Every night it’s the same thing.
At bedtime, I climb into my four year old son’s bed next to him, cover him with all his blankets, and have this conversation:
Me: “Thanks for a great day today!”
My son: “Thank you.”
Me: “What was your favorite thing you did today?”
My son: “My favorite part was sleeping in bed. Your favorite part was having lunch.”
(every night his answer is the same, no matter what we have done that day)
Me: “I did like having lunch, thank you. Good night, sweetie. I love you.”
My son: “Good night. I love you too.”
Every single night. Always me. And always the same.
My four year old has autism, and he thrives on routine. It has taken us a long time to get to this point. We spent months (years?) with him sleeping in my bed, so the fact that this conversation is happening in HIS bed is huge for us. HUGE.
We’ve worked hard to create this for him, so that bedtime is a comfort and not stressful. For us all.
Having a routine has helped the whole family. I have three boys, ages eight, four and two. Without a schedule in our house, my son’s behaviors take over and we all fall apart. I’ve come to rely on our routines for my own sanity, so I’m not taken by surprise by what’s coming next.
Which leads me to…
I’m a new writer at 5 Minutes for Special Needs. My scheduled time here is Wednesdays at 11am. Knowing that gives me a sense of calm in a sea of blogging chaos.
I’m looking forward to adding this new place to my everyday routine.
“Emotional, so familiar
Nothing about it too peculiar
Oh, but I can’t get enough
Of this everyday love” – This Everyday Love