Today is one of those days when I wish I had that "mothering a child with cp manual" that never came in the mail. For starters, I need to start brushing Sophie's teeth sooner rather than later. I know that some parents do this really early, but I didn't feel the need to brush teeth with my first child until he was about 18 months, and I honestly have been dragging on the thought of brushing teeth with Sophie for a few months now. I remember and even have a video recording of the first time that Gregory brushed his teeth, right at 18 months old. He was wearing the cutest monkey overalls paired with a green onesie. He was stading on his Elmo stool, his grandma had given him for Christmas. He brushed for a whole thirty seconds all by himself. Now Sophie is 20 months old, 17 months adjusted (for prematurity). How do I brush her teeth? She is not standing independently so, do I hold her against the sink with my left hand while I attempt to brush with my right? She will not do it on her own at first because her hand movements are not very precise. She is very sensory around her mouth, so the task will probably be difficult to do without a distraction. Do I try to stand her on a stool and hold her close to my body with my legs while I use both hands to brush? Really, how do I do this? The terrible twos have also arrived with an extra dose of terrible. I have a super smart toddler who wants to be everywhere at the same time, that knows what her body is capable of doing but does not realize that it takes just a little more time and effort for her to get to point A to point B. She hates that she is dependent on me to mobilize her everywhere she wants to go, and I find that she is getting frustrated often because of this. How do I makeup for everything that she is missing? , like opening the cupboards, running like a chicken crossing the street, climbing like a monkey, sitting here and there playing with every toy all over and even things that aren't even toys. How do I do this with her so that she doesn't miss out? Do I become a toddler in her terrible twos and have her with me like a shadow? I tried this but it is not enough, she wants more.
So tell me, if you know...How do I?
Lauren-
ReplyDeleteHow I have missed you! I've meant to call several times, but for one reason or another it never seems like the right time. I know you all are about to leave for CA. I'm so excited for you!
I feel & share your overwhelming sense of not being enough for your child with special needs. Sometimes I get caught in that trap of believing that I cannot measure up. I wonder how I can be everything that Hummingbird needs. Then I remember that I don't have to be everything...I just have to let go & LET GOD. It is so frustrating to find that balance between doing enough & not doing too much....it seems to change daily.
On the teeth brushing: I can't say that this will work for you, but I will tell you what we do with Hummy. I guess the difference is that you had a normally developing child before you had Sophie. We didn't have a child that stood on stool to brush in front of the sink. We brush Hummy's teeth while she is sitting in her booster seat after she is finished eating. We do this twice a day. We brush her teeth & then rinse the brush. Then we go back over her teeth to rinse them off. We still use the floride free toothpaste (we were at the dentist this week) because she isn't able to spit it out on her own. This method seems to work just fine for us. Hummy wouldn't have the balance to stand on the stool. Though, she sometimes fights having her teeth brushed, we have made it part of her morning care & evening care along with her other routine things that have to be done (nasal saline, g-tube care, etc.). When she doesn't cooperate or bites down on the brush, I gently pinch her cheeks to help her release the brush. She does know the sign for 'brush teeth'. Anyway, I'm not sure if that helps, but thought I would share what we do.
I can't wait to hear about your trip.
Hugs to you, dear friend.
Shan
That is a great method!!! Yay, thanks for sharing! I am going to do that on her high chair. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I block myself and can't think of solutions, this is why it is so great that I am physically and virtually surrended by great friends like you. We will talk soon, my friend. We leave next weekend. I can't wait to tell you all about our trip.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Lauren.