[JustLovelyJenn]

Today was such a hard day. I am so emotionally spent. Its hard to keep it together by the end of the day when things go this way.

I know... I'm a mom, kids have bad days... I get it. But I'm not just a mom... I'm an AUTISTIC MOM. That means I'm part mom, part caregiver, part behavior specialist, part psychologist, part special education teacher, part mediator, part enforcer...

Today I took my kids to swim at the YMCA, like we do every Friday. My son broke his goggles recently. He doesn't have a new pair yet. Well, today the Y didn't have a loaner pair. So he stood and waited for someone to return a pair, he tried to fix a broken pair, he hovered by the stairs watching for another pair to appear, and finally... he started harassing the kids who got to them first to find out when they would be done with them so he could have them. We talked about it, I reminded him that Easter was soon and he got all his summer toys in his basket so he might get a pair then. I gave directions for him to do something else and finally I gave an ultimatum that if he couldn't play and stop bothering people he would have to leave. He refused. He was totally fixated on the goggles and nothing else existed. Finally after almost 20 minutes of trying to get him back on track I told him we needed to go change and grandma would come and get him. That he could try again on Wednesday. He started SCREAMING... he screamed and threw a tantrum loud enough that the Y attendant came and shut the door to the family room. I know I had other parents looking at us and wondering why I was letting my child behave this way. It took an addition 20 minutes of him screaming and crying and pulling at me and refusing... to get him out of the building and into his grandmothers waiting van (my daughter was still inside playing). That last few steps out the door as I am standing behind him pushing him forward a gentleman opened the door and held it for me with an understanding look. I almost broke down in tears on the spot.

He hasn't had meltdowns like this in a long time. I know things have been harder for him lately, and we are dealing with med changes again. But its physically and emotionally exhausting to have to calmly try and convince someone who is being so aggressive to do what you need them to do. Especially because he's not a little boy any more. I can't move him, or restrain him on my own. If he doesn't go willingly, I'm stuck. He's always sorry after, he just can't control himself in that moment.

I really need a break.