“Mommy, you’re soooo boring.”
Dec 31, 2007
Tougher Skin
By ·
Over the weekend, we went to a big gathering hosted by some friends. Most of us have kids, so all of the kids got to play together. Cordy has played with the hosts’ two children several times before without any problems. The five year old sometimes gets annoyed with Cordy, but in that case he usually just ignores her.
But the dynamics were different this time. The five year old had a seven year old friend, and the two of them were playing together. Cordy and the two year old were also in the playroom. Now, looking at these four kids, you’d think Cordy belonged with the older two – she is only slightly shorter than the five year old, and may outweigh him. And of course the older two were having a great time making up their own games and creating imaginary worlds to play in.
The trouble started when the five year old brought out a new magnetic fishing pole. He and the seven year old girl immediately threw the fish on the ground and started fishing. Cordy – having little self-control – loved seeing the pole and grabbed for it so she could fish, too. The older kids screeched at her and yanked the pole back.
I stepped in at this point and reminded the older kids that Cordy was younger than them, and had trouble understanding the concept of waiting for her turn. I then focused on Cordy, explaining that she had to wait until they were done before she could have her turn, and that she couldn’t take away toys from other kids. I also tried to redirect her to another toy, but she was obsessed with the fishing pole.
The older kids went back to fishing, laughing with excitement. The energy the two of them generated could have powered half of Ohio. Cordy, still standing on the sidelines, couldn’t take it anymore. She again reached out and put her hand on the fishing pole, saying “Cordy catch a fish? Cordy catch a fish?”
The older kids again removed her, although in pushing her away from them, Cordy pushed back. I reminded Cordy that she shouldn’t push. I could see the frustration on her face. “Cordy catch a fish!” she cried and reached again for the pole.
“No!” yelled one of the older kids. “Cordy will NEVER catch a fish! Never!” They then picked up a fish and ran around the large wooden puppet theatre in the room to “cook it”. But they took the pole with them, too.
Cordy looked confused and hurt. Those harsh words hurt me, too. This social situation for Cordy was quickly turning bad and I wanted to pluck her out of it. But she was determined to get that fishing pole. As I tried to talk to her, she walked around the puppet theatre to join the other two. They had set the pole down for the moment, so she took the opportunity to pick it up. They quickly noticed, and a round of “No, Cordy!” erupted as they both grabbed her and pulled the pole from her.
The cartoon steam was coming from her ears at this point. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t have a turn, she didn’t know why they were being mean to her, and she really wanted to play with this toy. I could see the inner workings of her mind on her face – she was furious, frustrated, and what little reason and logic she had were no longer accessible. I watched her progress to the edge of a full-blown, out-of-her-right-mind meltdown, teetering ever so close on the precipice.
Cordy reached out and grabbed the (very heavy, and a little unstable) puppet theatre and started shaking it violently. The older kids yelled at her to stop. I also firmly told her to stop because it was rocking enough that I worried it would fall on them. In those seconds, I knew what I had to do, but also knew the results: the first person to touch her was going to set her off into a screaming, kicking meltdown, but it was important that she didn’t knock down the wooden structure.
I told her once again to stop, and grabbed her hand. As if I had some kind of jelly touch, she immediately collapsed and began wailing. I scooped up the seemingly invertebrate preschooler and moved her to another room. Aaron heard the screaming from upstairs and joined me as we held Cordy tight to prevent her from hurting herself as she flailed and screamed wildly.
She calmed down faster than I expected. After 15 minutes, she had calmed down enough to join the adults and sit with me, sniffling and coughing. We again talked about toys that belong to other kids, and how she could only play with those toys if the owner said it was OK. But the situation had turned into more than a fight over a toy.
“Do you want to go back downstairs with the other kids?” I asked.
“Nooooo!” she cried, hiding her face in her hands. She was scared to play with them again. Her attempt to play in a social situation was a disaster, and she didn’t want another try. She was happy to remain with the adults, close by my side.
There is a somewhat happy ending, though. Later in the evening, she did venture downstairs to play again, this time abandoning all attempts to interact with the older kids. They had moved onto a different game, so she quietly took the fishing pole and caught several fish, proudly showing me each one.
And I in no way blame the other kids for what happened. They were acting like average five and seven year olds – I wouldn’t expect them to act any other way. I can see how Cordy would annoy them. Cordy’s new attempts to play with other kids often results in her approaching kids older than her, and these kids don’t know how to deal with her. (Let’s be honest – I don’t always know how to deal with her.) She looks like she’s as old as them (even though she’s three), but at the moment she can’t understand the rules of social interaction.
I think I was the one most affected, though. In true kid fashion, she seems to have forgotten most of what happened, while I play it over and over in my head. I wonder if I should have stepped in sooner, or not stepped in at all and let her navigate the murky social waters on her own. I know I can’t always be there to interfere, and I don’t want to be some helicopter mom. But every injury to her feelings seems to strike me twice as deep.
This is a whole new area of parenting that I’m not sure I’m ready for. Helping her learn to crawl and eat solid foods was much easier than helping her deal with the world of best friends, you’re-not-my-friend-anymore, teasing and cliques. I was never any good at that area myself, so I have no idea how to teach her how to deal with it. We’re both going to need tougher skin, I think.
Dec 18, 2007
Motivation
By ·
Mira has had the strength to sit unsupported for a few weeks now, but little actual interest in doing so. I’d place her in a sitting position, and she would soon fall over in order to grab a toy and examine it from a supine position. There was nothing that could convince her that sitting up was fun! And cool! And all the six month olds were doing it!
But over the weekend our friends Nico and Judith gave us a toy their youngest was no longer as interested in. Today’s result: instant motivation to stay upright and play.
Oct 16, 2007
Visiting the Doctor
By ·
The visit started out with a major meltdown – head banging into the door, kicking, thrashing, screaming. Cordy has never liked the doctor’s office. But today was her 3 year check-up, and Mira’s 4 month check-up, so she was going to be examined whether she liked it or not. We had rehearsed going to the doctor’s at home, complete with using my stethoscope to show her what the doctor would do, but it still didn’t stop the meltdown.
Our doctor reviewed Cordy’s evaluation from the school district, and we discussed the medical issues that go along with it. Like her lack of sleep. The poor kid doesn’t nap, and wakes 3-4 times a night, often staying up for a half hour or more before settling back to sleep. On a good night, she gets 9 hours of sleep; on a bad night, maybe 7 hours or less. Cordy is clearly exhausted most days. The doc said that sleep issues are common with kids on the autism spectrum. We’re going to look into natural methods of helping her sleep before even considering the idea of medications. She recommended a meeting with a psychologist to help address home issues that aren’t covered by her therapy at school.
As for her food allergies and eczema, she was referred on to an allergist. The doctor asked if I wanted to have her tested for high levels of lead, but I told her it wasn’t necessary. We live in a new house, we routinely check toys against recall lists (damn you, Chinese toys!), and Cordy never puts anything other than food in her mouth.
Cordy took a long time to calm down. Eventually she was calm enough to sit quietly while the doctor and I talked about her development. The doctor was smart to give Cordy time to warm up to her. Once we got to the physical exam, Cordy only squirmed and gave short protests when being touched – far better than the scream fests of previous doctor visits. It also helped that my mom came with us – Cordy is very attached to her grandma right now, and clinging to grandma seemed to calm her.
The child is still holding her status as an Amazon, although she’s slipping a little. 40 inches, 40 pounds, 90th percentile for both. That’s my girl.
Mira, though, seems to be challenging Cordy for Amazon warrior status. I know siblings can be competitive, but I wasn’t expecting them to compete in growth. Today’s results for Mira – 90th percentile for head circumference and weight, and well off the charts for length. The kid is 4 months old and almost 27″ long. Wow.
We also discussed Mira’s lack of sleep, too. Why couldn’t one of my kids inherit my appreciation for sleep? I feel like I’m at Gitmo undergoing sleep deprivation torture. Cordy’s awake by 5am, Mira is up between 3-4am … I never sleep.
What else has Mira accomplished lately? Well, there’s this:
Within the past two weeks she decided it was time to roll over to her belly and hold up her head.
And then there’s this:
(click for larger picture)
Not sure what you’re seeing? Let me clarify this picture (again, click for more detail):
Yeah, that first tooth she got last week was followed by tooth #2 breaking through last night. Her favorite trick? Biting down on my nipple, then pulling off while still clamped down, sharp teeth dragging along the underside. (All the women reading this just reacted like a man when told a friend had been kicked in the balls, didn’t they?)
They’re both growing well, and they’re both healthy, which is all I could ask for. Well, some more sleep might be nice, too.
Oct 10, 2007
Further Proof The Universe Has A Twisted Sense Of Humor
By ·
First child: refused to breastfeed
Second child: wants nothing but the boob
First child: first tooth erupted at 8 months old
Second child: first tooth erupted at 4 1/2 months old…yesterday
I was expecting another three months of gentle gumming before having to deal with a tooth chomping down on my nipple. And what a sharp little tooth it is, too. Razor sharp.
Ouch.
