Perspective = Joy

Holiday time can be especially frustrating for special needs families. I, for one, never seem to get over the fact that my son is oblivious to the Christmas holiday. Since he has little interest in toys, over the years I have struggled to find something, anything, to wrap up and put under the tree for him. Rest assured, he likes to open packages, but could care less what’s inside! To some this “don’t care about gifts” attitude would be a welcome change! My daughter could use a little of that attitude to rub off on her.

Each year, it seems I have some type of “theme” in my gift giving for Mason. Last year it was Compact Discs. One of my son’s most preferred activities is just “jamming to the tunes”. I gave him a stack of about twenty wrapped CD’s. I wanted him to be rip-roaring excited about this, but instead, he opened one and ran into his room for a jam session. So, here I am practically begging him to open another one. (just one more attitude I wish would rub off on my daughter, instead of the lightning speed unwrapping fest!) Anyway, he wound up opening CD’s throughout the next week or so. It was like a Christian Chanukah in our house. This year I am particularly stumped because the CD thing has backfired on me (he now prefers to break CD’s instead of listen to them) so we have moved onto an MP3 player.

He would probably love a giant box of plastic bags! Perhaps I should explain: Mason likes to take little pieces of a plastic bag, wrap it on his finger, and play with it awhile. Then, he just drops it and gets another piece. He will practically knock you down, leap over objects and race at top speed if he gets a plastic grocery bag in his sights. For awhile the little pieces of plastic rolled around my house like great balls of annoying tumbleweed making me absolutely crazy! We have since eliminated all bread bags, garbage can liners, grocery bags, ect… I raid my grocery store on a regular basis for paper bags. They probably think I am just “going green”, but actually, I am trying to “not go insane”. So, in retrospect, this is probably not one of my best ideas, although he would think he died and went to heaven! My husband always jokes that we should just wrap up some of the stuff he already has just so he can open it; since that’s all that interests him. But, I know I couldn’t do that.

So, as always, when it comes to Mason I try to just focus on the little things. Like when he points to our Christmas tree and says the word “tree”. (something he couldn’t do two years ago) Or how he smiles while eating green and red M&M’s or snatching a special frosted Christmas cookie while I’m baking. I will focus on his “wonder at looking” at the brightly colored lights on the house and watch him do his unique dance to Jingle Bells. When you focus on the small victories and excitements in your child, it is amazing the perspective you can gain, and the joy that you’ll experience. Happy holidays to all!

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Perspective = Joy

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