Summer, Special Needs & Surviving

As of today I am two days into our summer break.

It is a great time and a time of inconsistency. Off routine.

If you’re a parent or you’re close to a family of a child (or more) with special needs, you know that being off routine can be challenging. Or equivalent to a little dental work. It’s not good for any of us; if I’m honest. I don’t do well off of routine either (Apple/Tree Thing) because they don’t and I can stress when they are stressed. So this summer I have a plan. Well, I have a short schedule and then I have activities to fill in the time with fun.

We still have medical things to deal with this summer with some new doctor appointments, the ever-present lab vists and probably a med change that will likely add some drama but hopefully not too much. With any luck, we’ll glide through all of that

Some of my strategies…

  • We’re going to get up the same time each morning. Every. Single. Morning.
  • Getting up, dressed and downstairs for breakfast for 30 minutes.
  • Typing by touch! Every morning for 20-30 minutes the kids are running through a program to learn proper typing, then they’ll get to play games. I bought a cheap laptop so they can be online with my computer and the new one at the same time.
  • Practicing piano and guitar (each of them does one).
  • Filler: box of arts and crafts on the table available for them (which they love).
  • Pool time.
  • Friend time.
  • One outing/special activity per week.
  • Kidsitter for my youngest just for a change of pace.
  • Three summer camps for each child (2) but they are attending all of them on different weeks allowing them a break from each other.
  • Playing in mud if we need a diversion (pictured above).
  • Date night/friend night/movie night for me at least a couple of times a month…that should help, too.
What are your strategies? What are you fallback strategies?

—–

 

Be sure to visit the blog of our site sponsor Build-A-Bear Workshop!

 

Note: To support the site we make money on some products, product categories and services that we talk about on this website through affiliate relationships with the merchants in question. We get a small commission on sales of those products.That in no way affects our opinions of those products and services.

4 Comments
  1. Marla 42 years ago
    • Julia Roberts 42 years ago
  2. Andy Drouin 42 years ago
    • Julia Roberts 42 years ago