Posts Tagged ‘holidays’
Some Christmas Miracles Come with Paws, and Ours Is Named Bingo
The holidays are always tricky for our family, just like they are for so many families with special-needs children. Our daughter is seven, but a simple Amazon search for “gifts for 7-year-old girls” doesn’t capture what she’ll actually love. If a toy isn’t tied to her current interest, it’s set aside within seconds. And when all her favorite shows seem to be from before 2015, gift hunting feels more like a treasure quest than a holiday tradition. This year, though, we’re preparing for something different. The greatest gift we could…
Read MoreNine Christmases Later: A Holiday That Finally Feels Like Home
When My son Isaac was born, it was just before Christmas. We spent that year just staring at this perfect baby that was all ours, envisioning the Christmas days we had to come, the visits to Santa, and the traditions we would make as a family together. That was before we knew how hard Christmas would be for our boy—before we knew that what we thought he wanted was not actually what he needed. It was before we knew that wrapped presents made him feel uneasy, that moving the room…
Read MoreWhen Christmas Isn’t Magical Yet: Hope for Parents Raising Disabled Children
To the parents raising disabled children who feel the weight of the holidays creeping in because Christmas isn’t magical yet… hold on. The holidays bring big feelings when your disabled child isn’t ready for the wonder. Some children find the magic late, but it’s no less perfect when it comes. Sometimes, it’s even more. There was a time when Christmas passed us by almost unnoticed. She didn’t care for the tree or the music, didn’t light up at the sight of wrapping paper or twinkling lights. And that silence… it…
Read MoreAm I enough?
I wake her every morning to begin a brand new day. I sit beside her, asking questions, slowing her steps, listening to her read, guiding her through mistakes, celebrating every victory. I nudge her past her comfort zone, toward chores, and cooking, and cleaning. I set alarms, build routines, help her move from one moment to the next. I give her her meds, teach her how to care for herself, walk the thin line between her independence and the dangers she cannot see. I place her sensory tools close, soft…
Read MoreNavigating Holiday Gatherings with Autism
Don’t judge. It’s everyone’s holiday season. With the holiday season upon us, I’ve been reflecting on my autism journey as a younger child. It looked much different than it does now as an adult. Whether it was during Christmas with the family or a holiday gathering, I’d often be alone in the corner, trying to avoid too much social interaction and strong sensory input. While my family would be eating beef, chicken, or some other holiday feast, I’d be snacking away on my favorite snacks like cheese doodles and goldfish.…
Read MoreBalancing Two Different Worlds
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. A fun, typically outdoor, social, loud, hot holiday. It’s also a holiday that can be very challenging for families like mine. And put a lot of stress on us. See, our older son struggles with a lot of the parts that make up the fourth. He is scared of fireworks, although he loves to watch them on his iPad. The second he hears one, no matter how far away, he takes off running and hides in our pantry. Parties overwhelm him. Most noises are too…
Read More‘TIS THE SEASON
As I reflect just on the last year alone, the holiday season for us has been so drastically different. Last year at Thanksgiving Caleb was almost 3.5 and we were hyper aware of the holiday festivities being newly diagnosed. We’d researched how to prepare him and considered all of the recommendations. We opted out of going to see family for both Thanksgiving and rather had family over, hoping Caleb would be better off in his own home if we had to be around people we didn’t see too much throughout…
Read MoreFinding My Independence
We lasted 15 minutes at our neighborhood 4th of July celebration tonight. He didn’t even see a firework. His anxiety has been high all week, I knew better. I feel guilty for taking him but know I would have felt guilty if we didn’t attempt to go. I hugged my dude and put him to bed. He loves bedtime flashlight story time. He doesn’t even care he missed the fireworks. Yet I’m back in the sorrows tonight. It’s so crazy how up and down it all is. There are no…
Read MoreTips for Holiday Survival
This is a quick list of the things that I have learned as an autism mom to make the holidays a whole lot easier for our family. My son Noah is going to be four next month, is nonverbal, and is considered a huge sensory seeker. My first and foremost suggestion is if you can host the party in your home, do it. Your kid is always going to be more comfortable being in their own environment with their own things. This will be our second year hosting Christmas in our home, and I believe it…
Read MoreIt’s About So Much More Than Fireworks
It’s not about watching the fireworks. Or seeing children run around with sparklers. It’s not about the parades. Or eating the hotdogs and potato salad. It’s not about going camping. Because let’s be honest about how much work that really is for parents. It’s not about sitting at the beach. Or riding your bike around the neighborhood. It’s about so much more than those activities. It’s not about parents that are complaining about missing an event. Because I’ve heard that. I’ve read the comments from people outside the world of…
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