Same old same old
Sometimes I wish I had something new to say. But I'm still struggling with frustration at constant tantrums, worry over food issues and energy to do RDI therapy. Every day seems much the same and I'm done beat by the end.
Today his tantrums were as follows:
7.30am - didn't want a banana for breakfast
8.30am - didn't want to turn off the TV
9.45am - wouldn't get out of the car after shopping
11.00am - didn't want to walk down to the butchers to buy sausages
11.20am - didn't want to get out of the car (solution to not walking) after buying sausages
11.45am - didn't want to sit up for an early lunch
12.00 noon - would only go and do therapy if he could take in his Wiggles toy
2.45pm - didn't want to put on his shoes
3.45pm - didn't want to come out for afternoon tea
4.45pm - definitely didn't want to leave our friends' house to go home
4.50pm - didn't want to get out of the car
6.15pm - didn't want to have his shower
When I say 'didn't want' I mean immediate tensing, stiffness, chin out, head up, scream "Nooo, no no no no no noooo!" I can calm him down by cuddling or carrying him and talking gently to him, but it takes a few minutes each time.
It is the ongoing grind of this sort of stuff that wears me down.
However, far be it from me to ignore the good stuff.
I think he definitely has one of the latest RDI objectives down pat: he is able to change his expression and tone when he wants to present a good impression. So if he wants something now, often we'll have him nodding and smiling at me as if to say, "Come on, when I'm cute I know you'll do it for me", rather than just demanding in a monotone.
Also, today he really did 'get' it when I told him what was happening. In the morning we had a little change of schedule, so I spelt it out pretty clearly. First, turning off the TV early (no Bear in the Big Blue House), then dropping off his sister, then shopping, then home to watch an episode of Bear.
And then in the afternoon, he got it again. First to school to do the pick up, then to our friends house, then home for bacon and eggs. He really understood and repeated it to me a few times. Too bad he couldn't cope with leaving their house when it actually came to the point...