Okay, if my kids dislike everything I've ever had fun doing, what do they like? Good question.
The Boy likes Mario. And Luigi, of course. He likes, um, weird Norse and Greek mythology. He likes Calvin and Hobbs. He likes splashing around in the pool. He likes moderately-aspie boys like himself who don't notice that he has no social graces. He likes making up riddles. He likes playing any video game ever invented. He likes the outdoors but in only tiny doses -- the mushrooms growing in the lawn are cool but one yellow jacket will send him screaming into the house. He likes riding my brother-in-law's mower, but he doesn't like bicycles. He liked keyboard/music class from last year, but he doesn't like cub scout meetings or anything else that requires him to sit at a table with other kids and learn something. So, what are his interests? Video games, mythology, and reading Boy's Life.
The Girl likes crossword puzzles (if I'll help), schoolwork, The Museum of Arts and Sciences, the library, and any other place we've been more than sixteen times. She likes swinging, splashing in the pool/ocean, and she's learning to ride a bicycle. She likes carrying the cats around the house. She likes PBS kids, even if it's a show she's seen a million times. She likes the cooking and woodworking shows on PBS on Sundays. She likes "writing", collecting magazines, Dr. Seuss books, visiting Target. In short, she likes PBS and anything else she's done more than 35 times.
On the face of it, it seems like I need to get my kids out and exposed to something fun to do. But "out" isn't fun, and "fun" isn't fun. Outdoor music isn't fun. Hiking isn't fun. The science museum is fun, but we can only go on weekdays when it's empty, and even then, I have to have backup to go there. The beach is fun, but they don't swim, so, again, I need backup. The pool is closed for the winter. (Indoor pool? What's that?) Playgroup on Wednesday is fun as long as no one's playing a pushing-and-shoving game or fishing. Chess club at the library? No. Co-op book club? No. The music lessons he had last year aren't being taught this year. (The organizer jumped ship for Classical Conversations.) There's a homeschool swim class, but he'd have to be able to swim laps already. Don't even think about organized sports. Please, just don't go there...
If I had the strength, time, and leadership skills to start a group, what would it be? Music class again. Play date with his friend from playgroup. Eco-Buggy tour of the nature preserve. Swim lessons? Or maybe I just have to force them out and teach them to like the outside world. (Please, anyone with ASD children, talk me down from that wall!!) He likes kids, but they make him nervous.
The need to get out more, that's as much as I can tell.
2 comments:
Everyone keeps telling me to put M1 in karate. HA! I did that once. It ended with him crying every. single. time. because he couldn't keep up and has no motor coordination whatsoever. He now claims to want banjo lessons. I'm thinking about it because while he'd still suck because it requires motor skills, at least he'd be on his own. But this wouldn't help the social situation any, would it?
None of my four children have been dx'd ASD, but my son sounds so very much like yours. Then again, I'm probably only looking at the similarities and missing all the differences. I can hear the frustration in your words and wish there was something I could say or suggest that you help you down from that wall.
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