I know there are some parents out there who are sad to see
their kids go back to school at the end of the summer—I'm not one of them. When
my kids are home together, they have to be constantly
supervised, and it is extremely tiring. And when I say constantly, I'm not
exaggerating. Even if they aren't attacking one another, one or both of them is
usually doing something that will either get them hurt, or destroy our house. By
the time "back to school" rolls around, I'm dancing through the
aisles at Target as I shop for school supplies singing that Christmas song
"It's the most wonderful time of the year". (very much like this) I count down the days until
we can get back into a regular routine, because summer and track out are
anything but routine. Kids with autism thrive on routine and predictability, so
school (as long as they are in a good class) can be one of the best things for
them.
This year, I will have BOTH of my boys in school all day.
I'm both scared and excited. I'm scared because Jackson is so little, I just
can't picture my baby going to school yet, but I'm excited for him to begin
learning and hopefully getting some of the help he badly needs. He still doesn't speak, but he is picking up on some
sign language, so I have hope that we will be able to find SOME way to
communicate with him, even if he is non-verbal.
What will I do with myself between the hours of 9:00 - 2:30
you might wonder? I know exactly what I want to do—WRITE! I can finally focus
on my writing career and have time to write (not in the middle of the night,
like I do now). I am working furiously on a new book, and I have ten other
writing projects in line after that, not to mention this blog. I know I don't
have a cult of followers who read my blog, but I keep it because it's a record
for me to look back on. Who knows, maybe one day I will write a book about
Autism (the thought has definitely crossed my mind).
Having the boys in school will also give me time to focus on
my health. Constant stress eventually leads the mind and body to break down.
I've definitely hit that point. I have quite a few stress related or stress
induced health issues that I struggle with every day. (Learn more about how
stress can cause burn-out here) I'm not going to spill all of my medical
history to the world, but I would like to reach out to other moms out there who
deal with the stress of having a child with autism and emphasize the importance
of STRESS RELIEF!! Do whatever it takes to give yourself a break once in a
while. The money you pay to a baby-sitter, or mother's helper, pales in
comparison to the money you spend going to ten different doctors, loads of
prescription drugs (with side effects), all trying to undo the damage of STRESS.
Hang in there (I know that sound like a cat poster…ha ha ha…we
love the Lego Movie at our house, so if you don't get that joke, you probably
don't have boys). Don't break under the pressure of autism. It's a lifelong
challenge and it can be truly daunting, but I know you love your child, like I
love mine. As a mother, it's second nature to give, give, give, but it's really
important to take some time for yourself (and your husband too if you have one,
if you don't, there's even MORE reason for you to get a break!)
Am I a horrible mother because I'm not crying when I drop my
kids off at school? No. No I'm not.
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