I want to blog...really, I do but honestly I've been so busy during the day and evenings that when "my time" rolls around I am just too tired to think in complete sentences, let alone type them.
I met with Kaylen's "team" at school Monday afternoon and we are all on the same page when it comes to her. Everyone is really happy and proud of the progress she is making and when I introduced my next steps plan, everyone was in agreement. When I went one step further, they said "Let's slow that down and take it more gradually." which I was really happy to hear. I have been pushing Kaylen harder than I would have liked, knowing that we need her to get to a place where she can handle all parts of the school day without me, so to be given permission to slow these last few steps down....well, I was relieved. Part of me is scared that if we push too hard, she will regress and we have come so, so far. Kaylen and I have worked so hard to get to where she is and I am so proud of my girl.
Tears are few and far between these days. I have learned that my instincts with her all along have been spot on. The child needs advance warning of changes and I'm talking at least a week of the event being introduced and reintroduced. I know some people think it's not good to give kids too much warning of upcoming things but my gut always has told me that my kids need to have advance warning and it needs to be reinforced - a lot. If you spring a change on her, she loses her balance and can't cope. But if she knows it's coming, we can talk and talk and talk and plan how to handle it and then she handles it like a pro.
She's amazing and I am so lucky to have had a school team that has been incredibly good with her and supportive of the plan I think is best for her (which they agree is the best approach for her, too).
I know how blessed I am to be able to be there for her. I shudder to think at the fallout if I hadn't been available to help her work through the past 4 weeks. I am blessed that Dakota is supportive of what I've been doing and understanding that during this time, some things just have to wait. The kids are the number one priority.
Monday I will take her to her new pediatrician to see about official diagnosis, plan of actions, etc. While I hate that I am asking her to be labeled I know that, in the long run, it won't hold her back as much as it will help her get the help she needs.
Thank goodness I have Marlene to lean on. She has been my sounding board many times and she helps me balance the kids so that each one is getting special time with someone. The kiddos LOVE to roughhouse with Marlene and, for her part, she enjoys roughhousing with them. I stand back and watch and laugh....and am grateful that it isn't my back they are jumping on. :)
Today, as a surprise while I was gone all day at school, Marlene and one of her employees came over and spent hours cleaning my house and can I just say how touched I am? I had really let the deep cleaning go over the past couple of years - always meaning to catch up on it but then never being able to do it (I've kept up on surface cleaning...just not the deep cleaning stuff). The kitchen was SO clean tonight that Kelton walked in and said "Wow - this looks like a new kitchen!" Marlene and Deb really rocked it and did a fantastic job. Now if only the kids would allow me to keep it clean for a day or two. :)
That's about it from me for tonight. Tomorrow is school picture day and I am working the event all day long. It's going to a long, exhausting day. Can I just say how happy I am that Friday is a day off?? I deserve it! :)
I met with Kaylen's "team" at school Monday afternoon and we are all on the same page when it comes to her. Everyone is really happy and proud of the progress she is making and when I introduced my next steps plan, everyone was in agreement. When I went one step further, they said "Let's slow that down and take it more gradually." which I was really happy to hear. I have been pushing Kaylen harder than I would have liked, knowing that we need her to get to a place where she can handle all parts of the school day without me, so to be given permission to slow these last few steps down....well, I was relieved. Part of me is scared that if we push too hard, she will regress and we have come so, so far. Kaylen and I have worked so hard to get to where she is and I am so proud of my girl.
Tears are few and far between these days. I have learned that my instincts with her all along have been spot on. The child needs advance warning of changes and I'm talking at least a week of the event being introduced and reintroduced. I know some people think it's not good to give kids too much warning of upcoming things but my gut always has told me that my kids need to have advance warning and it needs to be reinforced - a lot. If you spring a change on her, she loses her balance and can't cope. But if she knows it's coming, we can talk and talk and talk and plan how to handle it and then she handles it like a pro.
She's amazing and I am so lucky to have had a school team that has been incredibly good with her and supportive of the plan I think is best for her (which they agree is the best approach for her, too).
I know how blessed I am to be able to be there for her. I shudder to think at the fallout if I hadn't been available to help her work through the past 4 weeks. I am blessed that Dakota is supportive of what I've been doing and understanding that during this time, some things just have to wait. The kids are the number one priority.
Monday I will take her to her new pediatrician to see about official diagnosis, plan of actions, etc. While I hate that I am asking her to be labeled I know that, in the long run, it won't hold her back as much as it will help her get the help she needs.
Thank goodness I have Marlene to lean on. She has been my sounding board many times and she helps me balance the kids so that each one is getting special time with someone. The kiddos LOVE to roughhouse with Marlene and, for her part, she enjoys roughhousing with them. I stand back and watch and laugh....and am grateful that it isn't my back they are jumping on. :)
Today, as a surprise while I was gone all day at school, Marlene and one of her employees came over and spent hours cleaning my house and can I just say how touched I am? I had really let the deep cleaning go over the past couple of years - always meaning to catch up on it but then never being able to do it (I've kept up on surface cleaning...just not the deep cleaning stuff). The kitchen was SO clean tonight that Kelton walked in and said "Wow - this looks like a new kitchen!" Marlene and Deb really rocked it and did a fantastic job. Now if only the kids would allow me to keep it clean for a day or two. :)
That's about it from me for tonight. Tomorrow is school picture day and I am working the event all day long. It's going to a long, exhausting day. Can I just say how happy I am that Friday is a day off?? I deserve it! :)
1 comment:
That's so great that Marlene cleaned your house! Awesome.
I agree about giving kids advance warning. Erik really needs that too - he melts down at unexpected things. I always talk to him about everything we're planning to do.
Sounds like Kaylen is doing great!
Post a Comment