Why I Wanna Be a Granola Mama

I promise Granola Mama is a term of respect and awesomeness in my book

I'll start with I've been doing lots of research. Really. LOTS! Lots of studies. Lots of cruising the Internets. Lots of talking to other Granola Mama's...

Then I read What's Eating Your Child? by Kelly Dorfman. Seriously, amazing book. If you are wanting to learn about nutrition, read it. It has a good wealth of info in layman's terms [with some technical stuff for those of you whose eyes don't glaze over at that sort of thing...]



First, I have to consider these things [when addressed nutritional stuff]:

1. What are the facts of issues? [illnesses/ events that have led to the present situation]?
2. What symptoms worry me the MOST?
3. When did the symptoms start?
4. Do the symptoms come & go?
5. What else was happening in our lives when the symptoms started?
6. What was the diet like when the symptoms started?
7. Was there medicine involved w/ the situation? When did it start/ stop?

So here's a short summary of changes I would like to make for me & my family [and the reasons WHY- note that a couple of these we're already doing]:

• Eliminate dairy [at least in form of milk and ice cream] for my kids who are still on it. [Substitute almond milk.] The why: Lactose sensitivity runs in my family & can be manifested different ways. Usually milk & ice cream are the worst culprits for myself & my eldest.
• Eliminate gluten based foods [don't worry about "hidden" ingredients at first], and move over to a more paleo-friendly diet [this will add more veggies & fruits to our diets.] The why: Gluten sensitivity runs in both my family & my hubby's. There's been lots of tummy [pain] problems, skin issues, weight loss [for my eldest]; fatigue; anemia; moodiness problems, gassiness, & lots of craving that.
             Gluten free info: Celiac.org; Celiac.com; Living Without; Easy Paleo; Paleo OMG;
• Add at least one new food every 2 weeks [where every one has to try at least one bite of that food for that 2 weeks.] The why: So that we can broaden what we eat in a non-confrontational manner to acclimate to liking new, healthy foods!
• Extra zinc [800-1000 IU]. The why: helps expand palette of picky eaters, stay on growth curve [including developmental delays/ hypotonia], and appetite helper!
• Fiber up [slowly]! 19 g for 1-3 yr old's; 25 g for 4-8 yr old's; 30 g for 9 yr old and up. The why: Helps with muscle tone, and you know elimination ;)
• DHA & EPA [healthy fats]. Kids 3-5 get 500-1000 mg; kids 5 and up get at least 1000 mg. The why: helps with behavioral issues, attention span, speech articulation & comprehension
• More Greens! The why: Helps manage sugar [among other things.]
• Low [only natural source] sugar diet. Of course there'll be days/ times we have exceptions [especially for special occasions.] The why: Sugar is addictive; less sugar= less negative behaviors [in some instances]
• Probiotics. The why: happy digestive system, helps w/ behavior issues; auditory and expressive communication.
• Buy Organic! The why: Learning about the History of Pesticides was seriously shocking! [If you don't know it's basically a diluted poison that they made for WWII.] Do you REALLY want poison in your body, even if it IS diluted?] Pesticides can interfere w/ child development, cognitive ability, neurological problems, hormones dysfunction, & behavioral issues.
         The following are HIGHLY recommended to buy organic [at the very least]:
              Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears,
              winter squash, spinach, grapes, lettuce, potatoes, green beans, hot peppers, cucumbers,
              mushrooms, cantaloupe
         The following are probably fine non-organic [wash as usual]:
              applesauce, raspberries, plums, grapefruit, tangerine, apple juice, honeydew melon,
              tomatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, cauliflower, broccoli, OJ, blueberries, papaya,
              cabbage, bananas, kiwi, canned tomatoes, sweet peas, asparagus, mango, canned pears,
              pineapple, sweet corn, avocado, onions
• Vitamin E & phophtidycholine (PC) [maybe.] The why: Good for helping picky eaters, Great for expressive & receptive communication, helpful for kids with sensory issues/ behavioral issues
• Multivitamin [we're already doing that b/c it just makes sense.]

Don't worry, I'm not going to tackle all of that all at once. Right now we're mostly concentrating on the vitamins/ being consistent on probiotics. Then onto the other stuff once I know that we're all on board [as we'll be doing it as a family to start on each thing.]

News without any meaning

So we participate in a [medical] study called CORA. Part of that study was genetic screening. Bridgette's came back completely normal. We just got Leilani's back. The results were that she has an extra gene. [Location: 9p24.3]. Which right now means nothing to us. Because the doctor's aren't even quite sure what it means yet other than there's a correlation between that extra genome and being under the ASD. So right now we're doing nothing with it. We're just doing what we've been doing.

App time!

  I have two lists. One is from my kids therapists. The other is apps I've tripped on that I really like (for OT, speech, or just simply learning). I hope this helps others out there! Note that some of these are on the I-pad and mine are all Android based because right now my kids use my Kindle.

The list from my therapists:
Speech/ Language Apps
Language Builder by Mobile Education Tools (for I-pad)
Any flashcards or games by Kindergarten.com (for I-pad)- note this is just one link to one
    kind of flashcards. There's also cards for: sight words, food, problem solving, science,
    emotions, actions, animals, and receptive language development.
Toca Tea Party (for I-pad)
Pocket Phonics (for I-pad)
Dora Rhyming (for Android or I-pad)
Clean up by Different Roads to Learning (for I-pad)
Artik Pix (for I-Pad) or Pocket Artic (for Android) or Articulation Station (for I-pad)
iCommunicate- this has visual schedules, storyboards, communication boards, routines
    flashcards, choice boards, speech cards & more (spotlight app for AutismSpeaks)
Dress Up Free (for I-pad)
Speech with Milo (there's one for android, but more on I-pad)
Peekaboo Barn (for Android & I-pad)
Small Talk Phonemes (for I-pad)- everyday situation phrases, aid in dysgragia, oral
   motor exercies, daily activity phrases, medical care phrases (including pain),
   blends, days/ week/ month, numbers.
VAST (for I-pad)- used a lot w/ kids with autism. There's more than one app for this one.
Toddler Quiz (for I-pad)- don't let the name fool you. It's good for kids up to about 5 yrs old.
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (for Android & I-pad)
ASL Dictionary (for Android & I-pad)
Fun with Directions, More Fun with Directions (for I-pad)
Super Duper (for Android & I-pad)
Picture the Sentence (for I-pad)
Sound Touch (for Android & I-pad)
Wheels on the Bus (for Android & I-pad)
Word Slapps (for I-pad)
Speech Therapy Apraxia (for Android & I-pad)
First Phrases (for I-pad)
My PlayHome (for Android & I-pad)

Occupational Therapy
ABC tracer (for Android & I-pad)
Toca Boca Apps (there's one for Android, but more for I-pad)
Coloring Apps (for Android & I-pad)
iSay (Simon)
Fruit Ninja (for Android & I-pad)
Highlights Hidden pictures (for I-pad)
Shape Builder (for Android & I-pad)
Where's Waldo (for Android & I-pad)
iWriteWords- featured in multiple fav app choices
iMazing
Impossible Maze (for I-pad) 
Counting Bills & Coins (for I-pad) 



My fav apps:
Hangman Free
First Grade Learning Games
Mathemagica
Coloring Book for kids


Apps I want to try:
Vocabulicious
Super Why!
Sid's Science Fair
Starfall: Learn to Read (my kids LOVE the website)
Smart Kids: 2nd Grade, Smart Kids: 3rd Grade, Smart Kids: 4th Grade
Learn to Count Money
American States & Capitals
American History Books

Special Needs Parenting

This is kind of a 3-in-1 post..


Rules for Parents of Kids with Special Needs:

1. Take one day at a time. Is one day too long? Take one hour at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow.

2. Never underestimate your child's potential. Encourage them. You are your child's best advocate and cheerleader.

3. Build a support network of positive mentors who can share with you experience, advice and support. Among these are other parents of special needs parents, therapists, doctors. They really are indispensable.

4. Be involved in appropriate educational and learning environments as soon as possible! I know neither of my girls were diagnosed until they were 4.5 years old, but they got services before that. Early services help kids get ahead [or at least not fall so far behind]. I still can't always go in their classes [because I have a little guy at home that still needs my love and attention], but I'm still involved. My girls' teachers have great communication with me. They email me when they have a concern and vice versa. We send each other updates of what we're doing. We compliment each other between what's done at school and done at home, and I think it really helps.

5. Be mindful of the feelings of your spouse and other kids.

6. Answer only to your conscience. You do not need to justify your actions to friends or the public. This is something I wish I learned AGES ago. [Yes, my child is having a giant melt down because of xyz, but I understand that. They are doing typically doing pretty awesome, so lady with the judgmental stare, you can bite me.]

7. Be honest with your feelings. You can't be a super-parent all the time!

8. Be nice to yourself. Don’t focus continually on what still needs to be done. Remember to look at what you’ve already accomplished! There's only so many hours in the day and only so much energy. [I like to try to fight the biggest fire first- which means I go after the area(s) that need the improvement first, but others may find other ways to deal w/ multiple areas that need to be helped.]

9. Appreciate the little things. [Yes it IS a big freaking deal your baby FINALLY rolled over].

10. Keep your sense of humor. I look at it this way. I can either cry about it or laugh about it. It's a LOT more fun to laugh at it.

Things Parents of Typical Developing Kids Should know about [at this this] Special Needs Parent:

1. I'm tired. Parenting kids with special needs is exhausting. I'm never done. Therapy, school work, home work for therapy [which includes speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy], ABA. We won't even talk about that I still have to just parent them and their siblings.

2. I feel lonely [at times]. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. What would it be like to have all typically developing kids? Even in the autism community, every kid is different, so what works for one may not work for another. It's frustrating.

3. I'm jealous. See above. I wish I didn't have to go through this. I wish my kids didn't have to go through this. I know there's kids who have it worse and parents whose plates are even fuller, but I'm still jealous of those parents with all typical kids.

4. I'm scared. I constantly ask myself, "what if I'm not doing enough" or "what if I'm not good enough"? I'm terribly scared of failing my children. I worry about their futures and helping them fulfill their full potentials.

5. I'm human. I fall short often in the parenting realm. But the one thing parenting kids with special needs has taught me is to have empathy for those in similar circumstances. I want to help them the best I can. I want to reach out and touch them. I want to reassure every emotion I've felt this far dealing with the reality of having a kid with special needs.

This leads up to my last list...

How to Help a Parent of a Child with Special Needs

1. Talk about your child's personality not their accomplishments. I can't count the number of times that I've cried on the inside while hearing people say what their kids can do that mine can't. It breaks my heart. I feel like a miserable failure. So tell me about their personality: how they are loving, mischievous, a joker, etc.

2. Insist on helping. I may LOOK strong, but really I'm not. And I'm terrible about asking for help because I don't want to make assumptions about others ability to help or to insert myself where I shouldn't. You can always offer to cook meals, clean the house, or watch the kids. Those are ways to insert your help. Trust me, it's needed. On a side note, parenting special needs kids is more stressful than parenting typical kids, so offer a date night to your friends. It just may help out their marriage!

3. Give me some grace. I have bad days, weeks, moments...

4. Stop complaining about your kids. I know they can be ill-behaved or be mean, but believe or not some parents would give their eye-teeth for experiences like that because it would mean they could DO something. SAY something.

5. Ask how I'm doing. People may ask about my kids, but it would also be nice if occasionally they asked how I'm doing in this role as a special needs parent. I don't often feel I can talk about how hard it can be, or how I'm tired, or how I had a good day or bad day. A sincere "How are you doing handling everything?" once in a while, and readiness to hear an honest answer is all I need to feel like someone cares. Alternatively, sometimes it's just good to talk about other stuff... so please go with it if I do.

6. Pamper me. It's hard for a special needs parent to rationalize doing for themselves. At least it's hard for me to.

7. See my children how I see them. Observe them in love.

8. Support my cause. To love and hep kids with special needs. Be an advocate when you see someone being unkind. Teach your children to lovingly accept kids who are a little different. This really does my heart good.

Leila's Therapy notes

Not really for anyone else but me to refer back to so I can have in one place what I'm doing/ supposed to be doing:

Speech:
* Positional words
        put the item on the _____
        put the item in the _____
        put the item under the _____
     later in the week flip it from telling her what to do to asking her where it is
        Is the item under or in the __________? (for example)

Occupational Therapy:
* Practice pulling pennies out of putty for hand strength
      - hide pennies under pinky & ring until collect 5
      - move from palm to pinch grasp (same hand)
      - pinch to put in piggy bank
* For strength: yoga, wheelbarrow walk, carrying [5-10% body weight- pumpkin, backpack,
      groceries, books, jug, etc]
     - for yoga do Superman & Roly-Poly
* Fold towels, socks

Physical Therapy:
* Do Superman & Roly-Poly yoga poses. 10 seconds each, x3 each day
* Practice standing without holding onto anything (alternating legs)
* Go up and down steps while switching feet [one per step]

Sneak teaching

Or sneakily helping your kids in area they need help in. Because we're all about learning when my kids don't even realize that they're learning.

Reading & Writing:
* Write food recipes and cook/ bake them
* Read recipes from cookbooks and make them
* Write the family dinner menu (daily/ weekly)
* Write family grocery list
* Help find/ read foods off grocery list at the store
* Write a "treasure hunt" of the the house, yard, etc and you [the parent] follow it to the "treasure
   (or do scavenger hunt) 
* Become pen pals with family members/ friends who live elsewhere.
* Get magazine subscriptions for them to read
* Play reading/ writing computer, video games
* Write their birthday or holiday wish list
* Play games with sight word, word phrase flash cards (concentration games, travel,
   create-a-sentence, etc)
* Write and read Hangman/ Wheel of Fortune games
* Read street signs, restaurant signs, store signs,etc while driving/ riding in a car
* Have entire family have a 15-20 minutes "quiet reading time" everyday. All members read
   something of their choice.
* Play board games where they have to read the instructions to know what to do  or make words
   (Fluxx, Monopoly, Upwords/ Scrabble/ Boggle, etc)
  
Math: 
* Count money out when shopping/ purchasing item(s)
* Create time schedule for after school, the weekly schedule, school schedule, sports/ activities
* Measure while cooking
* Measure household items around your home
* Flash Cards (addition, subtraction, time, money, fractions, shapes, multiplication, division, etc)
* Food Math- counting, adding, subtracting, etc with various food items (candy, cereal, fruit, etc)
* Make monthly calenders
* Map trips- follow along as you take your family trip. Discuss directions (N,S,E,W),
   miles per hour, etc)
* Interact in math computer games
* Graph the weather
* Measure the temperature daily with thermometer
* Create a savings account
* Weigh different objects around the house
* Look for patterns in every day living.
* Make math an important tool around your house. Promote it as fun detective work.

Yoga!

I'm just trying to show everyone I really am a hippy.

This is our latest addition to our OT/PT thing that we do at home. I wish we could do it more, but life is crazy/ busy.

So some examples because I'm a visual person:

My goal is to do this whole series with them. I don't think that's too crazy. We'll be starting with 5 poses 10 seconds each. We may switch out a high warrior for the lunges if they are too hard for them.

Other ideas I have:
Sunrise, Sunset
Tree pose
Downward facing dog, up dog
Bow Pose

Camel Pose

Boat Pose 

Frog Pose
Starfish
Bridge
Dancer
Cobra

I'm sure there's others I could incorporate easily too, but that's what came to mind. We've starting doing some of it (my kids just started trying to do yoga with me one day). I'm excited to do more!