On Friday I made the call to keep Amy home from Kindy. She did have a bit of a cold going on. But mainly, she'd had a few challenges at Kindy this week and I thought I'd give her a morning off. Unfortuately it rained for the next two days so she ended up suffering from a bit of cabin fever. But I think the mini-break from Kindy was worth it.
To be honest, I had had enough of it all myself on Friday - several professionals on board not quite seeing eye-to-eye around Amy's ASD this week. It gets tiring explaining, and then mediating between professionals.
At one of the Nelson Autism NZ support group meetings I went to a few months back, a couple of Mums shared how they gave their kids a day off school every now and then when it seemed they were (sensory) overloaded. I think it is a very sensible thing to do. Actually on Friday there were three variables going on that led me to think it would be best if Amy stayed home: she had a cold, it was raining (so an indoor day at Kindy with forty kids) and she'd been unsettled sleep-wise for several nights. She'd also had a few issues at Kindy this week with confrontational behaviour/conflict going on which is all regular four year old social stuff, in a way. It's just sorting out social dynamics is quite exhausting for her at the best of times, let alone when feeling tired and under the weather.
Friday night Amy got a break from being inside for two days when she went to her first ever PJ party! It was held by a local ballet school - she was invited by a friend who goes to lessons there. The whole ballet school was there plus friends - over a hundred girls clad in PJs between the ages of four and sixteen! They watched Peter Pan on the big screen while eating chips and lollies. Then afterwards had a dance-off. Amy had an absolute blast! She just loved dancing in a big circle with all the big girls and was totally into the game where they had to sit down when the music stopped - and then get up to dance again when it started up again. The last ones to sit down went into the middle of the circle. Amy went into the middle when asked then slinked back next to her good friend later on! They played another game: "People to people" where the ballet teacher said a word like "bottom" and they had to stand bottom to bottom with a friend, or "nose" and they had to stand nose to nose etc. Amy thought it was hilarious! They also did an enormous conga line. Amy was well and truly pooped when it was all over!
It is always so rewarding as a Mum of an ASD preschooler to see Amy fitting in, just like any regular child. It is so great for her self-esteem, and her sense of belonging. And it makes me so proud!
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