Just when you thought you knew the triggers...(ASDs)

[AverageDiser]

I thought it might be fun to share some of the odd, unexpected things that trigger our kids. It seems like just as I start getting complacent thinking I know the things that will upset dd(10), something completely new will pop-up. Case in point, a couple of weeks ago her battery operated toothbrush went dead. It's one of those cheapies where you don't replace the batteries. I asked her to toss it and you would have thought the world had just ended..
"but I like that toothbrush..I've been using it for three months..I'm attached to it!" Then the tears came. I offered her one just like it, no go. Luckily my Aunt suggested using the tooth fairy as an accomplice since dd already had a loose tooth. She was even iffy about that until she talked to her therapist about it. So, the tooth fairy took the old brush and left her a new one along with her tooth fairy money. I still shake my head and chuckle when I think about it. As I'm sure we'd all agree, it definitely keeps life interesting!

 

[bookwormde]

Yes I have heard of quite a few frantic Ebay searches for something that quit or disappeared and is no longer available in stores

 

[Aladora]

My 6 year old just broke down this morning when he noticed that the roses my mom sent me last week were dying. I tried to comfort him by suggesting that maybe he and daddy could buy me some more!

Next up, the battle to get him to replace his Toy Story backpack that is falling apart.

 

[jdb in AZ]

My 6 year old just broke down this morning when he noticed that the roses my mom sent me last week were dying. I tried to comfort him by suggesting that maybe he and daddy could buy me some more!

Next up, the battle to get him to replace his Toy Story backpack that is falling apart.

My son was about that age when his cheapo camouflage backpack was falling apart and I replaced it. I thought he'd be relieved to get one without a major frayed hole in the bottom. Nope. He was in tears.

 

[Earstou]

Kids breaking a frog pinata at church caused a major meltdown with my ds once. He was frantically running around trying to stop everyone from smashing it. He didn't care about the candy inside, he didn't want the frog destroyed. We had to gather up the broken pieces and glue it back together.
10 years later and he still has it in his room!
He also used to bring empty tissue boxes home from school because he didn't want them destroyed, either.

 

[AverageDiser]

My 6 year old just broke down this morning when he noticed that the roses my mom sent me last week were dying. I tried to comfort him by suggesting that maybe he and daddy could buy me some more!

Next up, the battle to get him to replace his Toy Story backpack that is falling apart.

My son was about that age when his cheapo camouflage backpack was falling apart and I replaced it. I thought he'd be relieved to get one without a major frayed hole in the bottom. Nope. He was in tears.

We've avoided the backpack issue just because she usually has 2-3 at any given time (presents from relatives, etc.). She alternates between them somewhat regularly, so none have gotten reeeeeally worn out! I'll have to make sure we continue that pattern, I guess..lol.

 

[AverageDiser]

Kids breaking a frog pinata at church caused a major meltdown with my ds once. He was frantically running around trying to stop everyone from smashing it. He didn't care about the candy inside, he didn't want the frog destroyed. We had to gather up the broken pieces and glue it back together.
10 years later and he still has it in his room!
He also used to bring empty tissue boxes home from school because he didn't want them destroyed, either.

I completely get you, ie, the boxes and such. Dd is the same way about kleenex boxes right now, it drives me somewhat nuts, to be honest. We also have a bag with probably 200 broken/nub/old crayons in it that she won't toss. To be fair though, she will get that bag out and use it if she's not doing a school assignment. I've thought about getting one of those melt the old crayons machines, but I'm not sure how that would fly (she tends to personify some inanimate objects, and I can just see her being upset it would hurt the crayons to melt them)..also the whole mess issue- but that one is all mine!

 

[lucigo]

I have 2 beach stories.

When DS was around 3 we were on a cruise and went to the beach in Grand Turk. I really thought I had thought of everything. We got there and there was a couple playing Uno on the beach. He was very much into numbers and letters at the time. He saw them and had a huge meltdown and paced up and down the beach saying "a TWO, I need a TWO!!!"

Last summer at age 8 we went to Roatan. We have a salt water pool and practiced snorkeling and he was very excited about seeing fish. As soon as he put his face in the water he came back up with a horrified look on his face and headed back to the beach. I asked him what was wrong...he said it was pee water and he was NOT getting back in.

You just never know...

 

[Singledad]

So my kid's reluctance to let go of plastic spoons isn't as 'odd' as I thought it was? Sometimes it is nice to find out your kid is 'normal'... or as normal as our kids are!

 

[Earstou]

I've thought about getting one of those melt the old crayons machines, but I'm not sure how that would fly (she tends to personify some inanimate objects, and I can just see her being upset it would hurt the crayons to melt them)..also the whole mess issue- but that one is all mine!

I would just ask her if she would use it.
I quit guessing what my ds might "allow" and started asking him (because I was usually wrong ).

 

[AverageDiser]

So my kid's reluctance to let go of plastic spoons isn't as 'odd' as I thought it was? Sometimes it is nice to find out your kid is 'normal'... or as normal as our kids are!

That made me laugh! Completely normal- we have a collection of prob 200+ thermometer probes they use when she's in the hospital (different med issue). They're all in a gallon ziploc bag. She also likes to hold onto the dixie cups she uses when she brushes her teeth- we prob have 50-100 of those. She does use them to build things though!

 

[AverageDiser]

I would just ask her if she would use it.
I quit guessing what my ds might "allow" and started asking him (because I was usually wrong ).

I've thought of that but she's very good for thinking she's okay with something, I buy it, then she changes her mind. I'll prob just let her keep using the stubs..the conversations are cute though..

Hi, Mr. Grass Green how are you today? (In her voice)
I'm fine, I'm feeling a bit worn down though... hahaha (Crayon voice)
etc

She has gotten to the point though where she won't pretend things like that with her age peers, she knows they don't still play that way. When she's alone though, all bets are off, which is actually fine with me- I like that she feels free to express herself and her creativity and would never want to stifle that or make her feel bad about it.

 

[tamarabannon]

Oh my gosh!! If my son draws a face on something it's his forever!!

Can't throw anything away because it "could be used in a cwaft!"

Personifies things, when he was 2 we saw on orange on the floor in the fridge part of the grocery store. We could not convince him to leave it, he just kept sobbing it missed it's daddy and mommy -- so we walked the orange back and said bye to it.... It was awfully sweet though just maybe not in the middle of a grocery store!

Sobbed when I threw a baby chair away that wasn't even ours!!! He was convinced he had sat in it as a baby (a friend gave it to me to sell) and then convinced it was his sisters... Literally hysterical sobbing

It's hard being my (any) ASD kid sometimes!

 

[AverageDiser]

Mixed day today! It was Christmas parade day- we've skipped the past couple yrs because she couldn't stand the congestion & sirens. She decided she wanted to go this year, so we talked it out several times, there will be sirens, it's okay to cover your ears, etc. We found a good, separated empty spot to sit in, I warned her when the ambulances, etc were about to come, and she had a great time! It was a wonderful thing

This evening we went to a play my sis-in-law's drama classes were putting on. Within prob 5 minutes she started in about how she couldn't see, people shouldn't be talking, etc. We did make it through (about 90 min) because she was interested in it (it was a "seussified" version of A Christmas Carol- the whole script rhymed, etc), but I think we were both glad when it was over. Am I the only one who gets really glad at bedtime sometimes?? LOL.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Reading these reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in a long time. MANY years ago, my youngest sister cried for 3 DAYS because we had to get a new fridge. Poor thing was so upset you would have thought she lost her best friend. I think she was about 6 at the time.

 

[robin09]

OMG my dd13 sounds normal! All these things that have been written could be about her. Her reluctance of letting anything go... No change allowed, everything is alive.. pokemon and transformers are real. I keep ducktaping her backpack as we can't get rid of it.

I tried doing a garage sale to get rid of some things and get extra money.. but... NOOOOO YOU"RE buying my memories... sob sob sob... So many issues, I've given up trying to think what will set her off... 2 weeks ago we took her into Manhatten (we live iin a small upstate village) so we could go to American girl and Build a bear.. We got out of the car and the stimming began... completely lost it... kept repeating.... too many people, too many people.. it's too crowded it's too crowded, covering her ears. so we went to the two stores, met with her older siblings , turned around and came home 3 hour drive each way.

We can buy new toothbrushes, BUT we cannot get rid of the old.. just in case... we have old crayons, pencil erasers, pencil shavings.. drives me insane, but I'm glad to know I'm not alone... thankyou!