A new challenge

Avatar for teri_b
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
A new challenge
3
Thu, 12-21-2006 - 1:34pm

If the battle with school wasn't enough. And trying to get the ISD to evaluate Ryan (4yo) who they claim is a "perfectly normal" toddler from one brief home visit (during which he was an angel and did NOT spin or hang upside down off the couch). And the holidays which are already giving me a migraine before they happen (6 different celebrations thanks to our lovely nuclear family).

My fiance' Brian is in the Army Nat'l Guard. His unit has been called up for Border Patrol beginning Jan 28. They'll be gone until mid-April.

HOW the heck do I explain this to my two "change-resistant" kidlings? Josh I think will be ok with a calendar showing when Brian will be back. But Ryan doesn't grasp the concept of a calendar yet. And he looks for Brian every weekend (Bri lives 80 miles away so we only see him on weekends). Drill weekends alone are difficult. 12 weeks is going to be miserable.

Any input? Thoughts/ideas?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: teri_b
Thu, 12-21-2006 - 5:58pm

Well, I would write social stories and come up with concrete ways to explain the time to them until his next visit. Something like a paper chain like some kids do for Christmas may be good. One link of the chain for each day until the next visit. You take off a link a day and the wait gets "shorter".

Make sure they have some momento of him, pictures, etc. It would also help if they had some way to regularly communicate with him.

Those are my ideas. Where is he going for border patrol? We have tons of that in my area. Maybe I will wave at him as I go by a checkpoint.

Renee

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Avatar for teri_b
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: teri_b
Thu, 12-21-2006 - 9:34pm

He'll be in San Diego - "East County" is what he was told. He's the unit's transportation specialist (ie - bus driver) due to medical restrictions.

I'm putting stamps, paper, and envelopes in his stocking - hoping he'll write to the boys. He and I email/IM a lot, but they're too little to understand that.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
In reply to: teri_b
Thu, 12-21-2006 - 9:57pm

Teri,


((((((hugs))))))) to you. That's going to be a long 12 weeks.


If he has access to broadband, and

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com