Using Transitions to Create Traditions

Because changes and transitions can often be more jarring and stressful for those on the spectrum, it's often recommended to plan ahead with lots of warnings and preparation. It's also usually not advised to start something new at the same time.

However, sometimes I feel like one change can make it easier to make another change and use it to piggy-back. For example, right now life is pretty crazy with our move, but we're trying to keep the Little Man's daily routine as stable as possible. We started him at the new daycare (closer to my work and the new place) a week before we move house. On the weekend we will move and after the long weekend, he's back at the new daycare, so not too many changes happen at once.

Now I pick up the Little Man from daycare and bring him home with me and Dada has dinner ready for us. I've used this NEW routine to institute sitting at the table for meals. We've tried this many times and failed, but we know it's possible. So we've been consistent this week about making sure food is on the table as soon as he comes in. He gets washed up and we get to the table as a family. He has no time to get distracted by toys or anything else. It means I sit down and eat a bit even if I'm not that hungry at that time. It means I usually miss my favourite show and pretty much the only TV I watch, Coronation Street. But we are teaching him the lifelong skill of sitting nicely at the table, not kicking anyone, and just eating.

We've been soooo impressed with him! Not only does he sit and eat fairly well (with a lot of prodding) but he has even asked for more some days! It's so nice to see such a change in him. So now we just have to make sure we keep it up once we move, despite the chaos and possibly, lack of kitchen.

Making transitions easier takes planning and consistency. If you want to institute a new routine/habit/tradition, pick something manageable and don't get expectations too high. If it doesn't work this time and causes too much stress, drop it and wait for another time. In the end, our children will learn and cope at their own pace and life isn't a race to the finish!

Life in a Rube Goldberg Machine

So I was lazy this morning (my first mistake) and just handed the kid a bowl of rice krispies while I went to the kitchen to make my breakfast. 

When I got into the living room, there were rice krispies all over the floor, so I had to clean those up. Then I got my breakfast. Then I fed him some more. Then I decided to take off his diaper, like I do every morning, but this time unexpected poo pellets came out. So I reached over to grab a napkin to pick up the poo pellets and knocked my glass of juice off the table. So I then I had juice and poo pellets all over the floor. This excited the child greatly, because anytime there is liquid to be stepped in, it calls out his name. 

So I made the poo pellets a priority, took those and ran into the kitchen to get cloths to wipe up the juice all while yelling, "don't step in it!" 

Went back and cleaned up the juice while a bare-bummed poopy child tried to climb on my back and jump on the couch. Prevented both from happening. With the juice cleaned up, I was able to grab the child and clean him up. Went back and washed the whole floor with the mop. Went back into the kitchen to rinse out the juice-covered cloths and found a big ass mofo centipede having a party in my sink. Took out the electric fly swatter and zapped the crap out of all its mofo nasty legs and threw it outside, cursing at it all the while. Hung up the laundry and that was the end of the chaos...for the moment.

The whole chain reaction of events makes me feel like I live in a Rube Goldberg machine.