A vent...
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| Mon, 10-09-2006 - 5:10pm |
So, I posted in the quirks thread and forgot to add this quirk that I have a real hard time with. Mainly I think because I get looks from others like I'm the worst parent in the world. I know, no-one has told me that but I have received advice which I haven't asked for, etc.
Yesterday we were in the grocery store chatting quickly with a friend we hadn't seen in a long time. He started the 'I'm hungry, let's go, I'm starving, let's go' over and over. It's very obnoxious, not quiet and very persistent. I let it get to me and got mad afterward. We had just come from bowling which was not that great. Ds has wanted for weeks to go bowling so we went. He enjoyed it for about 20 minutes then started, 'I'm hungry, let's go, I'm starving, let's go' Dh and I were having fun and decided to bowl our last two ends. On our way out ds told the owner of the bowling alley that he hated bowling and was never coming back. The owner said that his score was well and that he bowled better than he, the owner, had his first time. He told him again how much he hated bowling. He said it about 6 times to the man, who was really kind.
So, off to the grocery store for one thing, a chicken for our Thanksgiving dinner tonight. I knew ds was not 'starving' because he had eaten a huge lunch just 1 hour earlier. He's 5 and a half and at this age if he were nt wouldn't do these things *all the time*. I get looks and comments all the time and I'm just tired. Thanks for letting me vent.

Yeah, we get that, too.
OOOH OOOH OOOH!
Following the "I'm hungry" tirade/meltdown in public, do you end up with a child that eats like a bird once food is placed in front of him????
All 3 of mine do this - even NT William (7yo).
Mine are also fond of public restrooms (why I don't know). And they always pick the part of the shopping trip where I'm trying to remember what was on the list that 4yo Ryan managed to lose somewhere 3-4 aisles back. I should learn NOT to take them all shopping, but if I didn't, we wouldn't eat!
I too sometimes wish it was more obviously autism, but remind myself to be careful what I wish for. :) He does stim and I would have been far happier had he done it instead. We are the same, from birth to about 2.5 he had none of these problems, when they are supposed to occur. No tantrums, no crying, no whining, he just hung out with me where ever I was. Then 30 months hit and the tantrums started and I had no idea how to deal with them because he had never had one before. I had a friend tell me it was because he always got his way.
What I did say calmly in a neutral voice to him yesterday at the bowling alley, which is my mantra, 'You may not ask over and over again when we are leaving, we will be leaving about 15 minutes which is about the length of one episode of Peep.' It explains that we will be staying awhile longer, I don't honestly think there is anything I can do at this point to calm him. But when I was chatting in the grocery store I just didn't say anything. Honestly, no-one looked at me funny yesterday but I know how it looks, how I would have saw it before I myself has had to deal with it. I've tried reasoning with him but once it's stuck in his head he wants to go, he wants to go. Sometimes dh can head him off with a knock knock joke or a walk down the isle, etc but not always. I need to shop for snow boats, a coat and pants tomorrow with him and I'm not looking forward to it at all. I would just buy the stuff and bring it home for him to try on but I have to travel about 1.5 hours to shop, dh is working and it's going to snow any day now here.
Thanks for listening to me and taking time to reply to my vent. It's so tough sometimes, I wish he would let his fabulous qualities show more than the obnoxious ones. :)
Yeah, my DS (almost 8) always wants to leave places early. We don't get to enjoy things like I think we should. He loves to eat at Cracker Barrel, but the last time we went the food wasn't coming fast enough for him. The food was delayed, even by my standards.
My son was saying very loudly. "I hate this place. Our waitress is terrible." Thankfully, Cracker Barrel is a loud place and no one really paid attention to him. I was mortified. I gave him the choice, "Be quiet and get your food. Or, keep it up and we're leaving." He was motivated enough to keep it together until our food arrived.
I'm taking him to an amusment park this weekend. He really, really wants to go. I'm happy to take him, but I dread it too. He won't do well with the waiting and he'll want to leave early.