Oh, sure. The very first time I decide to participate in Works for Me Wednesday, and the theme is, “It DOESN’T Work For Me!” Well. I put up a good front when writing about my mommy life, so you may think I have my shit together, when really, I do not. I can think of a bunch of things that don’t work for me without any effort whatsoever! So here goes.
Trying to reason with my autistic son when he’s angry or upset. It’s much better to just give him some hugs and some mamalove and talk calmly to him for a minute until he calms down. Paul and I actually find it somewhat entertaining when other people tell us what we should be doing with him. Like Mrs. Psycho asking, “Can’t you make him sit down?” Uh, no. But you can go right ahead! We’ll just sit here and cover our ears while he shrieks. It’s like trying to save time by running around with an egg balanced on your head. Once you see the outcome, you just can’t even imagine why you’d try such a thing! It’s amazing just how normal and calm he can be, though, if you just give him a second to figure out the appropriate behavior.
Letting my daughter figure out how to get her act together at school via natural consequences. I kept thinking once she saw that she was actually flunking all her classes, she’d get organized and start turning her work in. Nope! It took practically an intervention among her dad and I, and the school counselor, and the vice principal. Now she’s getting As, Bs and Cs in all her classes (up from Ds and Fs!) and she works as an aide in the attendance office, meets with a counselor weekly to talk about things that have her overwhelmed, and sees the VP almost every single day. Having a bunch of people “on her side” has helped her figure out how to deal with life. It ain’t easy being twelve.
Recording my TV shows to watch later. I just…never find the time to sit down and watch them? It’s like I have to be In The Moment, or it just never happens. I have two episodes of Medium, which I ordinarily obsess over, just waiting for me to sit down and watch them. And it’s been weeks now! Come to think of it, I missed it this Monday, too. Dammit!
Buying vegetables in bulk at Costco. It’s not as if we don’t EAT a ton of salad. It’s just that I see three heads of lettuce and can’t even bring myself to take five minutes and prepare them so they’re ready to be turned into salad. So they sit in the fridge in their big long plastic sleeve until I sling them into the can outside on trash day.
That’s it for now - I have to jump in the shower while the kids are distracted by Dora!
Laura, also known as LaLaGirl, is the mother of a teenager and two young sets of twins. She's happily married to an enginerd named Paul, loves living in Colorado, and writes almost daily about married life, raising multiples, and parenting a child with autism. In addition to playing Barbies and pretending to eat plastic food all day, Laura spends most of her time folding clean laundry, obsessing about the amount of sugar her kids eat, and vacuuming up Polly Pocket accessories. She's obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba, red wine, and Family Guy. She also regularly contributes to How Do You Do It? and authors the following blogs:


kristen
May 7th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Yes, I so see your point with your DS! My DS has Asperger’s and was prone to tantrums. Oh the looks I received! Well, until you parent an Autistic (or any other special needs) child, do not presume to tell me I should discipline better. Anyone who has a child such as this knows when a tantrum is imminent there is no reasoning possible. They are not hearing you! It is so much better to work on calming them down and THEN dealing with the cause of the tantrum.
kristen’s last blog post..What Doesn’t Work For Us
Tracy
May 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
OMG. When I quit my job, one of the first things the hubs said we should get rid of is our DVR. I can’t even IMAGINE life without it.
I’m glad things are working out with Kayley - we’ve had the same discussions with our nearly 12-year-old, but we still run into the same situation EVERY YEAR - she doesn’t turn things in, and then all of the sudden, grades dip…UGH. So frustrating. So I’m kind of over-vigilant with that. I check grades online every day or so. Unfotunately, it usually just gets me worked up, and doesn’t change her behavior. At least I’m trying?
Tracy’s last blog post..A fun, quick idea?
Elizabeth Sue
May 7th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Jammie
May 7th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I’m another one to join you with the tossing of the leftover lettuce! Happens everytime! Really glad to hear that Kayley’s doing so much better in school! I think it’s so awesome how a team was formed to help her improve - and that it’s working!
Loved this post!
Christy
May 7th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Get a DVR and it will be easier for you to watch shows!