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Stone pulled out some itty bitty magnets and a board and got to spelling. He's so amazing!
We did a lot of reading with daddy! Their new favorites are Big Red Barn
, Higher, Higher
and Runaway Bunny
. They love sitting and hearing these classic stories and pull us to the couch often to snuggle and read. I love it!
I'm continuing to give the kids a bit of screen time to work on the computer a few times a week. Their favorite site is Jacob's Lessons, which are ABA activities. They are created specifically for kids on the spectrum, but all of my boys like them, and I like that there isn't a lot of visual stimulation, just some simple activities.
Stone has had a lot of trouble sleeping lately. A lot. We've struggled with several different options and decided to start him on a new medication that should help his brain settle each night before bed. We've also introduced a lot of heavy work a few hours before bed. He has trouble settling his legs and body, physically as well as mentally, but the heavy work has really seemed to help. We've made the activities into games and all of the boys enjoy participating!
Their favorite activity has been "relay race." We line up the activities in their chairs and they race each other to complete each task...
First you grab the sleeping bag by the string and drag it behind you...
Run, run, run!
Then, grab your book, put it on your head and...
Run, run, run!
Grab a chair and push it!
Go, go, go! See, they LOVE it! When the weather is better, we can do more activities outside, but for now, we've got to get creative. Remember the snow?
Heath had the boys running in circles while pulling a suitcase full of books. They loved it! And, it gave Stone the input he needed to sleep well that evening. Win, win!
3 comments:
Ahh, the old "tire them out" trick! :) A friend of mine has 2.5 year old who recently learned to turn a sumersault. So before bed they do lots of "roll and jumps". Hahaha. Poor little Stone, I know how frustrating it is to not fall asleep... and I know better how frustrating it is for the Mommy! :) Praying the meds and activities give good results!
Heavy lifting was something Ryan's OT had us do as well. He has those busy legs too. I always had him help carry in the groceries. We would load up his backpack to wear on outings and pushing his big dump truck around the yard was always a favorite activity. You may also want to look into a lycra sleep sack or weighted pillow. I recently made a pillow for a friends foster child and it has worked wonders for her. She uses it at bedtime, reading time, or any time she needs to calm down. What a great mamma you are!
Have you tried a weighted blanket? The ones in the catalog are outrageous, so I made one out of fabric and the jell dots that go into beanie babies. They recommend 10% of the child's weight, and it only needs to be big enough to cover their body, not the whole bed.
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