Everyone Pitches In
Helping out is a beautiful way to interact with others and show you care, without using words. This is a huge bonus if your child struggles with communication. They can still be a full, productive and contributing member of your household.
We had two dogs when our boys were young: Max and Ruby (after the Rosemary Wells characters. I know they’re rabbits…just go with it). They were truly therapeutic for all of us. They were instant stress-relievers.
The caveat is this…we are big time, all caps, DOG PEOPLE! If you are doing the math as to whether to get a dog, don’t get the dog. They require daily walks, feeding, exercise, brain stimulation and lots of love. I am not recommending getting a dog at a time in life when everything is a little chaotic anyway. If your dog is getting lost in the shuffle and not getting enough attention, they will cause lots of problems. They will cause some problems anyway. This is the long way of saying, as wonderful as our dogs were for our family, it’s tough to say how a dog would impact your family.
The part of this journal entry that is probably much more widely applicable is this: on this particular day, I didn’t have the energy to do much. We all have those days! Summer was stretching on and I had used up all of my cute and clever ideas at the moment. Feeding the dogs was a simple chore that needed to be done anyway. By having Michael help, he was doing something small that helped him learn, grow and contribute.
Have a relaxing day together. Those days are the best, but even on a very chill day, you can put one or two little skill coins in your child’s skill piggy bank. I promise it will pay off in the end.
Big Ideas:
- Every human being benefits from contributing to their family, community, world.
- Your children can and should be asked to help out around the house in whatever way they are able.
- On a day when you feel you can’t do much, doing one or two little things to help your child build skills will make you feel a sense of accomplishment without overwhelming you or your child.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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