Autism Basic Mommying

I’ve always been a mommy first, then an autism mommy.

One morning on the way to school, my child tripped and fell, face first, onto the sidewalk. He immediately cried and I immediately went into Mommy Mode.

I know when my child needs that special Mommying attention. He was hurt, scared, and needed me. 

Oftentimes, he would bump a knee or scrap something, rub it, and then immediately proclaim, “I’m okay.” 

Sometimes, I know when I need to get in there.

When do I get in there as just a “mommy?”

His face was scratched and a bit cut. It was bleeding a bit.

He was upset and getting even more upset. I went into autism basic mommying mode. I knew I had to help the physical injury and keep in mind that I also have an autistic child.

First, I couldn’t send him to school.

We walked home so I could clean him up.

At home, it took five to ten minutes to clean him up. He soon felt better.

We walked to school. I took him into the school office and explained what had had happened. We waited for his aide to arrive and I explained the incident to her. The aide took him and they went to class.

When to be the mom.

I have always tried hard to know when to “get in there” to help my child. This was an incident when everything had to be dropped and my child had to have all the attention. He needed it, and doesn’t often ask for that kind of mommying. But, when I recognize it, I’m there, no questions asked.

That kind of mommying doesn’t fully involve autism. Yes, I’m watching out for the beginning of a meltdown. And, he had to wear a Band Aide on his nose for a day or two that could have distracted him.

But, turns out, he was okay with it.

How did he do with it?

We talked about what had happened and decided it was an accident. Just one of those things that sometimes happens. He tripped, he fell, and he didn’t get his hands out in time to brace himself. Thus the scrapping of the nose.

My child is a bit clumsy. He’s not the athlete I was at his age. He probably won’t be much of an athlete at all.

Is that autism-related? Partly. Could be.

The bottom line for me, when he needs a bit of mommying, I’m there for him. I’ll take him home and do what good mommies do. I’ll hold him, let him cry, and put on the Band Aide. Autism doesn’t always matter.

Here’s some very basic information on being a parent of a child with autism:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7690687_parent-child-autism.html