Behavior Challenge Thread

[lovethattink]

That is very cute! DD doesn't believe in Santa and is very insistent when I say "Santa might bring that" to tell me "But YOU'RE Santa!". Hopefully she won't tell the other kids because most kids her age still believe.

DD also has troubles with movies. Up til about a year ago she wouldn't watch any tv now she veges out in front of the tv too much. We tried to watch Happy Feet last night and she became very distressed and said to turn it off because she was afraid she would have nightmares. It's the strangest things that she gets scared of. When Happy Feet had to leave his mother and father and was kicked out of the Penguin Colony because he was different she was quite alarmed and started getting very agitated. They are showing a PG movie at school tomorrow and she doesn't want to watch it because she thinks PG movies are "too scary". However, she has said she wants to see Tron, because the idea of living in a video game is a pleasant idea to her.

We couldn't watch Happy Feet last night either. We started to watch it, and I'm not sure exactly where we got to because I was on the phone at the moment, except that the penquin was dancing and ds ran under the table screaming, "turn it off, turn it off!" I switched the channel to All Star Top Chef, what I wanted to see anyway, lol.

My son wants to see Tron too. He loves Star Wars movies as well. However, he hated the movie Up and Toy Story 3, saying they were too scary.

How cute, he'd like to live in a video game too. Too bad Disney closed VMK!! I bet our kids would adore that game!

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

I switched the channel to All Star Top Chef, what I wanted to see anyway, lol.

That's funny-we turned it to Food Network! We all have more in common than we think, which is nice because sometimes I feel like the only person in the world that goes through the bizarre things we go through.

I have a funny story:

Last night I was talking to dd about a girl in her class which she is convinced the girl is "out to destroy her". The conversation went something like this:

me: you need to be the bigger person and be nice to this girl, once she sees you're trying to be nice, she'll be nice back

dd: No, she has to be the bigger person!

me: well, you should be the bigger person and show her how nice you can be

dd: No, she has to be the bigger person!

me: well maybe she will be nice when she sees you being nice first

dd: MOM! She's twice my size. She HAS to be the bigger person.



Then I had to explain what being "a bigger person" means.

 

[lovethattink]

Yep! Black or white, gray doesn't exist. Some days I feel like a professional translator, don't you?

Today's behavior has been through the roof! He accidently hurt me today while trying to sit on the chair beside me. I told him it was an accident, not to worry. But he says that he can't forgive himself and he feels so badly. He had a huge meltdown, all calming techniques went out the window. He is continuing to bring it up that he feels so badly that he hurt me. He has been in hyper mode ever since. Wish I knew how to help him stop dwelling on it. Good thing he goes to his therapist in the morning. Hopefully he can work it out with her.

 

[C&G'sMama]

So here is DS with Santa. He's in very intense conversation. We've never taken the kids to see Santa. We didn't not teach them about him but didn't really encourage it either. But for some reason DS believed in Santa. Now he says he knows we're Santa, but he wanted to go see Santa this year. Not sure if he's covering all his bases or he wanted to conform with what the kids at school are talking about.

We had a nice evening, just the 2 of us. We spent 3 hours at the mall. We also got dinner, rode on the and carousel. We also picked out presents for his sister and spent time in Build A Bear.

He's really into Legos, Harry Potter and Star Wars right now.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

So here is DS with Santa.

Awwwwww! So cute! My dd just received a book about Santa with newspaper clippings, and a lot of other made up "factual" information that has her totally perplexed. She doesn't understand the book or how someone would make up a whole "fake" book which looks to be fact. So now she's SERIOUSLY contemplating the existence of Santa.

 

[C&G'sMama]

I couldn't help myself but to post here. Tuesday night we're home and DS sat in front of the computer for over an hour doing nothing. I was upstairs as I'm trying to get him to more without me and I'm the one guilty of helping him too much.

He was supposed to be looking up definitions and writing (typing) them down. He did none. So I finally went down and did dishes while he did them.

So last night he has to do 5 more definitions, write the words in alphabetical order and put them in sentences (they get 10 words) DP and I had a grown-up function to go to and we were only gone 2 hours. His sister baby sat. I told DP I'd help him when I got home which was about 8:00. We get home. He did it while we were gone!!! His sister made him an ice cream sandwich (GF, of course) and he sat down and did his work. We came home, and because his homework was done he was able to help make dinner. He loves to cook. He even has a chef's outfit from his Auntie.

So 2 steps forward....

 

[bookwormde]

everything in its own time.

bookwormde

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

Yikes, all that work? I thought your son was in 2nd grade like my dd? My dd does have to write sentences for her 12 spelling words one night a week. She HATES to do this! I must admit I help her. And dd's criteria is the sentences MUST be 4 words or less! So we come up with a lot of exclamative sentences . Like if the word is good we come up with "You are good!" Anyway, that is such a pain for her, she detests trying to make up something out of nothing-sometimes she likes it when I make a theme, like all our sentences are about horses. Or even once we made all of her sentences about the girl in her class she doesn't like (I know this is not good parenting but I'll sometimes try anything to get her to do the work and I considered it therapy ) You should have seen her teacher's notes on that sheet .

She loves the alphabetizing of the words, which we have to do on another night, that seems to go pretty quickly.

Well it's the middle of the year and dd is settling in to her routing of class and now the behavior issues have started. It seems she won't stay in her seat or listen to the teacher's directions, and hums too often. (her teacher is a saint-I could never do what she does all day) DD actually told me that she hums a lot in her head and seems to get a kick out of the fact that the teacher can't stop her from doing it. Do I have a handful of a dd or what?

Anyway, hope all is well with everyone!

 

[clori]

My dd10 has her issues but when it comes to writing sentences she simply isn't interested. Fortunately those stopped after 3rd grade. One thing that we used to try doing to make it more interesting was to try and come up with song lyrics for each word. However then she had to get serious and come up with a real sentence on her own. It took longer but kept her motivated to get to the next word.

 

[koolaidmoms]

Homework is what usually does us in. It is probably the #1 reason we talk about homeschooling. That and DS not receiving work at school that is appropriate for his ability level.

Like last night when he was with DD he was perfect. Today I had a meeting and he had to sit and do it by himself but I also hung out the carrot that he got to use the digi once all his work was done. Digi is only used on long car trips and very rare occasions at home. Not a peep.

Of course that says nothing of the screaming fits we usually have because:

DS: My homework is "too hard."
US: It is not.

DS: It is not fair that I have to do this hard work and all the other kids get easy work.
US: Everyone gets what they need.

DS: (Screaming and rolling on the floor kicking) You can't make me do it.
US: No we can't but you will need to tell your teacher why you did not do your homework after I e-mail him and tell him that you chose not to do it.

Another 20-40 minutes of crying, screaming and tantrums then he settles down to to the work that takes usually less than 15-20 minutes.

And the typical homework night is over. We have tried taking things away. We have tried giving things. We have tried it before dinner. After dinner. Letting him set the time and schedule.

What works for you all?

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

My dd will whine for a while, then just flat out say no, then say it's too hard, etc etc.

Yes, and when she sits down to it most times she can get it right done. It is the prospect of the homework which is horrible to her.

I don't threaten or discipline her for it. Maybe that makes me a lenient mom. I realize she has SO much going on in the course of a day when she gets home she is so exhausted. You can see it in her eyes, in her body language, she goes immediately into veg out mode.

So I give her a little bit of vegging out. Then I approach the homework. Sometimes I have to put a "spin" on it like let's get this done so we can play a game together! Or let's get this done and we'll go walk (my mom's) dog. Sometimes that works. Sadly, sometimes it just doesn't and we go to bed without homework being done. Then we attempt in the morning. Sometimes it gets done, occasionally it doesn't. I have asked the teacher for an extra day a few times. She's been ok with that.

I think we can all have bad days which make us unwilling or unable to plug back into brain work in the evening. Luckily we don't have much homework here (2 pages max) so it's never too bad.

Some wise person (don't know if it was here or where?) said not to battle it out over homework for hours. I think that's a pretty good stance. My dd has her strengths and weaknesses, the weaknesses need to be worked on but that is a slow process and it's hard work. Her strengths are so strong she can do some of this work with no effort at all.

It's the handwriting stuff that's a real beast for her. Math is like a fun game in her world.

 

[bookwormde]

Just checking in, our homework solution continues to work pretty well with the cooperation of the teachers.

20 weeks to WDW, boy it was forever with taking a year off. In the middle I swore I would not do it again but now that it is almost over I am planning on taking 2013 off and going to Hawaii since my brother has a house there now (big island).

Doing more "formal dining" this time to try to improve that skill (of course my aspie vegiterian still only eats a very few things so it it mostly about the experiance). Of course doing HDDR but this time we (DS and me) are also going to do dining with an imagineer. I know everyone who does not have one of our kids would think it is crazy taking a 12 YO with Autism genetics to do 2+ hours of this when he has absolutly no interest in the food but as you all can guess he is much more comforatble talking "shop" with adults (or other aspies) than anything else. We are doing 15-16 days so this will be our longest trip (mostly because we will be doing 3-5 half days and at least 1 full day at Universal (Harry Potter you know). Younger DS is a super big fan.

Extended family (4)with older DS "twin cousin" (born 5 days part) is going to be with us for 5 or 6 days so that will be fun. We have WDWed with them 2x before so it is a very laid back event (not that the kids are not excited). Right now we are at AKV Kidani in a 2br Savana view for that segment.

I have always wanted to come down and see the Christmas lights so I finally talked DW into leaving Friday afternoon with a 1 way rental car (there are supper cheap that tiem of year and driving down. Treehouse for 3 of the days (younger DS has wanted to do this also, not quite sure what we are going to do with all the extra room). The deal was that we had to be back for thanksgiving dinner so we will be taking the first flight out on Thurday morning to arrive home by 10am. I know only a Disney nut.

Final trip of this annual pass will be next June (2012) with more extended family (with twin 2 YOs) so that will be a lot of fun also (nothing like seeing the magic in the eyes of kids at that age) 32 days on an anual pass, bought with a DVC discount for less than $400@ I can live with that (I try not to think about the $230 for the Universal passes)

As usual we are doing a multi split stay BLT LV/BWV BV/ 1 night CL at Jambo studios and then Kidani (have not figured out the last day or 2 but if we can get an afforable price we will probalby do US Royal Pacific for 1 or 2 nights (the HP convention is there so it will be fun to see all the "amatures" dressed up in full costume.

Hoping the last shuttle launch gets delayed a few days since last visit we missed it because it was scrubbed.

Please feel free to tell me I am "crazy"

bookwormde

 

[lovethattink]

bookwormde, doesn't sound crazy...sounds like alot of fun! We eat at the Coral Reef frequently because of the atmosphere. The water seems to have a calming effect on my son. They give a fish guide and he is perfectly content identifying fish.

The dining with an imagineer sounds great! And AKL is awesome! My ds loves the rocking chairs in front of the fire! As do the other trips too! How does your son do with transitioning from 1 resort room to another in a split stay?

 

[C&G'sMama]

Crazy, heck no.

Our last trip was December 2009. We are chomping at the bit to get back. We will be going May 29 to June 5th. We will be staying at ASMo and My DB and DSIL along with my mom (her first trip at 93) will be joining us. We talked of doing what we needed to do to get an annual pass in May but have decided to stick with the package for this trip.

In October we are going down to Charlotte NC for a Feis (Irish Dance Competition) so that koolaidmoms DB and DSIL can see our DD dance. And since Charlotte is only an 8 hour drive away from WDW...

We've decided we will get APs in October. Our kids are also dying to see Harry Potter at Universal. After looking at the price of a 1 or even 2 day ticket fo Universal we think we will just get APs there too. We'll use our WDW APs to get a hotel discount (we still haven't drunk the DVC koolaid as sorely tempted as we are). Since it will be just the 4 of us perhaps we'll try POFQ and then plan on purchasing a TiW card.

After that we will have to do at least 1 if not 2 more trips w/in the AP year. We are hoping to plan a trip with the in-laws for 2012.

Just talking about it makes me feel better It's been way too long.

 

[bookwormde]

Transitioning for resort to resort has never been a problem since w usually only add 1 new resort per year and his "world" goes with him (this year we are doing 2 but since WDW is a "stress free zone" it should be fine.

Coral reef is one of our TS events along with leceller(sp) Roaring forks and captains table.
I am also doing Chef Mickey and Cape May seafood buffet with younger DS since that balances the imagineer event for older DS. Roaring forks should be quite a "test" of the sensory adaptations, but if the CMs do the funny silly stuff it hopefully will go well. I am also looking forward to how fireworks go from BLT (I am definetly keeping the kids up this year to see them). I did 2 days of DxDP 2 days apart from my disney visa credits (the only good thing about waiting 2 years).

Just for those who have not heard Costco has 3 days any time through 2013 universal park hopper tickets for like $140 but they are hard to find.

I know the delema with the APs it is a hard decision when they are half paid towards as an upgrade from the package but the "year" window does not fit with plans.

 

[C&G'sMama]

I know the delema with the APs it is a hard decision when they are half paid towards as an upgrade from the package but the "year" window does not fit with plans.

Plus since we know we won't be back until October and that we may want to go back in October of 2012 (we'll just make sure it's a week earlier than 2011) we figured in the long run it's best. Plus we have the DDP for this trip. When we are traveling with others it just works better.
Fortunately G is pretty good eater. This will be our first GF trip with him, but everything we've read makes it sound like it won't really be a big deal. My mom eats very little so we're doing some buffets so she can get as little as she wants and not feel like she's wasting food.

We have ADRs for
May 29 - Chef Mickey's - dinner
May 30 - La Hacienda - dinner - 8:00 (to catch Illuminations)
May 31 - Cape May - dinner
June 1 - Crystal Palace - dinner
June 2 -Mama Melrose - Dinner (Fantasmic Package, the kids have never seen it and we figured with the package it would cut down on our wait time)
June 3 - Citricos - Just DP and I, it's our 15 anniversary (we honeymooned at Disney from May 26th to June 2nd 1996.) The kids will go to Neverland
June 4 - Crystal Palace Breakfast - we've never been there for Breakfast

My mom and DB and DSIL go home Friday morning. We are doing mostly dinners as we plan on doing most of our touring in the evening and chilling at the hotel during the day.

 

[bookwormde]

Sounds like a great time

bookwormde

 

[Kat77]

Happy Valentines Day!

All these trip plans are so exciting! I need to get working on ours. I'd like to try Bonnet Creek this summer but because we get awesome interline rates (for disney resorts) it has been a struggle to take the plunge and book anything else. I'm so torn. I love disney resorts but that hotel waterpark looks great for downtime... and we schedule loads of downtime.

C&G'sMama- I love how laid back you guys are with touring. That rocks!

Bookworm- Thanks for the Costco tip. We are huge HP fans! I resisted going last summer because of the crowds but we are all dying to hit Universal.

DS11 was obsessed with pretending to be Harry during his preschool years. He carried a wand, wore fake glasses, and only answered to the name Harry everyday for almost a year. laughing: I thought he had major OCD!)

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

Hello everyone! It sounds like we are all going to miss each other on our upcoming trips..... Someday we will have to do a meetup. Our trip dates are looking like June 11-18th. We are taking my mom and my nephew (both of their first trips). I am looking at staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek in a 2BR (cheaper than value resort at Disney with full kitchen and W/D-and space for dd to be alone) but haven't made definite reservations yet.

I haven't made many ADR's (I don't know why I can't get into this trip even when it's only four months out )

We always do Crystal Palace lunch
and we always do Tusker House lunch
I made reservations for Sci Fi lunch (I think my nephew will think it's cool)
and Biergarten

the rest may be CS. DD is still on the Failsafe diet so I don't know how much she will be able to eat. I am planning on bringing her food with us into the parks.

This is our first trip in over a year and may be our last trip for a while so it will be bittersweet. Our APs expire 6/24/11 so this trip is cutting it close.

We may get Disneyland Ap's this year for a change of pace.

I'm glad you guys are going around the same time-maybe you can get me excited about actually planning this trip!!!

 

[lovethattink]

Both of your trip plans sound great! We are going for 3 nights next month.

Bookwormde, that's great that he transitions well between resorts. I'm not sure how my son would do. I like the way you say that Disney is the "stress free zone". We live in central Florida, and having annual passes and living fairly close has been a godsend. He has hit several milestones because of Disney.

Do you bring toys to play during dining? I carry a freezer bag with Star Wars and Legos toys. If the dining isn't going to well, I bring out the toys. Usually he is ok as long as he has food to pick at, but once plates are cleared or food is gone, he's DONE! Sometimes it seems like an eternity with him in that time it takes to get the bill and get it paid.