Family Friday: Kids’ Waxed-Effect Parka

I’ve posted before about my eldest’s struggles and diagnosis w/ ADHD & anxiety (which manifests similarly to ASD, and honestly he was borderline on that diagnosis as well). He is the stereotypical weird kid who gets hyper fixated on the things he likes, which may not be the things other kids his age do, and he’s crazy good at math. Today I found out he was placed in a math group w/ other advanced kids to work with the district math supervisor, and it made me so happy. When I started getting placed in those groups was when I found my people – the other socially awkward weird nerds. He’s been so resilient so far, and we’ve managed to avoid the ‘bad kid’ label for him (despite really challenging behaviors which we continue to work through, though he’s finally in OT after a year long waitlist!). It has been so much work to get here and just wanted to give some light to other moms struggling. Like, if you are worried your kid will get kicked out of daycare or aftercare because they are Too Much? I see you. You’re doing amazing.

A vent. My birthday is coming up in a few days. My husband wants to get me a birthday gift I’ll be excited about, but he also doesn’t want to spend a ton of money on it. I suggested a home decor item, he ordered it, and once I saw it in person I hated it so it’s getting returned. Literally everything else I want is expensive and/or is not practical at this point, like skis I can’t really use because it never snows here anymore or a paddleboard that we can’t store. I’d also like some jewelry upgrades but he has consistently been opposed to spending money on that. I am fine not getting anything right now, but my husband feels badly about it and somehow it’s my job to figure out how to make him feel good about himself by identifying the perfect gift.

I need a festive special occasion outfit (family party, November but not Christmas themed) for my four year old boy who only wears cotton tees. He has worn a button down about three times in his life and it was miserable trying to keep it on him for photos, like wedding photos. I’d love to get a cotton top or sweatshirt that has festive details, like the applique on mini boden, that’s a step up from his daily shirts. Any other brands I should consider?

A friend’s kid was just diagnosed with a chronic condition that is in the “probably won’t kill him but could if not properly managed and will require lifelong daily management to mitigate the risk” bucket and is really reeling, both with the emotional side of confronting a toddler’s mortality this early and also with the logistical side of having to do a lot of medical juggling every day. She has an amazing husband who will split duties with her, but it’s still a lot to handle.

The condition is purely physical and should not cause any cognitive delays or issues with independent living after 18, and outside of this condition, the kid is basically healthy.

Any tips on processing / how to best support? I am not local to her, sadly, so I cannot just go over and do her laundry and clean her bathrooms while forcing her to go to a spa for a massage, which is what I’d be doing if we were still in the same city!

It’s early for this, but I genuinely always appreciate our ‘what I am getting for the person on my list that is impossible to shop for’ and ‘things that were surprise hits for someone who is hard to shop for’ post. Anyone want to share their ideas or past wins?

MIL and FIL are getting Bicycle Helmet covers – she’s getting a straw hat style bike cover (matches her vibe) and he’s getting a big sunhat one. A few years ago I got them matching his and hers bike jerseys from their Alma Mater and that was a hit, so I’m going bike gear again.

Last year, my sister and BIL got hats and a car seat covering towel (for post-runs) from Sprints which makes running hats and accessories. Big hits, my hippie BIL wears his cartoon veggie had often.