory challenges. I need to look past myself and figure out what my husband and I want her future to look like.
The past month has been especially challenging. B’s routine has been completely messed up, and we all know how kids thrive on routine. Especially kids with sensory challenges. Sharing a room with her sister during the holidays, working on holiday school programs vs. the predictable classroom routine, visiting with out-of-town family, getting sick with the stomach flu…these are all little changes that add up to HUGE inconsistencies in B’s everyday structure. …continue reading
