How Do I Do It?

That is, keep my son innocent as long as possible.


I have three-year-old. An immature and innocent little boy whom I'd like to keep that way for a long as I can.

I've been debating switching Aaron's daycare. He's in a great center with great staff. Its drawbacks are its location and the behavior of some of the children.

I know kids are kids and act like kids. I don't mind dirty, screaming, asking questions, and kids who are kids. But I do not like children who are rough. There isn't a no violence policy at Aaron's daycare. I realize kids will be kids, but I don't like seeing children punch each other. Not even not quite 4-year-olds.

One of Aaron's behavior interventionists commented that the children at his daycare seemed high strung. I never thought much of it. But the more I see, the more I think his therapist is right. Kids cry. Mine does, nearly every day. It's expected. But it seems almost every time I picking Aaron up or dropping him off, someone is crying.
Again not a reason to switch him daycares, but I don't want him around kids who use their fists before there words. He will see this enough when he hits kindergarten. He's doesn't need to be around it for the next 2.5 years.

I hesitate to switch him out of his daycare as he has made some connections with the staff and with Eric deploying and his presence being inconsistent when he is posted to a sea going ship. But I don't want him around problematic children either.

I am viewing daycares and putting him on wait lists. I hope I am making the right decision.

A Lot on My Mind

We got Aaron’s diagnosis. He has been disagosied with Autism Disorder. That’s the official diagnosis. They no longer say “Asperbergers” Or “High Functioning Autism.” I think that is the most frustrating as when you tell people that they don’t know where to place him. At first glance you think he is a happy normal child. It’s only upon close inspection you can note some things that are different.

This is a lot for Eric and me to process. It’s kind of like a cold slap on the face. You get a diagnosis and have all these questions and the team who diagnosed him are like “here’s a binder” to get the ball rolling. Like WTF? I have questions can you at least not answer them then and there?

I still don’t know all that is involved. The binder does lay it out pretty well. But I’d rather have a human tell me. I talked to Tara for a good long while last night as she has worked with ASD kids (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) she had a lot of useful info.

The first step is to get the funding needed and then to start interviewing service providers which will help with his therapy. I don’t know how much he will need or for how long. I still have yet to figure this out.

One thing I know is I don’t want ASD to define his life or who he is. I don’t even know if I will tell him as it may be who he becomes. My hope is by the time he is school aged and entering kindergarten this will be behind us and I don’t have to tell his school so he can start life fresh with no labels or for people to judge him before they know him

I can see how when this happens how other things can take a back burner. My volunteering as fallen behind, I don’t know what this bodes for school. And finding a job is probably out of the question as I will need to take him to therapy several times per week. Hopefully my 1 and soon to be 2 class schedule can be accommodated.

First Kiss

Aaron had his first kiss from a girl today. A girl twice his age. We went to the pool tonight and as we were leaving and walking down the steps I was holding his hand and we were walking at at Aaron's pace and a little girl who had been the pool came right up to him and kissed him the forehead. It was too cute. The she proudly went up to what I assume was her older sister or baby sitter and said "I kissed the baby."

Of course Aaron was oblivious to the whole thing. I didn't have the heart to tell him that when he's at an age where he wants to kiss girls, that most are so foward. And he got lucky tonight.