Posts Tagged ‘difficult toddler’
It's Not His Fault Kate
Last night Cooper refused to eat dinner. (What’s new, right?) There was kicking, screaming, head hitting, throwing, etc. The whole ordeal lasted a little over an hour. I got it into my head that this kid was taking one bite of pasta. And I wasn’t giving up. After the first time-out Cooper took a bite. And then pulled out the gagging. And spit it out. He shoved his plate, threw his fork, dumped out his milk, and dropped a few handfuls of pasta on the floor. I went about my…
Read MoreWe've Lost Control at Home.
When we bring the boys to a store we know that Cooper is a wildcard. And if you saw us you would probably have two thoughts….1. That mom is freaking insane and/or 2. Her kids are so well behaved. Why is she running around like a sweaty lunatic? Funny, right. When I bring Cooper out I know that I will be the one that needs to manage the situation. Jamie always takes Sawyer. I will be armed with multiple kinds of snacks, a drink, a sucker, a phone, etc. If Cooper gets…
Read MoreThe Preschool Plan is in Place
I can’t even put into words how great Cooper’s teacher is and how amazing his IEP meeting went. I fell in love instantly. She was the perfect combination of calm, fun, loving and educational. This is the FIRST time throughout this school evaluation positive that I have felt happy. And positive. Jamie and I met in his future classroom with his teacher, 2 speech therapists, 1 occupational therapist, the special education director and 1 classroom aid. First, we sat at a tiny table with tiny chairs. I loved it. I felt…
Read MoreI Can't Make Cooper Play
If you follow my blog you know that I have SEVERE anxiety over the fact that Cooper won’t play with me. Sounds funny, right? Case and point. We went to a friends cabin over Memorial weekend. Totally laid back with zero expectations. Our friend has 2 little kids so we knew we were in good company. Cooper spent most of the weekend in the back of our Yukon watching movies. It was really hard to watch. The other kids played outside the whole time. They played with squirt guns and…
Read MoreThrowing
We are having a SERIOUS problem with throwing. And by serious I mean dangerous and annoying and frustrating and exhausting. Cooper throws everything. Whether it be a toy, food, sand or rocks. I have determined that this is 100% a sensory thing. He likes the sounds these items make when they hit stuff. And usually the sounds evoke huge laughs from Cooper. He NEVER throws out of anger but he is strong so often other kids (Sawyer) get hurt. We try to discipline this but honestly we would be saying…
Read MoreI Thought I Had More Time.
I am spiraling down fast. I’m finally seeing it. The behaviors. The rigidity. And it makes it hard for me to breathe. Jamie was on a fishing trip so I flew solo with the boys this weekend. Cooper was Cooper and than add in dogs and a toddler. It is what it is. The problem is I saw Cooper’s rigidity like never before. I think I can say I watched him unravel before my eyes. It’s bad. And it’s controlling every second of our lives. Every meal was a fight. Every thing was a…
Read MoreTough Conversations
Today the school psychologist came to our house to do the final in-person evaluation. Our IEP meeting is set for the day after Memorial Day. We are so damn close. The phsycologist recently observed Cooper at daycare and was shocked at how he acted like a different kid in different settings. I totally get this and could said it until I was blue in the face. I actually gave up trying to tell people becaue I started to sound like a broken record. At the school evaluations Cooper resembles Lucifer. And…
Read MoreWay To Go Cooper, You Broke Mom.
Ever since Cooper was 1 or so I realized that he doesn’t understand holidays. Or presents. And he doesn’t care about food so that part is out. He’s afraid of seeing Santa or the Easter Bunny so that is out too. And he hates activities so there is no dying Easter eggs or carving pumpkins. I can get him dressed up in a cute outfit but he won’t sit still for a picture. Yesterday was awful for me. It was the worst holiday I have ever had. Honestly, I am…
Read MoreBack to Reality
Jamie and I are back from our quick vacation in Washington DC. It was so amazing to feel like a grown up. I think I started to forget what it was like. We ate and drank and slept. And we only had one deep, ‘what does the future hold’, conversation about Cooper. And wow was the break refreshing. Everyone deserves a break from the worry. If you let it the worry will suffocate you. And as parent’s of kiddos with needs we know all too well what that is like. Don’t get…
Read MoreLet's just get through this 4 weeks of disappointment and move on with our lives.
How did it come to this? Coordinating calendars and therapy appointments. Managing meltdowns and lack of understanding. Hating myself. And my life. I guess I just don’t understand when it happened. I am sitting here trying to remember when it got hard. Cooper was a difficult sleeper from birth but besides that he was a great baby. Loved to eat. Loved to snuggle. Loved to be moving. Then we had the pooping issues. Then the hearing aid debacle. And I will say that whole shit show toughened me up. I learned how…
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