When our son was under 5 years old he didn’t seem to feel the need to wear a lot of clothes or have the same deep pressure wrapping as he did when he was an infant. However when he would get overwhelmed and upset he would hit various things not only with his hands but he would hit his head on the floor over and over. I would move him to a safe place so he wouldn’t hurt himself and he would continue. With more hindsight I see he needed the pressure and stimulation and I can’t help but wonder if I would have provided a weighted blanket or “burrito wrapping” from such a young age if it would have prevented this behaviour.
This little boy was also so incredibly honest right from when he could talk. One incident I’ll never forget: His sister was in her swing in the living room, because she always needed movement, and I was a room right next to them. All of a sudden she started screaming and I ran in and asked him (who was bout 18 months, and she was about 4 months) why was she crying. All he said was “I bit her.” And he had, there were the marks. I was shocked at how honest he was and a little baffled at how to handle the situation. I wanted to reward the honesty and still punish the behaviour so he understood it was wrong. How do I do that for an 18 month? I don’t know but that is when he started being told, “Thank you for being honest. It is very important to be honest and you will get in less trouble when your honest than when you lie.” That was said many times through the years. I don’t remember what the punishment was other than a possible talking to because, though I had worked with children most of my life, I have never encountered this at such a young age so I was unprepared.
The kids continued to grow and bloom in their own personalities. My marriage was still very challenging most of the time. There was very poor communication and my husband felt attacked whenever I contradicted him on things and he hated when I would try to talk with him about deep, important things. That’s when he would shut down completely.
At this time in my life I also started losing loved ones. I say started because it was a very long and ongoing stretch. It wasn’t only family but also friends so close they were considered family. Many different situations occurred to cause their deaths and each one was difficult in their own ways.
There will be an entire post dedicated to what we went through in that aspect another time.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”