The sky is the limited for my son. I tell Owen every day that he is amazing, and he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. I also forget that he knows how to push my buttons, and get away with a lot of things. Discipline is hard for Owen to process, but in the same breath he understands it completely. He lives for my reactions to situations. I have to be careful how I show my expressions, and emotions, because he will continue to do the actions for my reactions. And this may not be at the time I’m correcting him; it could be weeks, or months later. One day he reached up to touch a picture, he almost knocked it off the wall. I told him to be careful, but I gasped as he was doing it. I didn’t want the glass to crack if it fell. Months later, he walks up to the picture every day, pushes it a little, looks over his shoulder, waiting for my reaction. This is where I have to separate the kid, from autism, from Owen, from his age. He repeats the behavior every day even though he has gotten timeout for it, and his tablet taken away. Now to ignore it, and hopefully the behavior will go away. At some point there is a loss at how to handle behavioral issues. You want to correct your child, but that feeds his behaviors. I talk to Owen about behaviors, and how we have to work together as a team. I want him to understand his actions have consequences; this is is a hard lesson to learn, even for me. Current situation, making himself cough, so he can ask me if he is sick, prompting a hug, and kiss from me. Oh where to begin. Life does not come with an instruction manual, but through it all we are learning, and growing. Owen has taught me as much about myself, as I probably have taught him. He’s watching bowling on his tablet. I think it’s time to start our day. Explore your world, find something you love to do, and know that tomorrow is a brand new day. Smiles to all and donut daze!
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