Obstacle Courses

[lollardfish]

I had thought to write with an extended metaphor about obstacle courses, but I found it trite. Just imagine I made one. You know, challenges, overcoming them, getting stronger. Done and done.

Lately, I've been reading a lot from parents of older kids, parents focused on issues that seem very remote - driving, dating, menstruation! There was a whole discussion of sensory integration issues that some of their kids have. Even the stuff that happens when he turns 3, in terms of his therapies being run through special ed. and the school system, seems far away. But it's interesting to see these older kids, to hear from their parents, and think about where our life could be heading.

The long and short of it is that Nico is very healthy (despite potential thyroid troubles), very happy (despite teething), and delayed to varying extents in pretty much every category. None of the delays are a big deal, but all of them are real, and confronting them can be difficult. On the bright side, we have four therapists who come to our home every week and play with our child and train us, and most of the therapies are fun.

For example:



I set up a little obstacle course for Nico and put a favorite toy (a toy we hide when not actively playing) on the other side of the pillows. There were false starts (video 1), but then many successes (video 2), and then he got tired and just sort of rolled around on the blanket. That was fun too. Nico can usually do whatever physical task he sets his mind to, but the challenge is getting him worked up enough to try. He'd usually prefer to switch his attention to a nearby toy, or, failing that, his toes or the shadows cast by his hands on the floor, or whatever. So this was quite the success.

Without further adieu:

Comments

[madtruk.livejournal.com]

Neat.

OK, so I'm amazed that there's a band called NQP, offhand.

I deleted my own trite comment here about hurdles.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I know (about the band). It amuses me.

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

Hooray!

I was sad there was no sound though......

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

There is sound. He's just quiet until the very end, but you can hear the "car" toy singing its siren call.

[morganlf.livejournal.com]

I love the noise he makes at the end: "Dad....why did you hide my toy from me?!"

[creidylad.livejournal.com]

Nico is an amazing young man. I so love watching his videos, for their own sake but also for the little glimpses of this amazing home you two have built for him.

In some ways I miss the days of the therapists coming to our house when Gwen was little -- though we gave it up for center-based therapy when she was two and a half to help her with her socialization issues, and I remember feeling so cut of from the parent-training aspects of the whole thing. There has to be a happy middle ground out there.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's one of my favorite "pissed off" noises that he makes.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I've heard that from a lot of other parents of three year olds (which is when it seems to happen here). I'm not sure what we'll do, but hopefully some of it will happen at his childcare when he's older, which ought to be at Dominican, 3 minutes (drive) from my office.

We try really hard, and I'm glad that you, who has also been through this process (and are still in it), think we're doing well.

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

Look at Nico go!

Love his hair, and the little vest.

FWIW, you and S doing stuff at home with him is more valuable than any other intervention. At least, IMO.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Yup. But the therapists do a good job of training us.

training parents

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

Which is really a big part of what they do

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

(And I was just thinking those hippies still haven't cut his hair!)

Man, he's fast when he's motivated.

K.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

We were waiting for Auntie KK to do it.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Auntie KK doesn't give (very good at all) haircuts. She is quite good at accompanying to the salon, and can sometimes exhibit flair with a comb or brush, but really her best tonsorial talent is the bathtub mohawk, and that's just not a look with the mileage to go the distance.

Honestly, he's cute as can be just as he is.

K.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

That's the real reason we haven't cut it!

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

I can't cut hair for anything and he doesn't hold still for someone else so... Hippy!

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Such cuteness.

B

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Today I have put a big pile of blankets and pillows in the center of the room. The goal is to get off without hurting anything. Good times!