Being a parent of a child with learning difficulties can mean it gets tricky on rainy days when there's not much to do. Even when the sun is shining, going out and about can be a chore. A few months ago, I took both of my children to the local park one afternoon. My daughter, who has cri du chat syndrome, had one of her emotional outbursts and sank her teeth into my arm. In an effort to restrain her, I was kicked and hit, and eventually she threw herself to the ground. Shouts of child abuser came from several dozen yards away at which point I decided to leave. I have a lot of issues with social anxiety and so at the first sign of trouble my flight response kicks in. It's learned from extreme bullying during childhood. That however, is another story.
Today, it was raining and so there was not much more to do than find an activity we could both enjoy. The idea came to my daughter, that we could do painting. I was reluctant at first. My experience of painting with her is always a messy one, and I really had little energy left to have a day of cleaning up. However, with the continual insisting, and eventual getting out the paints and setting them up herself, I gave in, and finished the job for her properly.
When she paints, I don't think she has anything in mind. For her the experience is based a lot more on sensation of the liquid, and the visual colours. Placing them on paper seems to be really fun, but the best bit is messing with it, squelching it in between her fingers and rubbing around on a plastic surface. I really don't mind, the carpet lost its fizz many moons ago and the sofa is a second hand leather so I can wipe it and no grievances over stains. I do think a lino floor would be handy when I get around to it though.
At the age of eleven, going on twelve, I do find that her behaviour still resembles that of a very young child. With only a handful of vocal words and several signs, we manage to communicate pretty well, but her interests don't seem to extend beyond school, playing, tv, friends, and her mum. This is fine, of course, only we could perhaps expect a child who is soon to be a teenager to have a few more things on the list. In a way, it's good that we don't have too much to worry about still, as her health is fine and although she's a little terror, her mother and I do a good job of taking it in turns to care for her week by week.
Having to pay bedroom tax for her, on top of the not very much in tax credits I get for myself, it's really tough when finding things to buy like toys and paints. Luckily, eBay tends to have some good stuff, and so does Amazon. Of course, over here in cup of tea country, I use the UK version. She's lucky that I get to help out so much, and with being an online entity with work, I'm around for her as much as she wants. Juggling time with my daughter and my son can be a challenge sometimes, he won't spend too long with her because of her violent behaviour, and she draws my blood from time to time, bruises me, and so a six year old has every right to refuse. I think I may have done. Not sure on that though.
Today, it was raining and so there was not much more to do than find an activity we could both enjoy. The idea came to my daughter, that we could do painting. I was reluctant at first. My experience of painting with her is always a messy one, and I really had little energy left to have a day of cleaning up. However, with the continual insisting, and eventual getting out the paints and setting them up herself, I gave in, and finished the job for her properly.
When she paints, I don't think she has anything in mind. For her the experience is based a lot more on sensation of the liquid, and the visual colours. Placing them on paper seems to be really fun, but the best bit is messing with it, squelching it in between her fingers and rubbing around on a plastic surface. I really don't mind, the carpet lost its fizz many moons ago and the sofa is a second hand leather so I can wipe it and no grievances over stains. I do think a lino floor would be handy when I get around to it though.
At the age of eleven, going on twelve, I do find that her behaviour still resembles that of a very young child. With only a handful of vocal words and several signs, we manage to communicate pretty well, but her interests don't seem to extend beyond school, playing, tv, friends, and her mum. This is fine, of course, only we could perhaps expect a child who is soon to be a teenager to have a few more things on the list. In a way, it's good that we don't have too much to worry about still, as her health is fine and although she's a little terror, her mother and I do a good job of taking it in turns to care for her week by week.
Having to pay bedroom tax for her, on top of the not very much in tax credits I get for myself, it's really tough when finding things to buy like toys and paints. Luckily, eBay tends to have some good stuff, and so does Amazon. Of course, over here in cup of tea country, I use the UK version. She's lucky that I get to help out so much, and with being an online entity with work, I'm around for her as much as she wants. Juggling time with my daughter and my son can be a challenge sometimes, he won't spend too long with her because of her violent behaviour, and she draws my blood from time to time, bruises me, and so a six year old has every right to refuse. I think I may have done. Not sure on that though.
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