Family Archives - Page 328 of 553

We had an emergency today

It's been a long day, but we were lucky enough to get a nice little break from parenthood, while the boys were with their Grandparents. After Lizze and I took a long nap, we went to the park and walked the track. We made it about three quarters of the way, when Lizze began to not feel well. It was pretty hot outside, as it was nearing 90°F. She was a trooper, but nearly collapsed twice. I ended up sitting her down in the shade, quickly making it back to the car, and picked her up. I got her home, and her face was beat red because she was so overheated. Her body temperature was that of a high fever. It took about an hour to both actively, and passively…

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June 11, 2017

Autism Parenting Advice / My thoughts

Take advantage of the breaks

When Autism parenting is what you do, day in and say out, it gets exhausting. The reality is, so few of us get regular breaks. It's unbelievable, unless you've experienced it, but considering how fast Autism is growing, there's a serious lack of resources available for parents. This will vary depending on where you live, but generally speaking, it's hard to find resources to help with the day to day challenges, associated with Autism parenting. One of the hardest things for an Autism parent to come by, is a break. Getting a break is not only the hardest thing to come by, but also one of the most important things an Autism parent needs. If this seems like a problem, you're absolutely right. There is no direct fix for this,…

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June 10, 2017

Autism Parenting Advice / My thoughts

Is it okay to need a break from your child with #Autism? I have the answer.

Okay folks, I generally try to avoid giving direct parenting advice, because everyone's situation is different. What works for me or my family, may not work for you or yours. That doesn't stop people from asking for advice all the time though. I've decided that I will begin offering non-specific, widely applicable Autism parenting advice. Take it or leave it. ☺ Let's begin with a very important one. Is it okay to need a break from your child with Autism? This is one of those questions that probably enters every Autism parents mind at least once. As parents, we have this irrational idea that because our child/ren have Autism, we aren't allowed to experience emotions like anger, frustration, or even resentment. Somehow, it became unacceptable to have a very human…

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June 10, 2017

My thoughts

Why it was a sleepless night for this #Autism Dad

It was a rough, sleepless night once again. Emmett woke up, and wouldn't go back to sleep unless he was clinging to me. He has a really, really loose tooth, and it's uncomfortable. Once he woke up, he became aware of his tooth again, and freaked out. He ended up climbing into our bed, and falling back asleep. Unfortunately, by the time we made it to that point, it was really late, or really early, depending on how you look at it. It should be a pretty quiet day, as all we have is one appointment. I'm hoping to sneak in a bit of a nap before having to actually to go anywhere.

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June 9, 2017

Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

#Autism has had an impact on our marriage and here’s how we deal with it

When you're special needs parents, being exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, and frustrated, is sorta of the status quo. It goes with the territory, and we all experience this from time to time. Today, was one of those days where Lizze and I were so stressed out, that it created some conflict between the two of us. Conflict isn't something unheard of in a marriage, and ours is no exception. What often happens, is we become so stressed out, and overwhelmed, we end up allowing it to come between us. We spend our patience on the boys, and don't always leave enough for each other. We're both spent, and that can lead to silly disagreements, which can lead to some that aren't so silly. The reality is that when we're so overwhelmed,…

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June 9, 2017

Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

I’m a frustrated #Autism Dad, and here are a few reasons why

I'm feeling frustrated because so far, the summer isn't going how I'd like it to. I wanted to keep the kids moving, and have fun, but that's not happening as much as I want it to. Emmett's is in a flare, for the second time since school has been out, and that tends to dictate what we can or cannot do. It involves a great deal of sleepless nights, screaming, and fighting to get him to eat anything. It's exhausting, and seems to last forever. When he's feeling good and wanting to do something, Elliott will be in a place where he doesn't want to do anything. Each of the three boys have very different special needs, and they are often in conflict with each other, making life especially difficult.…

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June 8, 2017

Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts

Why I had a rough night

It was a rough night, because Elliott was never able to fall asleep. He had sort of a trying day, and was too wired to fall asleep. Mind you, this was on Melatonin, and his nightly Benadryl for allergies. As a result, I didn't get much sleep, because while the cameras monitor their movements, I don't like going to bed while the boys are awake. Anyway, this has me running short on both energy, and patience today. Mr. Emmett is in a foul mood today, and that doesn't come as too much of a surprise. I was hoping today would be better for him, but clearly that's not the case. We ended up having a last minute appointment this morning, and after which, I want to take the boys to…

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June 8, 2017

Emmett John / Insights and Education / Inspirational Posts / Meltdowns / My thoughts

How Autism related meltdowns impact me as a parent, and how I cope

One of the hardest parts of being an Autism parent for me this week so far, is meltdowns. When it comes to Autism, I always tell people never make assumptions. Having said that, I feel pretty safe saying, if you're an Autism parent, you're probably intimately acquainted with meltdowns. Meltdowns are exhausting for everyone, not just the person having one. I mentioned earlier in the week that Emmett was coming into a new fever cycle. When he hits one of these things, he's generally quite miserable, and far more prone to meltdowns. The fever cycles don't cause the meltdowns directly. They seem to decrease his ability to cope with all the things around him, that would already lead to a meltdown. Things like light, sound, his clothes, and pretty much…

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June 8, 2017