WhatsApp Messages
When your child does home-based early intervention therapy, you lack a lot of privacy. Although we are incredibly fortunate to be able to afford the excellent services Aidan receives thanks to his grandparents, we are managing a lot of people in a busy household on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong, we are incredibly […]
The Paddling Pool
Another water-based activity that Aidan loves is time spent in his paddling pool! If he had to choose between that and wading on the big pool step, he’d probably choose the latter, but a paddling pool is great for a cool-down on the stoep on a hot summer’s day! In fact he loves getting in […]
The Hosepipe
As a child obsessed with water and water-based activities, Aidan absolutely adores our hosepipe. This simple garden tool provides literally hours and hours of fun for him! Whether he’s spraying plants, creating Peppa Pig-like muddy puddles, or messing around in our pool, full control of the hosepipe makes my boy so, so happy! Aidan himself […]
Mosquitoes
I’m a massive animal lover! And I’m quite fond of reptiles and some bugs too. I think that makes me the exception! The only things I don’t deal well with are cockroaches, praying mantises, flies, and mosquitoes. Ever since I became a mom, mosquitoes are my absolute worst! Because they not only disturb Aidan’s sleep […]
Heavy Lifting
I’m very tall for a woman, almost six-foot. And my husband Monty is tall too! So it was only to be expected that our little man might grow very tall someday. What wasn’t expected, was that he’d be the size of a six-year-old, at three years old, and wearing sizes 8/9clothing! Buying bigger sizes of […]
Struggling with Solids
The most fun we’ve had with Aidan as I’ve mentioned before, was when we first introduced him to solids – purees. Like a baby bird, our little boy opened his mouth eagerly for purees of all kinds. There were very few he didn’t like or wouldn’t eat! His palate was extensive, and he loved a […]
Can’t Wait, Won’t Wait!
All kids struggle with waiting, on the spectrum or not. And of all the age groups, toddlers seem to battle the most with it. They have a primal need for instant gratification and are decidedly in deficit when it comes to patience! But normally, a child can be instructed to wait a minute by a […]
Partnership
According to Ann Gold Buscho PhD, writing for Psychology Today, the divorce rate is extremely high amongst special needs parents. 87% of marriages breakdown under the extreme stress of caring for a disabled child. The statistic is only marginally lower for parents of autistic children at 80%. Given the odds, a solid partnership is especially […]
The Log Book
One of the things that my mom absolutely swore by, was having a night nanny to help out during the early days of motherhood. It’s a privilege few can afford, and most people don’t have, and she was incredibly fortunate to have when I was born. I had never considered it, and didn’t feel we’d […]
Comfort Items
I’m not the world’s best or most experienced parent by a country mile, but I know a thing or two about the premature removal or termination of comfort items, so I hope you can learn something from our experiences! The key lesson to be learned here, can be summed up quite succinctly: Don’t remove any comfort […]