Understanding Autism

Being a parent can be very difficult especially if you add autism to the mix. For me that is a challenge, one I am not too fond of. Today I find out if my third son is on the spectrum, which in a Way makes me nervous. If he is diagnosed that will make it three for three. I have five kids, three boys and two girls. None of my boys have escaped the burden of autism so far and the first screening we had with our last was not good at all.

It is so discouraging at times to watch my sons struggle everyday. My nine year old struggles the most and it just breaks my heart. Knowing that he gets bullied at school doesn’t help at all either. It is definitely a hard transition for my babies when it comes to interacting with their peers, strangers, or other social experiences. It’s sad to watch them get overwhelmed when I take them out into the store knowing many are probably viewing him as a bad kid and not one that needs comfort and understanding.

My goal here is to help bring awareness for Autism. So many don’t understand it!!! I hate when people say ‘they don’t look autistic’, well no duh, Autism is so much more involved. Every child, adult, person is different on the spectrum. First ask questions, do research but don’t judge. Until you know the struggle and heartache just pray and be more understanding. Also feel free to check out my website, The Family Way

Interesting Movie

Last night me and Billy had a movie night at the house. It’s a tradition when the kids go to sleep that we spend time with each other either playing board games, talking, Bible Study, or even Movie Nights. We decided on Escape Plan!! Such a great movie, it really had my mind going. Scary thought that their are people who could possibly be that smart savvy to figure out how to break out of every prison built by man. It was definitely interesting and I do recommend it for a date night for couples! Not recommended for kids though! Hope everyone is having a great day. Here is the trailer below!

www.youtube.com/watch

Date Night with the Spouse

The other night I posted a blog relating to spending time with your little ones by having  a movie night!  Well now I am going to touch base on making time for your spouse.  It is important to focus on your spouse even when you have kids.  Trust me I know it can be difficult especially if you aren’t used to multi-tasking and don’t have any time management skills.  What I do is normally send the kids to bed at their normal bedtime which is between 8-8:30.  Once they are in bed me and my husband talk about movie options, we make sure we have snacks available to enjoy as we watch the movie also.  Normally we pick a movie we both like but there are times we also take turns of who gets to pick the movie next.

This is a great way to bond with your spouse.  I call it our date night and it works, at least for us.  Sometimes we will even play board games, write together, even just sit down and talk and eat together.  It is important to make time with your spouse and the evenings are a great chance to do that.  For our schedule it definitely works but I understand that everyone is different and may have unusual work schedules.

It is healthy in a marriage to make sure you are connecting with your spouse.  I am sad to say I have witnessed so many divorces over the last eleven years that me and my husband have been married.  Most of them only lasting between two to four years.  It has been a mission that I have been trying to pursue since I have noticed the drastic incline of divorce rates since we got married.  Another factor I would encourage to help with growing a healthy marriage is communication.   Make sure you and your spouse are talking to each other, it helps build a much stronger bond between the two of you and you start to understand your partner much better than before.  Hope these little tid-bits help.grass-2601662__480

You are their Hero

It’s a funny thing, our children are truly the product of our own habits and behaviors.  We are their example to society and how they grow into adulthood.  My children range from the ages of four months to nine years, big difference when it comes to personalities for all of them.  I have noticed some traits that have been picked up that have really made me change how I deal with my children.  Even when I was teaching I noticed how children would respond based on my reaction to the situation that was placed in front of me.

Children are so resilient compared to us adults, thank goodness for that too.  For example children learn and adapt quicker which is why the experts say to intervene now and teach them the right way to act.  Sometimes I have to really catch myself on how to respond to a situation so I can better help my child than give into my frustration, which can really be a challenge when you are already at your breaking point.  We as Parents can have bad habits some we need to break when we have children, like curse words or shutting your child out.  This does your child no good and ends up putting up a wall between you and your child.

When I got pregnant for the first time I was told by many wise ladies to not befriend my children but to parent them.  This is so true, I am not my children’s best friend, I am their mother.  As their mother I love them unconditionally and protect them with all I have.  It is my job to teach them to grow into respectful well-mannered adults.  It’s not the school’s job, the grandparents’ job, or anyone else’s job either.  It’s okay to hurt your child’s feelings by disciplining them or getting on to them when they have done something wrong.  They need that structured environment to thrive, they need boundaries to feel safe and secure.  Always remember you are their superhero, you are their role model in life.