Sensory Meltdowns

You know if there is one thing I have learned as a parent its this, that its just not a great idea to become to comfortable within yourself or your parenting journey because parenting and child rearing has a way of giving you a swift kick up the patootie whenever you allow yourself this luxury.

It lingers lying in wait, laughing silently as you start to think to yourself hey I think I may have just found our calm, I may just not suck at this parenting thing, and then wham you are hit with a curve ball smack in the face as a reminder that allowing yourself the luxury of cockiness is just completely unacceptable... am I right... no just me... ok then.

This post is about sensory meltdowns and I have to say I thought I was just about out of the woods when it came to these and Loghan, Gabriel still has his fair share of meltdowns... more tantrums but for the most part at home I have learned to just walk away and allow him to see it out, when he eventually decides that he is not gaining any attention he calms down and apologizes and we move on... so I have to say I was feeling pretty confident I was rocking this part of mamahood, but then oh then I decided on Saturday that all 3 of my wonderful angels (ahem) needed a hair cut.

Now I cannot cut hair to save my life but having tried and failed with taking the boys to have their hair done professionally I would just rather deal with the issue at home and we have had a few good runs... see why I was getting ever more confident?   The last time I cut their hair we managed to get through it with no tears and a few minor complaints but this time, gods from above help me because I just about died from embarrassment and shame.

ALL 3 of them complained but my older two had full on sensory meltdowns, they screamed, the fought they cried until the snot ran from their noses and I am incredibly surprised that a neighbor didn't come running thinking they were being murdered... it was the worst I have ever experienced

 A sensory meltdown is a fight, flight or freeze response to sensory overload. It is often mistaken for a tantrum or misbehavior. The main way to be able to tell the difference between a tantrum and a sensory meltdown is that tantrums have a purpose. They are designed to elicit a certain response or outcome.

I felt so incredibly defeated, the more they escalated the harder it was for me to stay calm and no matter how I spoke to them or what I said it just escalated and at the end of it I was just a complete hot mess as were both boys... le sigh.

I really thought I had it down guys, it can be so hard sometimes to stay calm, both did eventually calm down and it was like it never happened the only evidence of such where the long pieces of hair I missed with the shaver in my haste.  I would love to leave their hair long I really would but both boys are lazy monkeys who don't like brushing their hair let alone washing so they just roll out of bed and get on with it leaving their hair in a right state, it also becomes a problem in our Summer heat considering their hair is so incredibly thick its just a nightmare to deal with and they are boys not even girls with long hair so I cannot imagine how difficult it is for girl moms.

I have spoken to a few friends with spectrum kiddos and their advice has been well received so preferring to leave the hair to grow, some who have found that one special unicorn barber who their kiddo adores or tolerates, the jury is still out for us but I guess for now I will just take it as a sign to remain humble in parenthood!