![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
We got a break Thursday. A HUGE one.
I can dance on desks. I know how health care organizations go together in my state (oh boy, do I) - that, plus plenty of motivation to do something RIGHT NOW OR ELSE created a situation last week where I was on the phone most of every spare moment talking to case managers (at least three of them) insisting my kid needed services NOW NOW NOW.
Thursday afternoon, 4:30 PM, we got an appointment with Kaiser 8:30 AM the next morning. We took it.
We got him in, worked up and we can now get services appropriate to an adoptee suffering from separation anxiety (whether it is actually a disorder or just features, TBD) and my kid now gets a break. I can insist on shorter days. I can insist on one of us sitting in the classroom. I can INSIST on what I know will help.
And I got some advice on sleeping that is working like a treat. It was suggested I play music at night to dampen the hyper-vigilance of 'what is THAT' when the house shifted at night. So I went and got an iDog at the local toy store and hooked up the shuffle to it.
We quickly found that playing the music we had played going to school the past two years put kid out in minutes, as opposed to hours. Last night, he fought it a bit (hey, a three hour nap will do that - he was only tired, not exhausted), but it still shortened the length of time to sleep considerably. Also, it stopped making us the mean parents insisting on compliance, this was fun - all win.
The approach of 'what can we put BACK?' helps the most. He's getting a lunch packed again every morning - instead of being made to eat whatever is on the menu. He plays learning games on my iPod on the drive over. You never really think of everything that changes with a change in location, but those had gone completely under the radar. Little things.
I still see a stressed kid when his Dad isn't around, but it isn't as complete a lock up.
But you ought to see my calendar. Holy crap, it's a total dance card from hell.
Tomorrow, a ride along at the Montessori School near the water - cross fingers. I'm hoping - half dreading - that this will be a better fit. Hoping, because we keep control over the school environment. Dreading, because it's costlier and more driving that we have now. Regardless, kid will be getting therapy going forward for this - hopefully, we 'll see it wane. And he'll get better at managing it himself, instead of us modifying everything around him (which we are seriously doing right now, and have since he came home).
The finances are a wreck. No surprise there, right? Oh, and his birthday party is in two weeks. Watch me pulling flying monkeys out of my ass!
I can dance on desks. I know how health care organizations go together in my state (oh boy, do I) - that, plus plenty of motivation to do something RIGHT NOW OR ELSE created a situation last week where I was on the phone most of every spare moment talking to case managers (at least three of them) insisting my kid needed services NOW NOW NOW.
Thursday afternoon, 4:30 PM, we got an appointment with Kaiser 8:30 AM the next morning. We took it.
We got him in, worked up and we can now get services appropriate to an adoptee suffering from separation anxiety (whether it is actually a disorder or just features, TBD) and my kid now gets a break. I can insist on shorter days. I can insist on one of us sitting in the classroom. I can INSIST on what I know will help.
And I got some advice on sleeping that is working like a treat. It was suggested I play music at night to dampen the hyper-vigilance of 'what is THAT' when the house shifted at night. So I went and got an iDog at the local toy store and hooked up the shuffle to it.
We quickly found that playing the music we had played going to school the past two years put kid out in minutes, as opposed to hours. Last night, he fought it a bit (hey, a three hour nap will do that - he was only tired, not exhausted), but it still shortened the length of time to sleep considerably. Also, it stopped making us the mean parents insisting on compliance, this was fun - all win.
The approach of 'what can we put BACK?' helps the most. He's getting a lunch packed again every morning - instead of being made to eat whatever is on the menu. He plays learning games on my iPod on the drive over. You never really think of everything that changes with a change in location, but those had gone completely under the radar. Little things.
I still see a stressed kid when his Dad isn't around, but it isn't as complete a lock up.
But you ought to see my calendar. Holy crap, it's a total dance card from hell.
Tomorrow, a ride along at the Montessori School near the water - cross fingers. I'm hoping - half dreading - that this will be a better fit. Hoping, because we keep control over the school environment. Dreading, because it's costlier and more driving that we have now. Regardless, kid will be getting therapy going forward for this - hopefully, we 'll see it wane. And he'll get better at managing it himself, instead of us modifying everything around him (which we are seriously doing right now, and have since he came home).
The finances are a wreck. No surprise there, right? Oh, and his birthday party is in two weeks. Watch me pulling flying monkeys out of my ass!
