Hang On and Enjoy the Ride

Guest Post by: Beth C.

Being a parent is the most rewarding yet most challenging thing in life.  There isn't a book that tells you how to raise children, so you have to live and learn, hoping that by the time they are 18 they can make wise decisions on their own.  My husband and I have three children, twin 1 year olds and a 2 ½  year old.  Needless to say, with two full time working parents and three kids under the age of three, we stay very busy! 

I would have to say that my biggest struggle is being a working mom.  Balancing family life and work life can be very difficult.  My weekdays start at 5:30AM, which is a struggle in itself, and ends around 10:30PM.  I usually get home from work around 5:00pm and fix dinner, feed kids, bathe kids and put kids to bed by 8:30PM.  I then clean up from dinner and start laundry.  With five people in our house, laundry is a daily task.  Around 9:30PM, I will usually sit down and watch tv with my husband and try to catch up on our day.  I am very blessed with a wonderful husband who helps out around the house and makes time to play with our children.

We are experiencing the terrible two’s right now and potty training.  Let me say that it is just not right for these two things to happen at the same time.  I am still learning what correction methods work with my son and which ones don’t.  I have a very strong willed/stubborn 2 year old, so the disciplines that work for him, probably won’t work with my 1 year old who is laid back and easy going.  I must be doing something right though because when my 2 year old has to sit in timeout, he always comes and gives me a hug when he gets out.  As for potty training, this has been a huge challenge for us.  I think I have tried every bribery tactic there is out there.  I have finally accepted that my child will use the potty when he is ready.  As frustrating as that is to hear from other people, I believe it to be the truth.  However, when my child went to the potty for the first time and had success, it gave me such great joy.  I was so proud of his accomplishment!  Yes, that’s right, I am one proud mommy that my kid went pee pee in the potty!  Take pride in the little things!

I would be lying if I said I wasn't exhausted 90% of the time with this crazy life I live, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I love being a mom.   I love when my son gets mad and crinkles his nose when he says “NO!”  I love that my kids and I have a dance party every night in our kitchen.  I love cuddling with them.  I love singing to my kids.  I love hearing them say “momma/mommy”.  I love that my kids are so close in age.  I often times get told “Bless your heart” or “You have your hands full”, when people hear that my kids are 17 months apart.  I usually respond with “Yes, I am blessed!” 

Having young children so close together can be challenging, but the love and memories I make with my children are totally worth it.  Life with small children is a constant roller coaster, so hang on and enjoy the ride!  

The Responsible School-Ager

The Responsible School-Ager

Brandy Southard (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

I have officially entered into the, “mother of a school-ager” phase of my life!  I never saw myself as such, yet, here I am.  I often think, “How in the world am I going to survive this?”  After a few deep breaths, I realize that I am totally equipped to do this job.  I have been in the field of Early Childhood Education for almost 20 years.  Recently, my husband and I needed to make a change in how our daughter would contribute to the household.  She needed to have more responsibilities around the house, but also needed reinforcements for them.  We came up with a chore chart and reward system that fit our family needs.  It has become quite successful!  She now has a clear expectation of what her responsibilities are and what the rewards will be if she completes the tasks.  This has helped teach her lessons about being accountable for her decisions.  She can choose not to complete a task on a certain day, but she also knows that by choosing that, she is also choosing the consequence that goes along with it.  In the beginning, this was a painful process for everyone in the household; as she became more responsible, it became much easier.  Truthfully, we are all happier now with the clear expectations that have been set!  She has even come so far as to help with things not on her chore chart, because she likes to contribute to the family! 

I imagine many parents and child care providers have the same overwhelming feeling when it comes to helping their children become more responsible.  It is important to say that children need responsibility!  Responsibility is a trait all individuals need, to be successful in life.  By giving children responsibilities, it shows them they can be trusted to make their own decisions as well as to answer for their own behavior.  Assigning responsibilities for your child must be individualized based on where they are developmentally.  You want to set them up for success by defining responsibilities that they are able to accomplish.  If you find that they are becoming frustrated with a task, take a look at how you can simplify it for them.  For example, asking them to keep their bedroom clean may be too broad and become overwhelming for them.  Break it down into smaller tasks for them.  Keep books stored on bookshelf, toys go in the toy box, dirty clothes belong in the hamper, bed must be made, etc.  This can seem much more achievable for them and the end result is: their bedroom will be clean.  As you see them handling the tasks with more ease, you can add a little more to them.  This will help them continue to develop into more responsible children.  It will do wonders with their self-esteem and self-worth.  They will feel like an important member of the family.

We all know that you catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.  The same goes for children!  Be sure to give them specific praise on chores they have accomplished verses giving them negative feedback for what they didn’t do.  By saying, “I really appreciate how you fed the dog his dinner every night this week,” you will encourage them to continue to uphold their responsibilities.  If you have clear guidelines about what happens if they choose not to complete a task, then they will already know the outcome for the choices they make.

Another wonderful benefit to having a responsible school-ager is that they will be more successful in school!  They become more organized and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.  This helps push them to want to learn and achieve more from school.  As I stated earlier, it helps them become successful later in life and want to contribute positively to society.

Another important way to teach children responsibility is to model responsible behavior for them.  Sounds super easy, but it can go such a long way!   If children see that the dishes and laundry are piling up, the lawn has become a jungle, and stacks of papers are everywhere; they see this as acceptable and have no motivation to keep up with their own responsibilities.  It is good to talk with them about a few of your responsibilities and what the consequences might be if you don’t follow through with them.  They need to see that there are even consequences for actions, even as an adult. 

For more information and ideas on helping your school ager with responsibilities, visit the following websites:

Duke TIP Responsibility: Raising Children You Can Depend On

Care.com 9 Tips for Teaching Kids Responsibility

Free printable chore lists

 
Brandy Southard is a STAR Quality Coordinator, in the Quality Enhancement Initiative in Kentucky.

On Your Mark, Get Set, “GO” ing to Kindergarten!

On Your Mark, Get Set, “GO” ing to Kindergarten!

Alyssa Schneider (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

As I stroll up the aisle of Target in mid-July, I cannot help but begin feeling the buzz about the upcoming month, the month that children return to school.  For those parents whose child will be entering school for the first time, as a kindergartener, there is an elevated level of organization, excitement, and maybe panic. I remember when my own children were at this stage; I was busy making lists.  Lists of back to school clothes that they needed, the endless list of school supplies, and of course we cannot forget the new backpack and lunch box featuring Spiderman or the newest disney princess. Preparing for kindergarten, as a parent, seems to be getting the needed items on the list, just in time for the first day.  Have we asked ourselves a bigger question; is my child really ready? Not just ready to begin waking up at the crack of dawn and getting on the school bus; but, is my child ready socially, emotionally, and skilled enough to have a successful transition into the world of  school?

School readiness in Kentucky means that each child enters school ready to engage in and benefit from early learning experiences that promote a child’s success. The developmental areas for school readiness are:  (www.kidsnow.ky.gov)

·       Approaches to learning.

·       Health and physical well-being.

·       Language and communication development.

·       Social and emotional development.

·       Cognitive and general knowledge.

Many, many years ago this definition had not been adopted by the state, so there I was wondering. And by wondering, I mean worrying; is my child ready for kindergarten. Fortunately, he was, although we still had things that were “in progress”.  He had these skills not by chance, but rather, I and the quality childcare providers had been strengthening these skills since he was a baby.  As an early childhood professional, I knew the importance of quality pre-school, language development, self-help skills, confidence, and allowing my child to move at his own pace.  It was not about reciting the ABCs and 123s, although knowing them is important; it was about fostering the skills of the whole child. My child was excited to go to school. He was curious, always asking questions, and by answering his question with more than just a yes or no answer he was gaining broad and colorful language.  We read books daily, and in turn he also shared stories with me. We had conversations that were turn taking with listening and speaking. As I read to him, I realized we worked on being able focus for ten minutes; which supports skills for following directions.  We worked on him being able to articulate his needs to an adult and control his emotions.  We encouraged other self-help skills such as using pencils and scissors, and putting on a coat.  All these daily skills that were poured into him were building a boy ready to make a successful transition to school.

The first day of kindergarten came with much anticipation. There he was: new clothes, back pack, and a cute little haircut, smiling with excitement and confidence for this new adventure. The bus came around the corner and stopped just long enough for him to board and wave from the window.  As I got back into my car and wiped away the tears, I realized that over the last few months while I was busy checking items off my list of “back to school to dos,” I had not added preparing him for kindergarten. Thankfully, I had been doing that since birth. He was kindergarten ready!

 

Alyssa Schneider is the STARs Quality Coordinator, Quality Enhancement Initiative

Tummy +Time = Learning

Tummy +Time = Learning

Kimberly Gipson (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

“Oh great, I’ve overslept again!”  This has been my “good morning statement,” lately as I rush to get up and get ready; in order to make it to work before the time clock hits the 7-minute mark, branding me as “late again!” I whisk my little one from her crib, greet her with a quick peck to wish her good morning; and, while still in her multipurpose pajamas, place her ever so gently into her car seat and hand her a bottle; knowing she can’t quite hold it yet.

I toss us in the car and pray for every red light to turn green! I reach my first destination and race through the doors of the daycare without noticing the other screaming children.  I sign my child in and hurry down the hall as though the teacher will put a dreaded “T” for tardy by her name!  As I enter the room, a sea of young infants are strapped in car seats, bouncy chairs and swings.  Some of them are crying, while others look dazed and bewildered.  I look into my sweet baby girl’s eyes and see that same look and think, “Oh good, it must be normal for babies to look like this early in the morning.”  Leaving her in her car seat with her bottle, I scribble some instructions on the report sheet and tack it to the board.  Off I go to my final destination; work!

For many of us, our days are just like this; jam-packed with tasks and errands before the work day even begins.  We are a “fix-it quick” generation!  Our intentions are good; however, the outcomes leave us lacking physically, emotionally, cognitively, creatively, and spiritually.  We fix-it when conflicts arise between our children, because we don’t have time for our children to argue over such things as toys.  We fix-it when our children are bored and don’t know what to play because we don’t have time to share 10 ways to play outdoors with the abundance of natural objects we can find.  Even with our infants we fix-it to keep them from becoming upset because we don’t have time for the crying.  Now, don’t take this wrong; as parents and caregivers it is our natural instinct to want to fix-it, and we should… to an extent.   Next to valuing the safety and security of our children, whom we love so dearly, what is the reason we want to fix-it?  Time!   Goodness, we rush to and from one event or another throughout our day.  We must do this and pick up that. We must go here and then go there, and sometimes we run just about everywhere!  Sound like a Dr. Seuss story? 

Yet, on any given day, we miss the opportunity to teach our children so many things like empathy, how to have healthy relationships, or even master simple self-help skills such as reaching, grasping, crawling, and walking.  I know what you are thinking right now… “Have you seen my schedule?” “I make it a point to have a little snuggle time with my baby before I prepare for the next day, so… how can I do this? Isn’t that what they are supposed to do at the day care?”

The answer is yes and no!  Infants learn in any environment; however, it is when babies are on their tummies that they learn so much more from the world around them!  Research shares that when young infants have the opportunity for tummy time; it significantly fosters the development of small and large motor skills, supports head and neck muscles, and strengthens trunk control. In turn, these skills are essential in reaching developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting alone, pulling-up, and walking.

As parents and caregivers, we need to incorporate tummy time into our infant’s schedule; this includes at home and in the day care.  Parents, we can spend just a few minutes tummy-to-tummy with our babies as we read a story, or use a simple lap soothe before bed time. Professionals need to offer infants opportunity for tummy times throughout the day, as well.  Placing an infant on their tummy and providing them a simple toy to see and reach for, offers so much excitement!   We need to be mindful that when we include such strategies as tummy minute or tummy-to-tummy time, we are helping strengthen muscles and nurture skills needed later in life. Does school readiness ring a bell?

Individuals learn by applying knowledge gained from life’s experiences; children are individuals, too! In order to grow, we must offer opportunities throughout the child’s day for them to apply their new knowledge to new experiences.  Think of it this way; when we keep children in swings, bouncy chairs, car-seats, and high chairs, are we not strengthening their skill of becoming couch potatoes?  Just a thought...

For more information on simple tummy time techniques, visit www.Pathways.org.

 

Kimberly Gipson is North Anchor for the University of Kentucky, in the Quality Enhancement Initiative.

Got a Picky Eater?

Got a Picky Eater?

Lisa Smartt (Guest blogger) @ Kids Matter

I can’t help you with algebra. I can’t analyze your 401K or explain why your geraniums mysteriously died last year. But if you have a baby or a toddler, I might be able to save you a lot of trouble in the future.

More and more American children won’t eat this or won’t eat that. We have a lot of company so, over the years, I’ve heard it all. “He only eats this kind of cheese.” “She won’t eat meat or bread or vegetables or fruit. She mostly eats cereal or peanut butter.” “Junior doesn’t eat cornbread. Do you have any Wonder bread?”

I love you enough to tell you what nobody else is willing to tell you, friend. Being a picky eater is, well, kind of rude and annoying. So, if you’re a new parent, you definitely want to avoid pickiness with your own children. I’m not saying the method I propose is fool-proof. But neither of our boys have ever been picky eaters. They eat a wide variety of all kinds of foods, including beans and cornbread, salads, quiche, and casseroles. If you invite them to your house for dinner, they will eat what you cook, unless you’re cooking road kill. On second thought, they’re teenagers and would probably eat road kill just so they could tell all their friends they did.

If you're looking for a solution to picky eating at your house, my first suggestion is for the adults. Commit to not complaining about food. Ever. Picky parents naturally raise picky kids. Don’t constantly discuss things you like or don’t like. Be thankful for what you have. Be thankful you’re not going hungry. Pickiness displays a lack of gratitude…in both children and adults.

As soon as your child graduates from baby food, you can joyfully expect them to eat what you eat at mealtimes. I can’t emphasize this enough. Are you having beans and cornbread? So are they. Are you having ham and potato casserole and boiled carrots? So are they. You may need to dice the table food but you don’t need to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a toddler, hoping they might “learn” to eat real food later. No. This is the time to learn.

With that said, I would recommend you never make a child eat. Ever. Please don’t make food a “power issue” in your home. Food is an enjoyable way to sustain life. It’s not the opportunity for a power grab. Mealtimes should be as pleasant as possible. If a child isn’t hungry, that’s fine. Healthy children will not starve themselves. They will eat when they’re hungry. But every family member must sit at the table with the rest of us. And we’re not going to fix an alternate meal. Don’t let children snack several hours before supper and they tend to come to the table hungry and ready to eat what you have prepared.

I know that pickiness regarding food is not the biggest issue families face right now. I get that. But I do think it’s a sign that prosperity has gotten the best of us. We’re spoiled. We whine. But we can do better. We can learn to be thankful. And we can pass that thankfulness down to our children. It will be a gift to them and their future.

Lisa Smartt writes a weekly newspaper column from her home on the outskirts of Dresden, Tennessee.  She is the author of three funny fiction books in the Doug and Carlie series and "The Smartt View:  Life, Love, and Cluttered Closets."  She can be contacted through her website, www.lisasmartt.com.

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross

Britton Riley (Guest blogger) @ Kids Matter

The American Red Cross was founded on May 21, 1881, by Clara Barton and a circle of acquaintances, in Washington, D.C. Barton led the American Red Cross for 23 years, during which time the first disaster relief efforts were conducted and aid was provided to the United States Military during the Spanish-American War.

Over the years, the Red Cross has grown to be one of the nation’s premier humanitarian organizations. The Red Cross responds to about 70,000 natural and man-made disasters each year, through the mobilizing power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

While many people see the American Red Cross as simply collecting blood supplies and responding to large national disasters, there are also Red Cross activities and responses happening daily, right in your own community.  On a daily basis the Red Cross not only responds to large-scale disasters, but also to individual home fires. On the scene, we provide support to First Responders and work directly with clients to ensure their immediate needs for food, clothing, and shelter are met. We provide our clients with a comfort kit of basic toiletry items and also bring stuffed animals in case there are children involved.  Stuffed animals provide the comfort a child needs to believe everything is going to be okay. We want the children to feel safe. Beyond our time on scene, we also work with clients in the weeks and months following the disaster to make sure their needs are met and they are on the path to recovery. 

The American Red Cross also provides emergency communications to the Armed Forces. When a member of the military, or their family, has an emergency and needs to contact a loved one overseas, they call our 24/7 Emergency Communications Center (877-272-7337). There, a Red Cross representative collects all pertinent information and validates the request to be passed along to the member in the Armed Forces, or their commanding officer.

Volunteers and Donors are the cornerstone of the Red Cross, our response, and the services we provide. The mission of the American Red Cross is to “… alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and generosity of donors”.  That’s what we continue to do daily. The Red Cross is a volunteer led organization and receives little federal funding.

YOU can help! Contact your local American Red Cross to find out about volunteer opportunities. Visit RedCross.org to learn more about ways you can donate, give blood, or take one of our numerous lifesaving courses.

Britton M. Riley, Regional Lead Specialist, Disaster Services, American Red Cross Evansville, IN

Lesson Plan: Mary Had a Little Lamb

Lesson Plan: Mary Had a Little Lamb

Dora Wilson (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

Through the sing song lyrics of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, we have all had a lamb follow us to school one day. What young child wouldn’t find that the most amusing thing to have happen? May 24^th marks the 184^th anniversary of the nursery rhyme written by Sarah J. Hale. It is believed that the nursery rhyme was inspired by a true event. Nothing inspires learning greater than bringing a story to life. The following is a lesson plan to celebrate the anniversary of this historic nursery rhyme. Be creative and add your own touches to inspire those precious little minds in your classroom.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

By: Sarah Josepha Hale

Mary had a little lamb,

Its fleece was white as snow,

And everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go;

He followed her to school one day-

That was against the rule,

It made the children laugh and play

To see a lamb at school

And so the Teacher turned him out,

But still he lingered near,

And waited patiently about,

Till Mary did appear.

And then he ran to her and laid

His head upon her arm,

As if he said-"I'm not afraid,

You'll shield me from all harm."

"What makes the lamb love Mary so,"

The little children cry;

"O, Mary loves the lamb you know,"

The Teacher did reply,

"And you each gentle animal

In confidence may bind,

And make them follow at your call,

If you are always kind."

Monday

General information: Teach the difference between a lamb and a sheep.

Reading: Give each child the Mary had a little Lamb booklet, have the children stand when you say the word “Mary” and make the sound “baaaaaa” when you say lamb. Give the children something to do for each section.

Math: Cut out lambs and allow the children to count them.

Art/Music: Have the children color and design their own sheep. Give them different materials such as ribbon, cloth, and pompom balls for them to decorate their sheep.

Physical Education: Teach the children how to move like sheep.

Tuesday

General information: Teach the schools rules about pets.

Reading: Make a game using lamb sight cards. Let the children draw a card from each stack to match the word with the picture. A picture of the lamb eating should pair with the word “eat”.  

Math: Get a stuffed lamb and have one of the teachers walk around the class with the classroom counting together as the lamb walks up to them.

Art/Music: Play the nursery rhyme song and allow the children to dance.

Physical Education: Children run to school (play as if they are running to school).

Wednesday

General information: What do lambs eat?

Reading: Give sight words on index cards to play memory game.

Math: Make cards with different numbers of lambs on them. Children can then match the number to the corresponding lamb card.

Art/Music: Allow groups to work together to construct sheep from clay, paint or other mediums.

Physical Education: Hide-n-seek, one child has a sheep hat and one child has Mary hat, the other students try to find where the lamb and Mary are hiding.

Thursday

General information: What does shearing mean?

Reading: Create a felt board story for children to tell. Allow the children to add their version to the felt story and record their ideas.

Math: Give each group a selected number of cotton balls (wool) have them take turns gluing them on the big lamb picture.

Art/Music: While playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, in different languages, allow the children, acting as sheep, to play musical chairs.

Physical Education: Students will walk like a lamb; move their arms as if they are shearing a lamb, and running like they are chasing a lamb.

Friday

General information: Take a field trip to see a lamb or ask someone to bring in a lamb.

Reading: Bring out the Lamb puppet and tell a story about what lambs like and don’t like.

Math: Take several different lambs and have them matched to the other lambs and do the same for little girls. Make minor differences to each one so the children will need to pay close attention to detail.

Art/Music: The children will make a school house, a barn, and a pasture to reenact Mary had a little lamb.

Physical Education: Students will have relays to bring the lamb into the school yard.

Child Abuse Awareness



Child Abuse Awareness

Rashmi Adi-Brown (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

2014 marks the 40^th anniversary of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which expanded and centralized federal efforts to prevent and respond to Child Abuse and Neglect (CA/N). It is bittersweet to me that we have a month such as this. While I appreciate that we have April to remember and acknowledge that CA/N exists in our state, it is devastating to me that we do not emphasize that it happens every day, of every month, of every year.

We know the effects of CA/N negatively impact a child over the course of their life, affecting their success in school, work and life. It will impact their ability to love, trust and believe that the world, their world, can be a safe place.

In 2013, according to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, 56,128 children were reported abused and or neglected in Kentucky. That number rose from 24,506 in 2012.  Furthermore, 27 children died as a result of child abuse and neglect and there were 17 near fatalities. We know that there are risk factors present with a caregiver, whether in or out of the home, that may increase the chance of CA/N occurring. The risk factors may include: substance abuse, mental health issues and domestic violence.

I strongly believe it is our responsibility as adults, parents, and professionals to provide children with the basic tools for life: love, support, knowledge, and safety.  When a child is abused or neglected it shakes the very core of their being. We have all heard the phrase, “… through the eyes of a child”. In the children I worked with, girls and boys of all ages, I saw sadness, worldliness and weariness in their eyes. There are so many children, year after year, whose lives and souls have been torn apart and broken because of the hurt caused by someone they loved and trusted.

We can only prevent and protect our children by stepping up. This means being aware and responsible as parents, citizens and professionals to do everything we can to keep children safe. We can do this by talking about CA/N: what it is, what it means, and providing support to neighbors, family and friends who may be having a difficult time, supporting local and state awareness events, and reporting CA/N if you suspect it is occurring.

YOU can be that person! Make a difference in a child’s life!

Written by: Rashmi Adi-Brown, M.S., Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services, CHES Solutions Group

Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness

Dora Wilson (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

“I am different, not less.”  Temple Grandin, animal behavior expert and author of The Autistic Brain

     Autism is a dirty word in most homes, especially homes of young children. Some 20 years ago, I opened the doors of my home to the beast of autism. Our home has never been the same. Of course, as when dealing with wild beasts, you either tame it or allow it to control you. We, as a family, decided to embrace, cultivate, understand, and subdue the beast of autism.

      Today, most people are aware of autism. According to Autism World, autism occurs in 1 out of every 110 births. One child is diagnosed every 20 minutes, which is an astonishing number. There are approximately 24,000 new cases recorded per year. As autism becomes more and more common, changes in our home, school, and society as a whole must take place to accommodate the growing population of people who are affected by this disorder.

    Some individuals with autism have a problem with communication. Many have little to no verbal language ability. Socialization is another problem. The small things that people take for granted in social settings are very foreign to people who have a disorder falling within the autism spectrum. Odd or undesirable behaviors are other problems that may accompany the diagnosis of autism. The list goes on and on. It is advisable that children be taken for regular checkups and for parents to pay close attention to the milestone guidelines that physicians supply. If you have a healthy child and are going through that list checking off the things your child can do… when you finish, go back up that list and imagine your checks were for not able to do and you will get an idea of what life is like with an autistic child.

Often, I’m asked how our family deals with the ongoing changes and challenges of autism. If I could sum it up in two words they would be, laughter and faith. We have learned to separate what is autistic behavior from the personality of my son. We know and believe that all life is worth living and most challenges make you wiser, stronger, and more understanding. We laugh because most people take life and the little things too seriously. My son, Jarred, has a wonderful sense of humor. His smile is addictive. Jarred is able to bring a ray of sunshine to an all too gloomy situation. People who have autism tend to see things at face value. The concerns of fashion, money, and prestige, are not important to them. The love of nature, the fascination of machines, and the wonders of the world are more likely to keep them occupied. Yes, rough days are frequent at our house. Full moons, change in the weather, and unplanned schedule changes can, and do, bring about anxiety.  However, we have had many wonderful days with time spent peering out the door laughing and watching squirrels rediscover the ground void of snow, laughing at young children playing innocently and laughing at absolutely nothing simply because… laughing is contagious.  We have tried new food and laughed because no one loved it, but Jarred. We have even cried together as family simply because a country song he loves moved him to tears.

Life with autism is not easy. But, is life ever easy? Autism is not the end. It’s only what you make of it. Never dwell on what things could be like in your home or for your child. Spend every precious moment living in the now, where your child is. Create wonderful memories and make life fun and exciting. The battles you face will not miraculously go away but, the joy you get from your autistic child will light even your darkest moments.