Sensitive kids group

[happythought]

Wow what an interesting thread. I just recently began to pinpoint that my son is going through this. Even when he was really little he was very sensitive to everything: tags, noises, temperature. He gets overwhelmed extremely fast. He has a high stranger anxiety. The other day my husband took him to a restaurant and the ice maker would make him scream and cry. Motorcycles, lawn mowers.. I could go on. LNG story short It was suggested to me to go seen an occupational therapist to determine if he has sensory issues. We are going on thursday. He's only 19 months but I would rather look into it now while he's so young. I will keep you updated. Nervous! Just want the best for my sons

 

[polaris]

Hi happythought, welcome to the thread and glad that you found us. That will be really interesting to hear how you get on with the OT and especially if they have any useful suggestions!

How's everyone getting on? it's been a bit quiet again.

Both Thomas and Clara have been unwell this week so we haven't been up to much.

 

[DaisyBee]

Welcome happy thought! Good luck on thrusday! How are you getting into an ot? Did you get a referral from his pediatrician or did you just find an ot yourself? Megans pediatrician says it's just megans temperament and she wouldn't recommend ot until later on and only if it's really debilitating... Which I haven't decided if I like that or not. Megans issue with noises is not fun for us.

We've been very busy lately. Just got back from my parents tonight and Megan is still awake in bed trying to wind down from the busy weekend. She hasn't been sleeping well at all lately. We've been way too busy and it's affecting her a lot. I've been trying to find more down time for her, but it just has been crazy lately. We've had a lot of people in the house recently and that alone has affected her ( phone, Internet, etc). We've also been trying some babysitters. She gets way too excited when they are here and then taking so long to wind down those nights even when the baby-sitter was here in the morning. So she is averaging 8 hrs of sleep or less a day. It's really affecting her ability to cope.

Jordan is walking and has about 50 words. She has gotten 2 canines poked through and a top molar all in the past week. She has another canine very close, and the last canine and last molar are both close behind that one. At least they will be all done at once, right?

Dh today questioned if Megan will handle preschool. The fact that she can't even handle what we've been doing recently.... Which is way less than kids that are in daycare, etc.

I'm just so tired of everything being such hard work with her. She is so intense and so sensitive and everything affects her. It gets me down sometimes. I feel like I'm having to walk on eggshells while being 100% focused on how she is doing at all day. She is still getting overstimulated so easily and so excited easily.

We went to the county fair a week ago. She was sooo excited. We saw the animals first, then she rode a pony. She was so excited - smiling ear to ear and it was obvious she was getting a bit too excited. By the time we were done with the pony she was close to melting down. We were looking for something to eat and she was having issues. She had to go to the bathroom part way through eating and then decided she didn't want to go. She was freaking out in the line saying she didn't want to go. She was screaming and I ended up holding her as she was trying to run away. She was crying and just carrying on, everyone was staring at us. She then was holding her ears while on the toilet and still crying and screaming. Ugh! So she rode 2 rides with dh and then we left. She said that she didnt like the fair. That it was too busy and too dirty, that we shouldn't go there again.

 

[happythought]

Welcome happy thought! Good luck on thrusday! How are you getting into an ot? Did you get a referral from his pediatrician or did you just find an ot yourself? Megans pediatrician says it's just megans temperament and she wouldn't recommend ot until later on and only if it's really debilitating... Which I haven't decided if I like that or not. Megans issue with noises is not fun for us.

We've been very busy lately. Just got back from my parents tonight and Megan is still awake in bed trying to wind down from the busy weekend. She hasn't been sleeping well at all lately. We've been way too busy and it's affecting her a lot. I've been trying to find more down time for her, but it just has been crazy lately. We've had a lot of people in the house recently and that alone has affected her ( phone, Internet, etc). We've also been trying some babysitters. She gets way too excited when they are here and then taking so long to wind down those nights even when the baby-sitter was here in the morning. So she is averaging 8 hrs of sleep or less a day. It's really affecting her ability to cope.

Jordan is walking and has about 50 words. She has gotten 2 canines poked through and a top molar all in the past week. She has another canine very close, and the last canine and last molar are both close behind that one. At least they will be all done at once, right?

Dh today questioned if Megan will handle preschool. The fact that she can't even handle what we've been doing recently.... Which is way less than kids that are in daycare, etc.

I'm just so tired of everything being such hard work with her. She is so intense and so sensitive and everything affects her. It gets me down sometimes. I feel like I'm having to walk on eggshells while being 100% focused on how she is doing at all day. She is still getting overstimulated so easily and so excited easily.

We went to the county fair a week ago. She was sooo excited. We saw the animals first, then she rode a pony. She was so excited - smiling ear to ear and it was obvious she was getting a bit too excited. By the time we were done with the pony she was close to melting down. We were looking for something to eat and she was having issues. She had to go to the bathroom part way through eating and then decided she didn't want to go. She was freaking out in the line saying she didn't want to go. She was screaming and I ended up holding her as she was trying to run away. She was crying and just carrying on, everyone was staring at us. She then was holding her ears while on the toilet and still crying and screaming. Ugh! So she rode 2 rides with dh and then we left. She said that she didnt like the fair. That it was too busy and too dirty, that we shouldn't go there again.

I got a referral from a language therapist- he has been going once a week. He has about 30 ish words but my mom works in the therapy field and suggested i take him. I told them my concerns, and after they observed him they suggested an OT. I called and then just made an appt. it's very stressful for me, I hope they will be able to give me some peace of mind. Sometimes when he's really upset he will purposely hit his head on walls or the ground. I'm worried he could hurt himself! I told the pedi and she said its actually pretty common, especially in boys. I just hope I get some answers and make the right descions. Will be interested to see what they say.

 

[fluffpuffin]

Can I join this thread please ladies? I think isla belongs in here for sure. We had a really tough day today at my friends house and it would be lovely to speak to other mums with sensitive kids. x

 

[DaisyBee]

H fluff puffin! Im sorry you had a rough day. The thread has been pretty slow lately, but we need to keep it going! Want to tell us about your lo?

Megan has had a good week... Although We had a garage sale this weekend and she couldnt even handle being in the garage surrounded by toys we've had in storage. She melted down the rest of the day. Today she cut her finger and cried most of the rest of the day.

 

[OmarsMum]

hi fluff & happy

I've been busy lately with Ramadan & now the Eid break. We had loads of ups & downs. I'm on phone & will update & comment on post later. xx

 

[polaris]

Hi Fluffpuffin, welcome. Do you want to tell us a bit about Isla and the issues that you are struggling with?

Things here have been generally good. Clara's sleep is still awful but I think I have sort of adapted to it! We've been getting out and about a lot because the weather has been great. We joined a local group who do regular outdoor meet-ups and I think getting out into nature has really helped Thomas to be more relaxed and to socialize in a less pressured environment.

We had friends over last night though and it was quite difficult. They are a couple who are currently expecting their first baby. The man kept teasing Thomas and Thomas was just freaking out totally. He was saying things like "I'm going to take that book home with me, I'm going to put it in my bag when you're not looking" and he didn't stop even when it was obvious that Thomas was getting really upset about it. Then he was trying to tickle Thomas and kept doing it even though Thomas asked him not to and told him clearly that he hates tickles. Eventually I asked him to stop tickling him and said that Thomas really doesn't like tickles at all, to which he said "isn't that kind of the point of tickles?". I think he maybe thinks that is how you have to talk to little boys and that Thomas needs toughening up a bit. I was so annoyed by it to be honest.

 

[cutie4evr01]

Hi fluffpuffin and welcome! Would love to hear more about Isla.

polaris, I would be so aggravated at that man. I too step in when people continue pushing Christina when she clearly doesn't want it.

Christina is doing amazingly well. Schools started back last week, so she moved up into her 3-yr-old class at preschool last Wednesday. She has adapted terrifically and continues to get great reports from her teachers about how polite, mature, and helpful she is. We have had occasional meltdowns at home, but I think it's to be expected since she spends so much energy staying composed at school. She has really come on a lot this summer. She wants to swim by herself rather than clinging to us, and she loves to dance and do "shows" for anyone who will watch - she has just gotten so much braver. She also has grown into quite the independent child. She runs ahead to unlock and open the car doors and the house door for us, and recently wants to pour her own drinks and make her own snacks. I am so so proud of her, and although I know she's still quite sensitive, she doesn't seem so "different" anymore.

Caitlyn turns two this weekend - I can hardly believe it! Although in some ways she has seemed 2 rather than 1 for a while, I think mainly because she speaks so well and has been potty trained for a month or two now. She has really surprised me at preschool too. She started last Wednesday for the first time ever (she didn't go during the summer like Christina did a little). She cried when I dropped her off the first 3 days, but this morning she didn't cry. Her teachers say she is very quiet there, only really speaking when spoken to, which is so different from how she is at home. She is very bright, and I hope she opens up to them so they can see that. They said her favorite thing to do is sit by herself and spread a bunch of books around her to look at (which is also one of her favorite things to do at home). Although in some ways it's good that she is reserved there, because at home she's also climbing on everything and jumping off stairs, etc., so I was worried she would be doing those things there. All in all, she seems to be settling in well, but I'm seeing a new side of her personality that she doesn't show at home.

Some exciting news for me - I recently accepted a new job! I wasn't looking for jobs, I just received an email from a friend of a friend telling me he thought I would be a great fit for a position they were hiring for, so I met with him and within a week they made a formal offer. I start next Monday, and will work 3 full days in the office and 8 hours from home, so I will probably keep the girls home with me 1-2 days/week during the week. It is a really terrific opportunity and will help our finances tremendously, but I am nervous also. I don't really like change much, and I've gotten very good at what I do in my current job so starting over scares me, but I know I will learn a lot and it will be a great addition to my future resume if this doesn't end up being my final career.

Hope you all are doing well!

 

[Jchihuahua]

Hi ladies and welcome to those new to the thread.

Omar's mum, Eid Mubarak!

Polaris, I would have been cross about the teasing. There's a fine line with young children between having fun with them and just really upsetting them and it sounds like your guest really went too far. Poor Thomas.

Cutie, I'm glad to hear Christina is doing so well. Congratulations on your new job!

Daisy has been doing so so well for months but she's struggling with the holidays at the moment. She is missing being at pre-school and her ballet class and asks all the time when she will be able to go. We went on holiday to the coast for a week and she was completely overwhelmed and didn't do well being out of her routine. She had loads of meltdowns which she hasn't had at all for about 8 months now. It just goes to show that even when things seem perfectly 'normal' with her she is still that sensitive child just under the surface.

I have been ill for a while. I have a kidney infection which is causing me a lot of pain. I was diagnosed antibiotics by the doctor and then the pharmacist told me that in her professional opinion they are not safe to take during pregnancy so obviously I havent touched them but I am feeling so ill. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow so hopefully they'll find something safe for me to take.

 

[bekkie]

Hi ladies, hoping I can join in here...

Omar's mom linked this thread on another one and it didn't really hit home until I did the quiz on the first page

DS has gotten a lot better but he went through a loooong phase where he didn't want his hands to get dirty, freaked out when a piece of fuzz from his socks was floating in the bathtub, or was on the carpet, and screamed bloody murder if one of my hairs was on his blanket. We've cut the tags out of everything and have to show him the first time he puts it on. He has always fought sleep, from the time he was an infant.

We went to the movies for the first time on Saturday to see Planes and he spent most of the time with his hands over his ears because it was too loud..

Whenever we have a "super fun day" he always ends up really cranky and whiney... and recently he's started hitting himself on the temples, like both hands at once?

did the test and actually checked off 15... now my pregnancy/mama hormones are making me want to cry because I think we've been handling it wrong. I get upset and then he cries because he doesn't like when we're upset with him... and I'm worried about how he'll be when his baby brother/sister arrives in 6ish weeks.

 

[polaris]

Bekkie welcome to the thread. It sounds like your DS is definitely sensitive. I think that understanding where he is coming from will really help you to respond appropriately to him and hopefully feel less frustrated. I don't think you should beat yourself up about "handling it wrong", that is the pregnancy hormones talking, as you say. Don't worry too much in advance about the new baby, he might cope better than you think. Have you done lots of preparation with him? I find with Thomas it helps to talk things to death before they happen, especially big things like a sibling or preschool. Thomas has been fantastic with his little sister and actually I think his sensitivity has helped with that because he is quite empathetic towards her.

cutie - wow what a positive update! Fantastic to hear that everything is going so well for you. Congratulations on the new job, how fantastic to be head-hunted for it! They must think highly of you! Happy birthday to Caitlyn - I seriously can't believe she is going to be two! Where does the time go?? It's lovely to hear that Christina is doing so well too.

JC - sorry to hear about the kidney infection, that sounds rotten. That's a shame that the holidays have been a bit overwhelming for Daisy. We haven't been away yet this summer but we are going to Wales for a week in September. However we are purposefully going back to the same place that we went last year because I think that he will enjoy that a lot more than having to get used to somewhere new.

Daisybee I can't imagine how tiring it must be with your dad's illness and all the travelling to and fro. I'm sure it must be hard on Megan too and is probably exacerbating her problems with over-stimulation. It sounds like she never quite gets back to baseline so she's always on the verge of melting down. The poor sleep can't be helping either. I really feel for you hun, you have a lot on your plate at the moment.

Omarsmum - Happy Eid! It must be a relief to finish with fasting, I know it's hard for you every year with the fasting and the change in routine.

 

[fluffpuffin]

This is such a lovely thread. I felt really low yesterday after going to my friend's house. She made me feel like either Isla was trying to manipulate me with her behaviour or alternatively she has something wrong with her and I should take her to the doctors.

Personally I'm convinced Isla is just hypersensitive (Isla scored 18 in the test), but it's crazy how inferior other people can make you feel just because your child is a little bit different.

I guess yesterday was a tough one - my friend had invited us for tea and dinner was pretty much ready as we came through the door. Isla had been out to a church meeting with us and was already tired and grumpy. She kept not wanting to take her shoes off and then didn't want to go through into their living room, saying it's dirty and that she doesn't like their sofa because it's rough. She tried to go upstairs where she wasn't allowed to go. last time we were there she played with my friend's boy upstairs in his bedroom and enjoyed that so my friend immediately thought Isla tried to manipulate me into going upstairs and the whole upheaval was because she was told to stay downstairs and have dinner. Then she kept saying she wants to go home and crying. I took her on my lap, tried a blanket underneath her, tried distraction but nothing seemed to work. She had a little bit of food on my lap off my plate but not much and then she got upset again, especially about dirt on the floor. Hubby tried to wipe it off the floor (while my friend gave him dirty looks, obviously offended?) Eventually Isla calmed down a bit by listening to some Kelly Clarkson (I often listen to it at home so she finds it soothing). My friend put a different throw on the sofa as well and that helped a bit too. All this only worked for a certain amount of time and then Isla wanted to go home again and kept crying again. We left early as a result, though I wish I could have taken her home way before as she was inconsolable at certain points...

Needless to say it spoilt the whole dinner - her little boy started crying as well. I did feel bad for my friend as she put the effort in but honestly it offended me a bit that she said to my face I should take her to the doctor to have her checked out because her behaviour wasn't normal. And saying I'm too soft on her for and letting her manipulate me was a bit upsetting too. I didn't say too much to my friend as I didn't want the evening spoilt any more than it was already.

I personally thought Isla was overtired and overstimulated and that's why she behaved that way. I find that with her the more hungry or tired she gets the more things 'irritate' her or upset her. My friend just made me feel so bad about the whole incident that now I don't even want to go there again myself.

Isla has always been very sensitive - right from the start as a baby she'd struggle to settle with stimulation around her, startle easily, hardly napped. Then as she got older big &/or loud objects & toys and strange people scared her and she wouldn't go near them. She also hated socks and shoes as a toddler. Finger painting was a no no for her as she hated getting her hands dirty as well. recently she hates dirt on anything she deals with, the floor, her hands / clothes / toys, even the swimming pool. In Turkey I had to remove bits of dirt from the pool before she'd get in. I could mention more. She has outgrown some of the things she struggled with as a baby. I've always tried to be understanding of her fears. Is there really a chance it could turn into something like OCD as she gets older?

Also how do you ladies deal with reactions from others to your hypersensitive toddlers? I felt so judged by my friend (who is normally understanding by the way) - I know I would never judge anyone like this myself. My friend said I'm gonna have problems when she starts nursery and I have to nip this behaviour in the bud now. Do you think this is true? I have an appointment with Isla's key worker on Thursday as she's due to start pre-school in september. Any tips or suggestions?

Thing is I have found good ways to deal with Isla - she responds well to gentle discipline and since removing time outs she is a whole new child and so loving and obedient with me. I just worry now how she's gonna manage elsewhere.

 

[bekkie]

thank you polaris it is most definitely my pregnancy hormones as everything makes me want to cry currently. Had a good chat with DH after work and it's funny the things you sort of write off until you find there may be a reason
- getting upset when we'd take a different route home
- getting upset when his teddy bear and sippy cup aren't in the right place on the bed
- almost in tears when he can't do something right away (like catch a ball)
we've talked to him throughout the entire pregnancy about his new baby brother or sister (never referred to as the new baby) and he is very receptive - He is very empathetic and we're going to make sure he's involved constantly. I am sure everything will be fine but... hormones.

fluff: it was your thread that brought me here too, and it broke my heart . I wonder if your friend was defensive because she was embarrassed that her house was dirty? We don't have many friends with kids our age so the only real outside view we get is at the dayhome and she's fantastic. He's been there since he was 1 and I think that seeing how other children act/react has helped him.

We were struggling with time out and our dayhome provider told us that he handles it well if he knows how long he will be there for - so on my todo list is to make a calm down jar (https://familysponge.com/parenting/artkids-calm-down-jar/). We also make it quiet when trying to talk to him because he won't look at us if there is any thing else he can focus his attention on.

 

[OmarsMum]

Fluff

Omar is the same when it comes to mess. We visited a friend who has a kid who's 6 months older than Omar, he has nothing in common with Omar, he's very messy, too loud & he doesn't stop moving. When Omar went to his room he freaked out, the room was in a total mess, Omar started to cry then he asked the kid to clean up the room, he was so irritated. The kid tried to eat nuts out of Omar's plate, again Omar freaked out. We lasted there for an hour then we left.

2 nights back Omar woke up at night, he couldn't go back to sleep, & he asked to go to his play room to relax on the sofa & watch tv. On that day I bought for him new Thomas & friends train, he fell asleep in the car, & we carried him to bed. I was so excited so I set up the trains on the floor for him to play with in the morning. When he went to the room & saw the train he wanted to clean up as according to him he cant relax & watch tv if his room is messy.

As for messy play, we started to introduce hands paint from 18 months, I used to encourage him to play with it without putting pressure, he used to get irritated after few mins & ask to wash his hands, then I started to prepare gooey slime, take him more to the beach to play with sand, introduce more items with different textures like feathers, cotton wools, wooden sticks, different types of cloth & material. But we took it very slow, when he starts to get irritated we stop, clean up wash hands or take a shower & move to something else. When he gets irritated because his hands are dirty, I give him a cuddle, show him that my hands are messy & its ok to get dirty. I also enrolled him in several messy play classes & the teachers were very understanding, so I guess at pre-school teachers should know how to deal with kids who have similar issues?

Food is still a big issue, he cant handle mess when it comes to food, he still refuses to feed himself messy food, he's ok with pre-loaded spoons, but he will not load a spoon if the food is messy. Using food for messy play is a big no no.

My cousin who's 3 years older than Omar is the same, so it wasn't something new for me, I used to babaysit from time to time, when my cousin used to visit, I used to vacuum the place, & make sure the house was clean & tidy

I don't have advise regarding pre-school, Omar will also start in Sept & we have a meeting with his key teacher 1st week of September.

But I wouldn't really mention a lot about her temperaments, I went through the mistake of talking a lot about what he likes/dislike during a school assessment, although he passed all the tests & was advanced in all areas, he didn't pass & we were asked to come for a re-assessment as I shared loads of small details & according to them he might be autistic . We as mothers tend to over evaluate our kids, many of those behaviours are normal but when we put them all together & we stress on them they might not sound normal.

We took him to another school for assessment, the supervisor was so impressed, he was able to pass Kg2 test, & according to her he's so advanced for his age, & he will need extra work at school to keep him occupied, she wants me to share all what he knows with his key teacher during the meeting.

Remember that kids behaves differently when their parents are not around, try not to assume that she will freak out if there is a mess at pre-school, she might not be bothered.

when I started to leave Omar at toddlers classes alone few months back, he became a different kid, he had social anxieties, I was really surprised when the teachers told me that he was coping well, following instructions & having a good time. when I used to attend classes with him, he used to sit in the corner, refuse to participate & ask to leave although we've been going to the same place for over 2 years now.

ETA: as for friends comments, they don't bother me, my aunt's son who's Omar age doesn't talk properly, she comments on Omar's behavior although her older son is also sensitive & similar & she asked me to take him to a professional for evaluation. For me an almost 4yrs old who doesn't talk well is not normal. Her kid is outgoing, not sensitive but he cant talk properly. For me it's not very normal as I have an early talker who uses complex words in 2 languages. Kids are not the same & I'm proud of my smart, highly sensitive toddler, & I don't care if he seems "different" to others.

 

[OmarsMum]

Bekkie, he sounds like a perfectionist. This is why he gets irritated when things are not done the "right" way according to his standards. When we got Omar a bike he refused to even try to ride it. When we asked him why he said "it's too easy"

We got him a balance bike, but again t was left in the corner of the room for months, I tried to encourage him to use it, but with no success. One day when he was alone in the room, he went on it, started to more around, when he mastered it, he came to me to show me that he can ride it.

Omar is also sensitive to change, we cant move a thing from it's place without having a meltdown, so now I prepare him when we need to move things around or when we buy new stuff. I involve him & ask for his opinion.

At night his pillows should be arranged in a certain order, he takes off his socks & those should go on the side table, I take off my socks in bed & I just leave them there, Omar picks them up if he sees them & puts them next to his

 

[OmarsMum]

Hi Fluffpuffin, welcome. Do you want to tell us a bit about Isla and the issues that you are struggling with?

Things here have been generally good. Clara's sleep is still awful but I think I have sort of adapted to it! We've been getting out and about a lot because the weather has been great. We joined a local group who do regular outdoor meet-ups and I think getting out into nature has really helped Thomas to be more relaxed and to socialize in a less pressured environment.

We had friends over last night though and it was quite difficult. They are a couple who are currently expecting their first baby. The man kept teasing Thomas and Thomas was just freaking out totally. He was saying things like "I'm going to take that book home with me, I'm going to put it in my bag when you're not looking" and he didn't stop even when it was obvious that Thomas was getting really upset about it. Then he was trying to tickle Thomas and kept doing it even though Thomas asked him not to and told him clearly that he hates tickles. Eventually I asked him to stop tickling him and said that Thomas really doesn't like tickles at all, to which he said "isn't that kind of the point of tickles?". I think he maybe thinks that is how you have to talk to little boys and that Thomas needs toughening up a bit. I was so annoyed by it to be honest.

This is so annoying! Omar would have screamed if a stranger did the same to him! my youngest brother is a teaser, he thinks it's fun to tease Omar & make him scream!

 

[OmarsMum]

cutie -glad things are going well Congrats on the new job & happy birthday Caitlyn.

JC - I really hope things settle for Daisy once she's back at pre-school, so sorry to hear about your infection, I really hope you feel better soon hun
When we went on vacation this year, it was also so overwhelming for us, we're going to stick to the resort we go to every few weeks for vacations, Omar loves it there & he calls it "Omar's second home"

Daisybee - it's sounds so overwhelming & exhausting. try not to worry about pre-school, you cant really predict her behavior if you don't give it a try, you can always pull her out if it doesn't work xx

 

[OmarsMum]

Now our update

It was a hectic month, we were fasting, Omar's sleep was all over the place, we spent most of out time at home. Omar got really bored & he started to ask for friends to visit which is a positive thing as he was never bothered about other kids.

He went through a phase of on going screaming & crying! it was exhausting, but I think it was due to lack of sleep & boredom. Magically once Ramadan was over & we started to establish our old routine of going out & doing activities, the screaming & crying stopped!

Now he's obsessed with Thomas & friends, I spent a fortune on trains, & we're still in the hunt for some of the main characters

He's getting back to pickiness when it comes to food, 2 days back he ate a cheese sandwich in the morning, then we went out, he refused to eat anything, we went to a restaurant & I ordered fries & chicken nuggets from the kids menu, he gagged when he saw his meal & refused to eat, he asked for the ipad, & sat in the corner to play without looking at the food. in the evening I was able to convince him to eat a small pot of yoghurt before bedtime.

His sleep is still all over the place, he wakes up whining & complaining & he says he wants to sleep but he doesn't know how

Last night his sleep was ok, much better than the nights before, I took him to bed at 10:30 pm, but he didn't fall asleep until 12 am. But he didn't wake up & slept through until 10 am which is not bad compared to the previous nights. I really hope he starts to sleep through.

He looks so grown up those days bless him, I will post a pic in a sec

 

[Tacey]

Hi Fluffpuffin! What a horrid time. It is so difficult, as unfortunately people always have something to say, from close friends who genuinely want to help, to strangers on the bus muttering about discipline. I think part of the answer is to be clear in how you want to deal with it, as it sounds like you are, then have confidence in your decision. You are the expert on your daughter, and gently reminding others of that might help. It's easier said than done, but you need a tough skin to be a parent! Try not to think too far ahead. If you get time to trawl back, I was writing lots of posts not so long ago about my concerns that Alice was on the Autistic spectrum. She was, putting it bluntly, so weird! All I could think of was a future full of mental health issues. She is still very sensitive now, but in recent months she's found ways to cope and has matured so much. I'm sure Isla will too. If I were you, I'd put ideas like 'nipping behaviour in the bud' right out of your head. I tried it - it wasn't pretty! If your nursery is a good one, they'll recognise her personality and work with it.

Great that Megan had a good week Daisybee. It's so frustrating when something small like a cut can tip the balance of the day isn't it? I hope she's having a better time today. Have you been as busy lately? I hope your dad is doing ok.

Happy Eid Omarsmum! How has Omar been with the celebrations? Is he looking forward to starting pre school? I hope the key worker meeting goes well.

Polaris It drives me mad when people treat children like that. It seems so disrespectful. Hopefully he'll alter his approach when his own child is born. I hope Thomas was ok.

So glad things are going well for you Cutie! It feels the same with Alice - the 'difference' isn't so clear. Amazing how they develop so quickly. Congratulations on the job! When do you start? How exciting!

Sorry to hear you're poorly JC. That must be hard to manage, especially with the children around. Fingers crossed they get you something that will sort it out soon. The holidays are definitely an awkward time. We're having issues from the opposite side - now Alice is out of the routine, she is saying she doesn't want to do her classes when they start up again. I hope she gets back into it, as I've already paid! How's Tommy getting on? How is he when Daisy is having a tough day?

Hi Bekkie! Your DS definitely sounds like a sensitive soul Try not to worry too much about how he'll find the new baby (congratulations by the way!). They can often surprise you. I would have thought Alice was a prime candidate for jealousy, but she's never shown any. She and her brother adore each other. There really is no way to tell. Even if worst came to the worst and he struggled though, he'll get through it with your help, and you've given him the gift of a sibling, which I'm sure he'll appreciate in years to come.

All is going pretty well here. We're going camping for the first time this weekend, which will be interesting, as I'm expecting late nights and early mornings - eek. It's a camp with lots of other families. Out of about 750 people, over 300 of them are under 6! Alice has been making friends in the park lately, so I'm hoping she enjoys herself. She's been coming on a lot academically too, and she's been working her way through a reading scheme. I've actually hidden it now though, as it was making her so anxious. If she misread a word she would throw the book, or hit me, which is very out of character. When she was reading, she would do all her old anxiety tells, like pulling at her lip and rubbing the chair. It's hard as she wants to read, but I don't like the idea of it being like a win/fail situation. I'm not sure I'm approaching it the right way. She's 4 next week! I can't believe it!