Waking up to a slight chill, crisp local apples, pumpkins, cornstalks, garden harvest, flaming trees and mountainsides, shorter days, yummy squash....a few of the thinks which make Autumn my most favorite season of all!
What's not my favorite? Changing out the Summer clothes for the Fall clothes for my children.
Actually, sweaters, jackets, jeans, boots, mittens.....are my personal favorite wardrobe. Growing up in Texas I would look at illustrations in picture books of children in sweaters and boots raking leaves and feel frustrated that I was still wearing shorts!
BUT....when you are the mother of a child (or two) with Sensory Integetration Disorder (SID), the change of wardrobe from summer to fall, or fall to winter, or winter to spring.... (see the pattern!) it is hard. Feeling sensitive in your skin is not only true for SID kids, but SID kids feel everything much more instensly.
The seems and "squeeze" of the socks, the tightness of the shoes which have replaced crocs or sandals, the "bunchy" way the long sleeve of your shirt inch up when you put on a sweater or jacket, the feel of the jeans or long pants on your legs can leave a child in a heap on the floor in the morning before school.
This is why my son shared with me today that he doesn't mind if rain or snow get into the little holes in his crocs. He plans to wear them all Fall and Winter. This is why my daughter and son leave the house in 40 degree weather with no jacket as they tell me that they really like to be cold. This is why my husband and I have been cutting out the tags of all new clothing because it itches their skin too much. This is why I have not put away the shorts or short sleeves yet....we are gradually weening them off. Perhaps I will not have time to do the laundry for the next few weeks....and the summer clothes will just disappear.
This is why I have researched the softest, most comfortable clothing lines. This is why I can't buy my children's shoes at Target or Pay Less. This is why occasionally there are articles of clothing or shoes which never get worn more than once. (Fortunately I have two other kids without SID, who get the hand-me-downs!)
So, I still do LOVE Fall, but I know that it comes with a price!
Even as an adult, I don't like bunched up sleeves under a coat or sweater. I am the queen of holding my sleeves until the bitter end of that coat is put on. And wool is itchy to me. So I can empathize with those kiddoes.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I've ever understood those clothing frustrations for my kids. I just get frustrated because their reactions are difficult for me. I think I can look at it differently now and maybe react better, helping them respond better in kind. This will alter our mornings significantly. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for Hanna Andersson, Crocs and Keen. I'm wishing we still could shop at Keedo's. I never thought my oldest would gradate to a pair of jeans. My youngest pulls, tugs and complains about wearing anything but her daydress/playdress. :-) It's a good think kids can survive here without woollen mittens.
ReplyDeleteOne of my sons is sensitive also...except we didn't have anything diagnosed except borderline ADD/conceptually gifted. He choose socks for their "thickness" not colour, so often went to school (even High School) with different colours. He also didn't wear blue jeans for a long time...preferred sweat pants. Even at 28yrs. his clothing is looser and he preferrs used clothing, even his suits (we just bought him 2 new ones though). He says he just had to endure the feel of stuff.
ReplyDeleteMay the neuro-feedback be successful for your son. If not eliminating it, mitigating it would be a big help for him in coping.