Finalizing plans for this school year

I just got off the horn with the boys new school and they begin on August 17. We're still waiting on something for Emmett but they're finishing him up now. For the record, I will not be sending the kids to a brick and mortar school this year, as there is no universe in which that would be safe under the current circumstances. Lizze and I are in full agreement on this. The boys will be doing distance learning which means that it will be conducted online, with the entire curriculum provided. They receive laptops and do school for about 5.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. It's going to be an interesting transition but it is what it is. Their safety and wellbeing have to come first. What…

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Last night didn’t go so well

Our first night with an adjusted bedtime did not go so well. Last night was the first night where I moved everyone to a bedtime of 10pm. I mentioned in the previous post that one of my goals was to improve everyones sleep schedules. Last night everyone was shutdown by 10pm. There was cooperation and a willingness to make the change but unfortunately, it didn't go smoothly. Emmett didn't fall asleep until well after midnight and Elliott never fell asleep. I still need to check Gavin's fitbit to see when he fell asleep but he probably did okay. As I said before, this is a work in progress. I am going to encourage Elliott to take a nap but I don't know if that will work and frankly, maybe he's…

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#COVID19 requires new routines for my #autistic kids

I'm making some progress in the creating a new routine department and I'm pretty proud of myself. Actually, I'm proud of my kids as well because they're slowly adjusting. We're on day 143 or 144 of COVID19 lockdown and yes, it's a lockdown. We have been to the park a handful of times and spend time in our yard when it's safe, we are otherwise locked down. I'm following CDC guidelines for people at high risk. It's not a difficult concept folks. That's directed at the trolls who complain about my use of the word lockdown. One of my biggest challenges since schools shutdown has been establishing a routine. That's not an easy thing to do with autistic kiddos. The kids and I were still getting our footing after the…

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I got my kids to watch something new

The boys and I are taking on a new series today. I watched The Umbrella Academy on Netflix last year and with season 2 arriving next Friday, I made my kids turn off YouTube and focus their eyes on something new. They weren't happy about it at first but they're hooked now. If you've not seen The Umbrella Academy, check it out. It's pretty awesome.

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Everything surrounding #COVID19 is getting to us

Today has been one of those days where it's crystal clear that everything surrounding COVID-19 is getting to us. Everyone is grouchy and quick to jump down the others throat. The kids are fighting and when they're not, they're hiding in their phones or on the Xbox. Emotionally, I feel like I'm in a decent place but I'm exhausted. The last few nights I haven't been sleeping well because I started working out in the mornings and I'm still in the soreness phase. I hurt but it's a good hurt in my book. Anyway, I'm dropping the parenting ball right now because I'm not staying on top of everything. I'd like to have fun things planned out and I just don't. We're obviously limited in what we can do but…

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Sleeping Tips for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses many unique challenges for you as a parent. Sleeping Tips for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) One of the most commonly affected areas involves sleep. Good sleep during pregnancy is certainly important, but so too is adequate rest postpartum and into childhood for both you and your child. As your child ages, lost sleep usually results from their inability to sleep. If they can’t fall asleep, have bad dreams, or wake up frequently, then they may wake you up directly or indirectly through the noise they make. Making matters worse, they’ll suffer from the effects of poor sleep. Losing even a few hours of sleep is enough to cause negative effects on their mood, energy, and cognitive skills, especially for…

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Looks like we’re watching #Scoob today, courtesy of @WBHomeEnt

I just want to say thank you to Warner Brothers for sending my kids this media box, including a Blu-ray of the new release of #Scoob and some promotional swag. The kids were so excited and surprised. We've actually seen Scoob when it released on digital a little while back and it was awesome. Totally a family friendly movie that everyone will enjoy. As a kid, I lived on Scooby-Doo and it's so cool to see this get a 2020 update. In Scooby-Doo's greatest adventure yet, see the never-before told story of how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined forces with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved, Scooby and the gang face their…

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I’m about 90% sure it’s a Thursday

I'm up early and about 90% sure it's a Thursday. We've just hit day 140 of COVID19 lockdown and everything just sorta slurs together anymore. Groceries are on the agenda for today and they'll be arriving in a few hours. The kids are still sleeping and aside from my noisy ceiling fan, the house is completely silent. It's actually kind of amazing how quiet it is. While I'm still very tired and could probably go back to bed for a little longer, I'm going to enjoy the quiet and maybe even workout before the kids get up. I have a new episode dropping for the podcast tonight and it's one I'm really excited about. You can visit listen.theautismdad.com and get caught up on all the previous episodes while you're waiting.…

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