A little peak in...

"He doesn't look autistic." "All kids are difficult." "I would just ...(fill in your parenting advise here)... That's what worked for MY kid."


These are the comments we deal with everyday. Yes - he's autistic. Yes - all kids are "difficult". And yes, I'm sure your parenting style works just fine with your kid.


This is our kid. His behaviour is difficult. Our problems are different. Our LIFE is different. What is the same is that we love our kid. He is our gift, our miracle, and our sunshine. And that is what we struggle to remember when it's too dark, and when our bodies and spirits are drained.


Here's the challenge of the week. He has never fallen asleep by himself. He has never slept through the night. Yeah, yeah, I know. Someone is going to say - "You should have let him cry it out when he was a baby". Would not have worked, even had we tried. This is the most persistant child EVER!!!


Anyway - back to the present. We are trying to get him to fall asleep by himself. Is it working? Can a 6 year old get himself to sleep? Not this one. He is up all night, jumping, singing, talking, etc. Is he tired? A little, but not as tired as we are. Eventually, at around midnight or so, he will come into our room, and sleep on his mattress on the floor by our bed. As if this were not bad enough (and it really is), he won't get up in the morning. Too sleepy. So, we have to spend the mornings figuring out ways to struggle him into his clothes so we can put him on the bus to school. Strangely, his behaviour at school has never been better. Maybe just too tired to argue? Sadly, by the time he gets home, he has plenty of energy to argue. Ah well, this too shall pass.


Onward and upward to see what tomorrow will bring. Peace out.