Mommy Rant
October 3rd, 2007For the third time this week, I've scrubbed the same section of hardwood floor. Milk, juice, and worse, milk soaked cereal dried on the floor so hard I practically needed Ingersoll Rand air tools to get it up. In the end resorting to working away with one of my Pampered Chef scrapers. I do allow Connor to take milk and juice to the living room in a straw cup, but never, ever do I let him take a bowl of cereal with milk in there.. (I'm not sure how this one got by me.)
This repetetive chore drives me absolutely crazy. My weird tick about clean floors just doesn't mix well with a three year old habitual grazer. Sweeping, vacuuming, even a quick mopping doesn't bother me. But having to get down on my hands and knees and scrub away on a daily basis is starting to wear me down.
Now most would say, just don't let the child eat like that.. and once upon a time, he didn't do this. He would actually sit at the kitchen table for every meal (and snack.) But this behavior has evolved as his sensory issues have, and his occupational therapist points out that this is very normal for a kid like him. In all honesty, most days if I didn't let him graze and move around at will, he just wouldn't eat at all.
We are working with a weighted pad now (similar to this one), that within 24 hours of introduction, has shown some promise. Its just a little 8x10 pillow shaped pad filled with herbs and flax seed, which we set in Connor's lap at meal time, or other times when he needs to be a bit more "organized". Its been so helpful that I've been researching other methods of using weighted items with the guidance of our O.T., primarily a vest, and possibly a nap blanket. These are both things I can make vs. purchasing, because goodness you wouldn't believe the prices (don't believe me, check those links!)
To end this rant on a good note, Connor's speech today was incredible. He had moments of incoherence, but at one point, said, quite clear: "Mama, I want a dog". Not what would be his normal speech: "mama, I gogg". So its not all bad. It totally makes up for me having to scrape cereal off the floor.
Around a year ago on this day..
October 4th, 2007 at 3:32 am
wow, they are expensive. it’s interesting to think of weight as calming.. and making one slow down. It makes me think of how sitting with a knitting project that is big like a sweater or blanket would have a similar affect. Also a laptop or a cat to cuddle. I wonder if that is part of what makes it easier to sit longer when I watch my boys, when I knit? I hope the cleaning eases up. I understand about the grazing, my youngest is that way.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Its the motherhood two step, step forward with the speech, step back with the floors. My youngest is the same as well, cant stay still or at the table, wants to ‘roam’ with her food all the time. Good luck with the weighted pillow, seems to make sense when you think about it actually.
October 4th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Can you imagine at some point when he’s Ian’s age you’ll need to tell him to let someone else take a turn to speak because he just doesn’t ever stop!
It’s a wonderful thing.
Ian is definitely a grazer also thankfully he’s still pretty good at staying at the table. Although I suspect that when he’s home with grandma he’s eating at the computer desk since I’ve found crumbs over there.
October 4th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Time to get a dog!
Interesting idea about the weighted pad.