Just a quick comment here. If your kid is tired put them to bed! No matter the time. 

I've been long ridiculed and questioned about Jake's early bedtime, but he knows what his body needs.  Imagine how tired you would be living in his skin.

This weekend after a 5k race, he put himself to bed at 4pm! Slept the full 14 hours and woke up energized for school.

Not a bad deal at all. I was in bed by 8pm! 

Read more about the ups and downs of the race here! 

I've written many times about sensory sensitivities and super heroes but I often forget about how they can be used practically to our (parents) benefit. 

I was putting Jake to bed tonight and he was upset. Not screaming or fitting, just slightly irritated and not relaxed in any form of the word. 

Earlier in the day, I had promised him I'd put creme on a rough spot on his hand at bedtime. He was in bed but still rambling about an upsetting event that happened today, then I just casually grabbed his hand while he was talking and started putting creme on the sore. 

....

Silence.

......

He stopped talking. His heart rate slowed. His super powered eyes stopped darting around the room. I rubbed it in, and grabbed more lotion to rub on his entire hand. As he was drifting off, he raised his other hand from under the blanket and asked for lotion here too. Followed it with an "I love you mommy, you're my best friend...."

The power of lotion and massage is incredible. Don't forget this super simple tool to calm and cool your super kiddo. 

Super Hero Senses, click here.

Respite Ready! 

Do you have respite care?
Have you tried respite care? 
Are you afraid to try respite care? 

Heard these questions before? Only like a million times! 

I've never used the public respite care, frankly because I have free babysitters and friends to help us. Why would I bring in a total stranger, that we have to pay, to watch them undo 6 months of work in the blink of an eye. I've seen some young babysitters undo our tireless work with Jake in the first 5 minutes of being in our house.

This has nothing to do with "I'm the only one that can care for Jake," because that's simply not true. But more to do with trust of a barely-trained total stranger and protecting Jake's progress.

It also has a lot to do with us being 'respite-ready'! It's taken me a while to get the courage to push Jake away, to trust he'll make good decisions, to know he'll be okay and if he's not I'll get a phone call. 

Seeking help has just as much to do with the kiddo being ready as it does with the parents being ready.

This weekend I was finally respite-ready. Find out how it all unfolded here!