Birthdays With The ODD Child

Birthdays and Christmas are usually a cause for excitement and celebration. In our house, Zach really knows how to put a damper on these occasions. This year for his birthday, we got him Blendy Pens, Croc-A-Doodles - he can draw on his Crocs, wash it off and start over with these, and a Razor scooter. All things he has seen and asked for. All things we knew he would like based on his interests. Zach's been dying for a scooter to keep up with the other kids around here because he refuses to learn to ride a bike. He's scared. Here's Zach's reaction to his presents.

The verdict: According to him NOT a very happy birthday because we didn't get him yet more Star Wars stuff. Nevermind that he got almost all Star Wars stuff for Christmas, he bought 5 new action figures with the birthday money one set of grandparents sent, and his godmom usually sends him whatever the newest Star Wars transformers are.

Summertime Chaos

I know I've been MIA from this blog for awhile. We were getting ready for my sister's wedding and school has let out for the summer.

Summer is especially challenging for us. Zach thrives on the strict routine that the school day provides him. At home, I'm just not programmed to be that strict. I suppose if I were a parent who over scheduled their child I could be, but that's just more work than I'm willing to put forth. Summer is my vacation too. I like that we don't have to run here there and everywhere by a certain time and day on a constant basis.

The last couple weeks have been especially challenging in our household. Zach's out of school and out of his routine for one. For another, the anticipation of his birthday this week is absolutely killing him. It's very much like the anticipation kids get at Christmas and then they start acting out because they're so excited they don't know what to do with all that energy. Then his Dad is leaving to go TDY for a month. Being a Daddy's boy, these separations are harder on Zach than the rest of us I think.

What do I do to curb the summertime chaos? I try to have a routine, but let's face it; sticking to my 2 year old's nap and bedtime schedules are hard enough. I'm just not a schedule person. I make sure Zach plays outside as much as possible. The more he runs around and plays physical games, the better he behaves when we need him to sit. Kicking around a soccer ball is a current favorite. I have to admit, it won't hurt my waistline to get out there with him either. During those weeks where it seems like we're in monsoon season, I pack up the kids after a couple days and we go somewhere that has an indoor play area. Their current favorite is a local coffee shop that also serves sandwiches. They have a train table that I have to pry my boys off of when it's time to leave. No matter that they have one here and a ton of trains and track.

When my husband is gone we run a lot of our errands after nap time. It kills that afternoon witching hour when the kids get all squirrely hanging out at home. It's one of the perks of not having a work schedule to go around. When we don't have errands to run, I'll take them to the park or pool. By the time we get home, it's time for dinner and then baths and bed. Of course I collapse on the couch after they're both in bed, but it's worth it to get through that hardest part of the day with them.

What do you do to get through what can be long and boring summer afternoons with your kids?

Energetic Kids

Those of you with kids with behavioral disorders probably know the worst punishment you can bestow on your kids and yourself is to take away their physical play time. We try VERY hard to make taking away playing outside and running around Zach's last punishment because if he doesn't get to work off that extra energy it creates more behavioral problems.

Some of the activities I keep on hand for the kids for outside are long and shallow Rubbermaid bins, one with rice, and one filled with beans, a sand and water table, water balloons for the hot days, plenty of differently shaped and textured balls, frisbees, and plenty of sidewalk chalk.You don't have to spend a fortune, just get the kids outside and let them run some of their extra energy off.

Nothing Feels Right

My son Zach has issues with clothing. Tags, seams, stray threads, these things all bother him immensely. I understand to a point because I have issues with tags and seams as well. His sensory issues in this department far surpass mine though. Tagless t-shirts are the best thing since sliced bread in our house. Some still have the tag on the side that bothers us, but it's not as bad as having it on your neck. Now if the sock manufacturers would just get the memo and make their seams thinner across the toes, we'd be all set.

Here's how we've minimized the clothing sensory issues in our house. Besides tagless t-shirts, we went through a phase when Zach first started school all day where he had to get dressed the night before. He would put on his clothes for the next day before going to bed and sleep in them. For whatever reason they felt OK at night, but to put the exact same outfit on in the morning was a battle. He would literally try on every piece of clothing he had and deem that it "didn't feel right." This also allowed him to sleep in longer since we didn't have to spend 30-45 minutes each morning getting him dressed. He woke up ready to go eat breakfast.

For socks, once I find a brand Zach deems worthy, I don't stray. Another thing we do is turn them inside out to put the bulk of the seam on the outside. For shoes, we've found that regular ol' shoes with laces give the best fit. Of course any time you can find the softest material, you're better of. I try to stick to 100% cotton when I can.

Do you have any tricks for your kids who have clothing issues?