I was trying to decide what to call this post. I really wanted to call it Oh Sh** but couldn't bring myself to do it. I have tried to keep this blog somewhat upbeat thus far....today I am going to deviate a bit because I am very frustrated. NOTE: if you are the least bit squeamish, do not proceed!!
For those of you who I am pretty close to- remember the WORST thing that Jack ever did as a toddler? The one that started about the time I was 8 months pregnant with Nathan and continued for a good 6 months at every opportunity? One that involved untold amounts of bleach, lysol, laundry detergent and many, many pairs of one piece pajamas? God has a sense of humor.....here we go again, with Nate.
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Before proceeding, repeat after me.....he is cute, he is cute, he is cute...
There is a section of my autism journey guide called "the poop pages". What, you ask? I don't think I need to repeat it. When Jack was a little over two, we moved him into his "big boy" room, as we needed the crib for the new baby. Nap time became a nightmare....to this day he has no shades on his windows because he used to yank them from the brackets. He would knock every book he owned off of the bookcases, he would stand at the door and scream. All while I was working down the hall. And when none of that worked.....he went, how shall I say it...diaper diving. Now I know that all little kids explore this "avenue" at some point in their childhood. But kids on the spectrum take it to a whole new level. Tactile experiences are especially intense....they either love or hate play dough, dirt, mud....other umm, things. Both of my children appear to love tactile stimulation. On the walls, their toys, themselves....I think you get the point. Daddy affectionately coined the term "smearcus". Funny how you can joke about stuff when it happens while you are at the office! I started putting Jack down for bed and nap with one piece pajamas on to curtail this issue. Which worked well until he figured out the zipper. Then we had to get footless one piece pajamas and put them on backwards so he could not get to the zipper. He never necessarily "outgrew" this. I just decided to give up on nap time because it was way too stressful. And eventually (and I do mean eventually) he started using the potty consistently. It is one of those parenting experiences where you thought you had reached the point where you could look back on it and laugh. Yeah, I'm not laughing anymore.
So Natey started "experimenting" about 2 weeks ago. Last Thursday was the first really big "incident". And it was BIG. And discovered about 15 minutes before I had an appointment 10 min from home. Awesome. Yesterday though....yesterday was rough. I had gone upstairs for 15 minutes of "respite" after a very full day before we headed to Rolly Pollies. As I was coming back down the stairs, I heard "oh crap" (thus the title of the post) from the front hallway. Then I observed daddy dashing up the stairs with Natey in tow. Shortly thereafter...."Why, son, why, why???" It always amazes me how grown men can completely freeze in the face of a little poop or puke. I guess I am a bit insensitive to this since I worked on an oncology unit where this was just the norm. And let's face it....we're dealing with little kids. What I encounter at home will never even compare to what I dealt with in the hospital. Not that it makes it any less disgusting. Anyway, so I decided to be nice and go upstairs and take over. Sometimes it does not pay to be a nurse!
The big question- is there any way to make him STOP doing this?? He understands no, but I don't think he always connects his precise actions with us saying it. Unlike Jack when he did this. Not that it made a difference at the time anyway. We tell him no while cleaning him up, but the problem is....he LOVES the shower. Loves it! It's like a party in the tub every time he does this. Great reward, no? Unfortunately I fear we are just going to have to do everything we can to prevent any opportunities and wait it out. I was so hoping we wouldn't have to go through this a second time!
So Natey started "experimenting" about 2 weeks ago. Last Thursday was the first really big "incident". And it was BIG. And discovered about 15 minutes before I had an appointment 10 min from home. Awesome. Yesterday though....yesterday was rough. I had gone upstairs for 15 minutes of "respite" after a very full day before we headed to Rolly Pollies. As I was coming back down the stairs, I heard "oh crap" (thus the title of the post) from the front hallway. Then I observed daddy dashing up the stairs with Natey in tow. Shortly thereafter...."Why, son, why, why???" It always amazes me how grown men can completely freeze in the face of a little poop or puke. I guess I am a bit insensitive to this since I worked on an oncology unit where this was just the norm. And let's face it....we're dealing with little kids. What I encounter at home will never even compare to what I dealt with in the hospital. Not that it makes it any less disgusting. Anyway, so I decided to be nice and go upstairs and take over. Sometimes it does not pay to be a nurse!
The big question- is there any way to make him STOP doing this?? He understands no, but I don't think he always connects his precise actions with us saying it. Unlike Jack when he did this. Not that it made a difference at the time anyway. We tell him no while cleaning him up, but the problem is....he LOVES the shower. Loves it! It's like a party in the tub every time he does this. Great reward, no? Unfortunately I fear we are just going to have to do everything we can to prevent any opportunities and wait it out. I was so hoping we wouldn't have to go through this a second time!
Just Not Through Your Nose......
He is cute! Very cute! (especially since we got to him before he diaper dove at our house!) I can't think of how to avoid "rewarding" him with a shower. The neighbors might call the authorities if you start hosing him off . . . Hope there are some one-piece pj's left in the house . . .
ReplyDelete