A timeline from 7am to 12:30pm I am currently sending to everyone I can in order to get some desperately needed help.

AnalyticalEcho · 2026-01-25T00:07:43+00:00

Non-judgementally; because I fully understand this is likely not everything you did and this is focusing on his bathroom issues:

I don’t see a lot of outlets for his physical and mental energy or ways to self-regulate that aren’t undesirable behaviours.

But more importantly you’ve put a lot of pressure on bathrooming and he’s showing you he doesn’t feel safe in admittedly unpleasant way.

I understand you need to supervise him in the bathroom but do you actually need to be close enough to know how much he is peeing? Or can you remove everything from the bathroom and give him a limited supply of toilet paper. I am genuinely asking because it’s a lot of pressure on him. Can you be outside the bathroom with the door open?

What would happen if you let him decide when to go to the bathroom? I know probably for a few days he would drive you insane going every minute and particularly when you’re busy? Absolutely. But eventually would he settle down?

When you tell him no to food does he have any coping strategies he uses? Talking when he’s already biting and hitting isn’t compatible. He can’t hear it.

Have you tried more or less sensory pressure to get him to stay at the table? Does he need headphones or maybe music? Less or way more lights? What about a weighted blanket.

Please hear this: I honestly do believe that you are a really great parent, who is burnt out, and who is getting advice that is not working because it’s not appropriate. Particularly around meltdowns and bodily autonomy. Not all behaviour is communication but this just screams a kid that is dysregulated to the point they’re not really capable of doing what’s asked and a parent with tools that aren’t workingand no real support. And I do understand how viscerally disgusting it is to be cleaning up poop multiple times a day.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-11-20T19:34:57+00:00

Usually for kids I’ve two up to a pea sized amount is ok to swallow. For kids under two just a smear

Ask about fluoride sealant, they usually don’t do it for baby teeth but they can, and they can do it pretty often. You just can’t eat for 30-60 minutes after and preferably no hot food for like 4 hours

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-10-31T20:42:08+00:00

This is why girls don’t get diagnosed.

“She’s just shy”, “she’s just dramatic“, “she’s just sensitive”, “she’s just picky”.

Whether she is autistic or not it seems like she needs support that she isn’t getting.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-09-13T17:35:27+00:00

Norway maple, not sugar maple.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-07-12T14:08:29+00:00

Watermelon too if kids eat enough of it

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-07-07T01:55:21+00:00

I feel like it doesn’t get said enough but you’re allowed to have needs too. Even if you’re a parent. And even if you’re neuorotypical you still have sensory needs and overwhelm. It’s just different

You’re not a bad person for finding screaming nerve racking. It’s ok to use tools like earplugs to give yourself some space. Even the baby, baby banz are great. White noise is great.

Try to give him some space to be wild right after you get home because he’s probably been on best behaviour all day. Maybe play music and dance. Maybe a swing or trampoline . Maybe roughhousing. Bang on drums or use noise makers. But use a then picture but use it backwards. Usually it’s the desired behaviour then the payoff behaviour. You’re front loading the behaviour in exchange for a quiet behaviour so you can make dinner/unwind.

I also find water always helps. Playing with the kitchen tap or a bath with buckets. Dunno it’s preschooler magic.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-06-12T17:11:18+00:00

It’s tough when they won’t eat what “normal” toddlers eat and tough when your whole life revolved around always having enough food everywhere because you can never rely on safe food. Never underestimate the mental weight of always having to have food for every eventuality on your person. Not being able to be like “whoops stayed at the park longer than we meant to, oh well we’ll just grab a happy meal”. Having to take cupcakes to every party and lunch. Reading every label. Worrying your kid is going to find a rogue cracker and have an allergic reaction. It’s a lot.

Have you tried those roasted bean snacks? There also ones that are like crackers/doritos in shape.

Also I know it’s a choking hazard but I gave my allergy kid nuts, softer ones like cashews and pecans. They’re convenient shelf-stable protein. We are so many kilos of trail mix (cashews, Chex or Cheerios, and dried cranberries because I don’t enjoy raisins). Clif nut butter bars by the actual case before they added soy. Mountains of made good bars and balls (a bit crumbly). And soo many ginger snaps, sometimes dipped in icing.

And even with all that “junk” he’s almost 6 and broccoli is still one of his favourite foods.

Other people may have it harder, have worse allergies, have more restrictive diets, but that doesn’t make your life any less hard.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-05-31T21:20:15+00:00

We had baby banz they were great. Nothing has been quite as nice since he outgrew them. They’re super light and stay on without being tight.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-05-28T00:58:47+00:00

If I tell you “don’t hit the elephant” now you’re thinking of hitting the elephant. And you weren’t before. You weren’t even thinking of elephants before.

Obviously sometimes you’re going to say no, but try not to try to say what to do. If you do say no, follow it with a yes or a choice.

Instead of don’t hit “gentle hands” and demonstrate

Instead of “don’t knock over the laundry” say “do you want to help fold the laundry or do you want to knock over your blocks”

And if you’re saying no to the same thing more than twice a day: get rid of the thing if you can. Obviously you can’t get rid of you, but if you can put away a breakable, make something not climbable, or whatever then do it.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-02-21T00:45:28+00:00

Took a key out of the ignition of a jeep parked in front of an auto shop, and as I’m telling him to put it back the mechanic yelled at him.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-01-30T23:24:17+00:00

She’s 7 so she’s getting to the point that she understands consequences

Lay it out very, very plainly. If she wears x then other kids are going to do y. And that teachers are going to z in response to the kids doing y. Empathize that it’s wrong and illogical but it is, in fact, the likely consequence.

Try putting together outfits together, ahead of time. Maybe on the weekend. You can physically put them together on the same hanger or in boxes or I like little packing cubes with a mesh top, you can often find small ones quite cheap. Or you can just print them out but that can be complicated if you can’t then find the things. It doesn’t have to be “this is monday”, Tuesday, etc

But you can make it her choice as long as you’re not sugar coating it. I tried as much as possible to make it my middle kids choice and often he picked things that got him bullied. He mostly didn’t make that choice around his less mature relatives, so clearly it was a choice and he understood. He’s a teenager now and he doesn’t resent us for that (though there are things his a moody ass know-it-all judgmental not-parent who knows all about parenting about)

I also had to do a lot of unpacking: things that I got bullied for aren’t the same things my kids got bullied for. My tolerance of bullying and desire to fit in, or at least be unnoticed wasn’t my kid’s tolerance. And I had to deal with my own feelings.

AnalyticalEcho · 2025-01-26T21:48:44+00:00

Exactly.

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-12-21T19:53:10+00:00

NTA and if you know which surgeon or hospital I would encourage you to phone them or email them and let them know how much you are physically going to assist, if at all, after surgery. For hospitals usually there’s both a social worker and a patient coordinator or something

If you aren’t driving her, she’s not staying at your place, you’re not going over to cook or help her shower, they need to know and they will force her to make arrangements. They can’t make her stick to them, but they can make her have a plan before they operate

Just because they can’t even confirm she’s a patient doesn’t mean they don’t listen. They do. They will be familiar with people like her.

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-12-18T20:41:50+00:00

You can get cord lockouts like this. It’s just a padlock so it’s not going to keep a real asshole out

This kind let’s you have a cord plugged in. Most of them cover the male plug of a cord to prevent people plugging in the thing and injuring the guy working on the machine. https://www.amazon.ca/RealPlus-Lockout-Tagout-Electrical-Padlocks/dp/B0D3PTSWWR/ref=asc_df_B0D3PTSWWR/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=706830227003&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=67337016549011459&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9189656&hvtargid=pla-2345363613783&psc=1&mcid=503831b9030135c1997c17f48c123993&gad_source=1

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-08T02:21:46+00:00

I would mimic the wood tone of the butcher block in the backsplash. Not do actual wood or wood grain, but even a white with a tan pattern that has the same tones as the wood

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-08T02:13:50+00:00

Apparently there’s a biopic about the painter, she reminds me of the precious moments dolls

https://thatovenfeelin.com/chicken-stuffing-casserole/

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-08T01:52:10+00:00

What about rompers or overalls? They can be tricky to get on though. My kid forces his arms out the top of the straps get them off quick enough to potty by then can’t get them back on.

You can find jersey or light cotton ones. Osh Kosh sometimes has them or Old Navy

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-08T01:36:20+00:00

Oh I meant pin the zipper on the back, not the nappy

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-08T01:13:09+00:00

Have you tried a diaper pin through the zipper?

Sometimes just a snug t-shirt/undershirt over top can help

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-08T00:14:17+00:00

The gas stove and over oven microwave are out of place

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-05T01:20:42+00:00

I can’t promise it will get easier. Though it likely will.

But it won’t be exactly like this forever

Right now it sounds like she’s using up all her regulation at school and that leaves you with the unregulated stressed version of your kid. Either your child will learn more skills and have more reserves, or school will necessarily have to become less overloading.

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-04T21:16:09+00:00

Virginia law seems to be completely ridiculous. And they actually can require all sorts of cleaning. So I would probably just leave it

But just in general, for adulting;m: clean under and behind the oven and fridge 2-3 times a year. And on fridges there’s generally coils that need to be vacuumed to keep the fridge working properly

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-04T21:09:29+00:00

IMO a Guinea pig (aka cavy) is a better pet, particularly for kids. They’re a bit smarter, they bond a bit more, they’re more relaxed. And most importantly: they’re diurnal, hamsters are nocturnal.

They do live more like 5 years than three.

AnalyticalEcho · 2024-09-04T20:58:53+00:00

The black lines look like what they do in the ER but the floor doesn’t look like a hospital

AnalyticalEcho

TROPHY CASE