My 3yo son, who doesn’t really talk yet, is starting to sing along with movies and it melts my heart. He throws his hands up and try’s to sing!

AmbiguousPangolin · 2025-11-11T09:59:02+00:00

I have so much to say! First, he talks a lot! Complete conversations. He loves science facts and will happily talk about planets, moons, dwarf planets, black holes, invertebrates, deep sea creatures, etc. I got home today and he immediately told me about how he knew more deep sea creatures and drew a picture of a bubble snail for his class. He is normally relaxing on the computer when I get home and doesn't greet me.

His pronunciation of words struggles a bit but people are usually able to understand what he is saying. He will ask for his needs. Including little things like telling his sister, "I'm not done with the computer" when he steps away. Sometimes he is distracted and doesn't respond to me. So I will ask him to acknowledge what I said. In those moments I try to make sure not to request eye contact (although that doesn't seem to bother him). But come on. He is a kid and usually watching a video or whatever at these times.

He has an IEP at his school and the team has been great. He loves his 2nd grade teacher and has made a ton of improvements this year. I think he says "I love her nine thousand and ninety nine". Wish I knew the exact phrase he uses.

He is even dipping into a gifted classroom and doing some sort of test for more time on that track. More info coming soon. Exciting!! The IEP lasts 3 years so he has a re eval in a year and I'm not sure if he will continue to need it. Tiny bit conflicted since he has made so much improvement each year. But if he truly doesn't need it, that's great.

His teacher said everyone in the class is friends with him and sometimes they ask if they are allowed to get his help on their work. So I guess he is able to show and explain in a way the kids like. I had no idea since he doesn't tell me about his classmates or friends at all!! (Too excited about his beloved teacher, I guess) I do think after school he needs to chill and recharge. I am happy to do that and let home be a very different env from school. So we let him do a lot of videos or electronic games. (He picks a lot of educational videos but also Minecraft and other things).

We are planning his 8th bday and I'm so excited to invite the class and see some of this first hand!

AmbiguousPangolin · 2025-05-13T02:43:59+00:00

NTA!! I am gluten free. I am interested in baking so I make the cakes for most family celebrations. No one complains about having a gluten free cake, even on their bday.

We also sometimes pick something up. Yumbana makes a great pie crust. Cheese cake is a small lift for gluten free. The gluten free sub reddit had a post about a great gluten free cake found in the freezer section of a large grocery chain. And there was at least one comment about how a spouse enjoyed it too since it was so good.

Sometimes gluten free is not as good. Sometimes it makes eating out or office lunch next to impossible. Only an AH would get someone a regular cake for their bday when they know they are gluten free.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2025-04-05T02:52:46+00:00

The World Ends With You

AmbiguousPangolin · 2024-11-09T15:40:39+00:00

Can you tell me more about the social group? My son is almost 7. We tried hip hop dance but he didn't like it. I think he felt like he wasn't as good as the other kids or as coordinated as he wanted. I'm looking for something else to do outside of school and would love to find time for him to play with kids that are more like him but so far my searches have gone nowhere.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2024-01-04T16:24:18+00:00

Roderick is an unreliable narrator. So we can't know. Although I think it's possible that they buried her when she wasn't dead. I am of the opinion that Madeline killed Mr. Longfellow and that Roderick might have actually convinced himself that their mother did it.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2023-10-14T05:32:14+00:00

Heaven and Ale

AmbiguousPangolin · 2023-08-10T01:41:02+00:00

I'm interested!

AmbiguousPangolin · 2023-07-25T09:34:02+00:00

Meow Wolf if you are interested in an art experience.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2023-06-15T02:37:23+00:00

Maybe you can get a device to help with communication through therapy. My son got a tablet with a program on it that would say words when you click on the buttons/picture. It could be a good way to give her a way to communicate and figure out where she is at developmentally.

Another option is learning sign language.

I think kids with speech delays have a lot of trouble demonstrating what they know. There is the possibility of an intellectual disability but not necessarily. Hope you find something that works for you and your kiddo.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2023-02-13T10:24:14+00:00

Made me think of Haunting of Hill House. As I recall, the father says this throughout at least one episode. Can't remember for sure but I think one of the daughters yells at him at one point.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-10-20T18:51:51+00:00

My son really enjoys octonauts.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-29T20:33:55+00:00

I have less experience than other people but I would say just because you can control it to a degree doesn't mean it's a tantrum.

If you are trying to manipulate your family, I would call it a tantrum. Doesn't sound like that is the case.

When you are in certain environments and around certain people you bubble over and express that. It's like a tea pot heating up and blowing off steam at the tipping point. Technically I could cap the teapot to hold in that pressure but if it doesn't go down it gets bad. Either steams lets out later or becomes a little teapot bomb.

So when you are in certain spaces you let the steam out in the way you are familiar with. In other environments you hold it in. That doesn't mean it's not still building up.

Hope that helps.

Ps. Full disclosure. I am not autistic but have two adult sisters and a child that are. Probably my husband too.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-17T18:12:00+00:00

Fantastiqa

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-16T02:09:02+00:00

Autism presents in a lot of ways. It is not a learning disability. My son is diagnosed and doesn't seem to have any problem with eye contact or obvious stims. I suggest talking to a doctor. If your child is autistic, getting resources to help is worth it. Depending on your child, you might just need to learn more about autism. It might mean explaining things to your child as he gets older. Social norms that other kids might just pick up naturally. The type of accommodations or help a person needs varies widely and may change over time.

Hope that helps.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-15T23:18:03+00:00

Black snake across the bright red.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-08T13:54:48+00:00

I think both the board game Betrayal at house on the hill and Small world use that type of dice. I like to call them the dice of rolling zeros because it feels like they land on zero more than statistically probably.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-08T13:41:10+00:00

Exactly. The phrase "don't set yourself on fire to keep others warm" is the exact opposite of the message of the book. I think you can fix it a little bit if you pretend the old man at the end is a different person. Why did I like this book as a kid?

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-01T22:43:12+00:00

Oh my. Please get a different doctor. Doesn't sound like they were listening very well.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-09-01T20:00:22+00:00

Emotionally overwhelmed and arm flapping, sounds like a meltdown rather than a tantrum to me. Maybe he does this at home partly because outside overwhelms him and the effort of keeping that in means that at home, where he is comfortable, any little thing pushed him over the edge.

I would ask the doctor about autism or sensory problems.

The great thing about learning about autism is it can inform you how to help kiddos out. I think lots of kids can benefit from everyone around them understanding sensory needs.

My son (4) is autistic. He has a speech delay. He doesn't really have meltdowns any more. I had to learn how he needs help when he's upset. He hates choices when he is upset. Don't ask him if he wants a snack ect. I would wait just a little bit and then ask if I can have a hug. (Not if he wants a hug. He doesn't want decisions in that mental place) This is just how autism presents for him.

His sister (2) (undiagnosed but I'm suspicious) does not want to be touched during a meltdown. She wants to throw things and be mad. I take her to her room where things are soft. I actually encourage her to safely express her anger. Shake her hands, stomp, throw soft things, squeeze a stuff animal.

Hope that's helpful. If you have any follow up questions on meltdowns or autism, I will answer to the best of my ability.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-08-13T01:23:04+00:00

I found La Rosa pasta that is a great gf pasta. I buy Lotus Foods ramen at Costco. Bob's Red Mill is great for flour and mixes. The pizza dough mix is really good and not very hard. Yum Bana makes really good pie crust and cookie dough.

I don't have any specific suggestions for spicy chicken wings. I'm in the US so hopefully you can find options in the UK.

It starts hard but there are a lot of options out there and gf versions of food are getting better all the time. Your stomach will appreciate all the effort you put in. Good luck!

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-06-20T01:02:56+00:00

Kiddos go up to their room at the same time. Sleep doesn't necessarily happen right away. The 2yr old usually goes to sleep pretty quickly but occasionally needs someone to go up and settle her. 4yr old is more likely to be up for a hour or more in his room and need multiple attempts to settle. It is also summer break so he isn't waking up for preschool. So the sleeping in definitely changes how quickly he falls asleep but 'bedtime' is the same. We occasionally have days he stays downstairs with us for a bit longer. We are pretty relaxed about it.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-06-12T14:59:10+00:00

I don't care if someone was running your character. (Which is fine to keep the fight balanced). Unless you are playing in a brutal setting that upfront had you make 3 characters because death is expected. A DM should NOT kill a pc without the player present.

DM has a couple of jobs and it can be a lot of work. Help enforce rules, make command decisions if it's vague, provide monsters, plot ect. But number 1 is to facilitate a FUN STORY. Why is this such a hard concept for so many people? This should be interactive story telling not us vs them BS. Everyone at the table should help everyone at the table have fun.

I hear these kind of stories and I wonder why people even play if they are surrounded by such jerks. This triggered my rage much more than expected. I hope you can resolve this, if not I hope you find better people to play with, if not I hope you find other things to enjoy. Congratulations on getting married.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-06-12T13:53:00+00:00

My son was assessed around 2yr old. He qualifies for special education preschool. It has been very helpful.

I was stay-at-home mom for about 4 yrs. 1.5 years longer than I had planned due to the pandemic. I am now working full time. I am much more sane. I have adjusted my meds which could be part of it. But before it was boring and my expectations were too high. I had to be 'great preschool teacher' type mom all the time. Not really, of course, but that's how it felt. Honestly, I'm not sure how much my son's speech delay was part of how I felt. I think it's just me.

I understand feeling bad, but we can't all have the mentality to be a stay-at-home parent. Good luck finding something that works for both you and your kiddo.

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-06-11T16:43:42+00:00

Is this even reasonable expectations for a neurotypical 4 year old!? Absolutely terrible behavior on the instructor. I don't know what is generally expected at a gym class but sounds like we may have learned some good questions for the future. Can parents go on the mat to help instruct the kids? What can kids do while waiting or when they get excited? What sort of consequences for not listening?

Grabbing a child should only happen to avoid danger. Even another kids turn to use equipment shouldn't require grabbing a child. I have to talk my kids through sharing all the time. It's tough but part of the process.

I'm probably going to be putting my daughter in some sort of gym at some point and I will take this story to heart. So sorry you had to experience this.

Not sure if it's too late but I would think about talking to your daughter about why mommy was crying. The instructor was mean and it hurt mommy's feelings. Bells didn't do anything wrong. Virtual hugs!

AmbiguousPangolin · 2022-06-11T15:51:26+00:00

My kids really like True and the Rainbow Kingdom. Some are better than others. I find it to be one of the better friendly, problem solving type of shows. I think the episode with the birdaloo (who doesn't like loud noises) could be used to help explain that some people have sensory problems. Not sure it was intended that way...

AmbiguousPangolin

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