Read more about the article I hate feeling powerless
Autism Parenting Struggles / Emmett John / My thoughts

I hate feeling powerless

It's now 1:47 AM and Emmett has just now fallen asleep. We've been trying to help him for hours upon hours. He has a really bad tummy ache and feels like he's going to puke. This is stressful for any kid but it's especially so with a kid like Emmett. To make things even worse for the poor kid, he also seems to be hitting a fever flare because he's getting sores in his mouth again. I don't know what the deal is with these tummy aches but they are consistent, especially when school is approaching. He's not making this up and he's clearly in distress but the cause remains a mystery. My personal opinion is that we're dealing with a side effect of his extreme anxiety. He struggles with…

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March 12, 2018
Read more about the article So Proud
Elliott / My thoughts / Today's Victory

So Proud

I want to take a second and share how proud of Elliott I am right now. I'm always proud of my kids but sometimes they even surprise me and I find myself even more deeply impressed. Today is one such day.. ☺ On the way home from school today, Elliott was upset because he was given homework over the weekend. The whole class was given homework, not just Elliott, but he's still upset. Anyway, without having to be asked, bribed, chased after, fought or otherwise forced, he came home, and began his homework. I'm not sure I've ever seen this from him. I'm absolutely impressed and frankly, quite relieved. I was dreading the homework battle this weekend and now I don't have to worry about it.. ☺ Elliott, I'm super…

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March 9, 2018
Read more about the article Things That Can Directly Affect Your Mental Health
Contributed / My thoughts / Sponsored Post

Things That Can Directly Affect Your Mental Health

This is a collaborative post and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of this blog or its author. People don’t realize that there are things they do every day that directly affect their mental health, either in a positive or negative way. Mental health still isn’t taken seriously by some, although many people will experience things like depression, anxiety, and other issues at some point in their lives. It can happen to anybody at any time, so raising awareness and breaking the taboo surrounding the subject is a must. If you want to make sure you’re caring for your mental health, the best thing you can do is pay attention to the factors that directly affect it. Take a look at the list below: The Food You Eat The…

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March 8, 2018
Read more about the article Morning meltdowns are so exhausting
My thoughts

Morning meltdowns are so exhausting

This morning was a bit on the rougher side of shitty. Emmett really struggled with his stomach and was extremely upset because he didn't feel good but he also didn't want to miss school. He struggled with this so much that he ended up melting down. We decided to have him stay home because he truly wasn't feeling well and maybe we could get him to school a bit later in the day. I took Elliott to school but stopped at Walgreens because he decided at the last minute that he wanted to bring Valentines to school. While I was there, Lizze called and said Emmett basically wanted to try going to school. We turned around and claimed Emmett before making our way to the school. It's important to understand…

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February 14, 2018
Read more about the article An Important Update: Anxiety, Depression and Respite
General Update / My thoughts

An Important Update: Anxiety, Depression and Respite

There's a few things I need to catch you up on. For starters, Emmett made it to school this morning however, he came home sick about lunchtime. I understand there's a stomach bug going around the school but I'm not sure he's actually sick. I totally believe his stomach hurts but I suspect that something might be bothering him and he's just unable to articulate it. It's so easy to forget that Emmett is significantly emotionally delayed because he's so stinking smart. Part of that delay involves expressive language, of which he greatly struggles with. He's doing a bit better since coming home from school. We have therapy tonight and we'll focus on Emmett. Maybe even figure out what's bothering him. Gavin's having a better day today. I'm really glad…

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February 13, 2018
Read more about the article Emmett is struggling this morning
Emmett John / My thoughts

Emmett is struggling this morning

Emmett is struggling this morning. His tummy is upset again and he's not in a good place. He's on the verge of a massive meltdown and nothing is helping. I don't know why his tummy hurts or if it's something else that's bothering him and it's causing a tummy ache. I suspect Emmett is dealing with anxiety about something and just isn't able to telling us what it is. I'm taking a short break from trying to help him work through it because it too early and I'm already getting overwhelmed. If I don't take a break, I'm going to be of little use.

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February 13, 2018
Read more about the article Elliott is too distressed to sleep
Elliott / My thoughts

Elliott is too distressed to sleep

Elliott and I are having a campout in the living room tonight. He's been unable to sleep, and so I thought maybe spending some time together would help me get to the bottom of what's been causing him so much distress. I hate seeing him struggling, and Elliott doesn't always like to open up. He's much like Emmett in the sense that he doesn't do well when it comes to expressing how he's feeling. Anyway, we spent quite some time playing in our Minecraft Realm together. He didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but much of his distress is related to school. I know that much, but I'm not sure how to help him figure this out. Lizze and I will be meeting with Dr. Pattie next week…

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January 27, 2018