Dawn's Dry Arch Blog - Week 7
Lock Down Low-Down
Today I have laughing children, children who have learned to be around each other all day and it’s a lovely thing. How long it lasts? Who knows, but it feels great. Being safe at home is a much nicer experience with the sound of laughter so that has been my focus – the greatest happiness of the greatest number at the one time. How have I been focusing on this I hear you ask! Very good question. It boils down to self- preservation. When my children are cool then I’m cool, when I am cool my children are cool.
So, here’s the additional paragraph of honesty, as I write, it all goes pear shaped, the cooperation lasted all of ten minutes and ended in an x-box controller being used by one rascal to batter another rascal resulting in a not so operational controller. NOBODY IS COOL and we all retreat to our corners to reset. I look forward to the next period of truce and play nice. That’s how it goes day in day out, in waves of calm and peace, and then there are periods of being in no mans land, or in my case trying to sneak a wagon wheel in the downstairs loo.
The stress of set school work was and is not happening in this house, no way, no how.
However, planting onions, garlic and spuds in the garden works, making things out of junk and glittery glue works, painting by numbers absolutely works. Making the dinner together and assigning small tasks, its all learning, its just not classroom learning, but that’s what I got and that’s what I’m doing. For my eldest its stressful because she can’t get her head around any of this, fighting with her to sit at a computer will not improve her ability to manage her days. So, we tread gently giving reassurance, hugs and other opportunities to be calm and okay. Just to be okay!
I also gained an interesting bit of insight with regards to an ASD brain this week. After buying books and encouraging study activities with my son constantly and getting nowhere I just asked him one day why he would not like to read the books I got him or to try a school project. He replied simply “it’s not school Mum, I can’t do those things here”. How do I get around that one?
It’s not as simple as, here’s the work and this is what we expect, carry on as normal. For our kids on the spectrum this is far from normal and expecting them to just get on with it is just not possible and not fair. So, for all our kids and I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it, LOVE THEM TODAY, TEACH THEM TOMORROW.
On a final note, I was awoken after midnight by my youngest son wandering about, he is seven.
I went to tuck him back into bed and explain to him how important sleep is for everyone when he said he needed a drink. He had drunk lots before bed, and I knew he was putting off going back to sleep. “Go back to sleep Haribo, its very late and you have had enough to drink tonight” his reply, “fine then Momma, I’ll just drink my slobbers”. Still makes me giggle – slobbers!!
Be safe everyone, this too shall pass, and we will see each other soon and how we will celebrate and rejoice in our newfound freedom. Make the most of the good days and be gentle with each other on the not so good days. We struggle and we rise, but if you find your struggling and you need to reach out The Dry Arch Team are here for you and your families, always.
So for now we continue to be a home in lock down loving each other through it (mostly!)
D X
