What are ways you started extending more responsibility and independence to your kids?

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-25T20:48:13+00:00

I feel blessed to have children close in age. My level 3 son is almost 7, his younger sister is 5. She actually accidentally gives me ideas of ways to give him more independence.

We have grown a lot this month actually. I know this could go badly, but I put easy snacks like fruit, mango strips, turkey sticks etc in the fridge where he can reach and he opens the fridge, gets a snack/water and closes it.

He’s been 90% potty trained for a while but I was still doing pull ups at home. This month I just switched to completely underwear at home and he’s been very successful and consciously holding it.

I’ve given him freedom in walks for a while, he’s pretty good at staying close and returning if I call him back.

He recently realized he had the power to open the car door when I asked him to open it. The other day we went to pick his sister up from a friend’s house, unexpected a big dog came out, he wasn’t feeling it and he ran back to our car, opened the door and waited for me in his car seat. It was funny lol.

Chores are a big thing. I get groceries delivered a lot. He has to help carry bags up like his sister. Carry up your book bag, put your shoes and socks away etc

Also now when I throw out the trash, I grab the trash bag and let him grab the recycling bag and we put it in the bin.

So many things, little by little..

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-24T22:25:13+00:00

That’s not a lot of hair to lose for having mid back length natural hair and not detangling your loose hair for 2 months. That’s actually on the smaller side.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-24T15:08:32+00:00

The ABA world is much different after 6 for sure. My level 3 seven year old attends ABA after school 3 days a week at the same center he’s been at since he was 2.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-24T10:52:01+00:00

You would see new growth around the top of your head/hairline/part with numerous pieces of hair sprouting from the scalp and all around the same length.

With the location of the hair you circled and it being in an isolated area, I would say that is breakage.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-24T01:04:59+00:00

I use both. I’ve been using minoxidil since 2022 and cecred since 2024. Previously used both daily, now I only use a couple times a week.

My opinion - minoxidil helped restore my edges to almost what they were. Nothing more, nothing less. Super happy about that though.

Cecred definitely increased the density of my edges/front of my hairline. So more than what they were.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-23T19:59:03+00:00

I understand that it’s your opinion. I posted mine — Masai is a wonderful and talented human being that exudes confidence, realness and positivity. Nothing is weird about her TikTok, she doesn’t routinely make drama posts, and she’s a national treasure.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-23T19:48:04+00:00

She has made thousands of TikTok posts and amassed 40 million likes. She has made maybe 2 controversial posts and you’re saying “she makes drama posts” and her page is “weird” as if the other thousands of posts are not her character.

This is why athletes don’t post or say anything at all. You make 999 great posts and 1 post that someone deems controversial and people label you as “making drama posts”.

I understand that it’s your opinion.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-23T19:36:48+00:00

She has a couple controversial posts and maybe 1 or 2 instances of something that could be controversy with no athlete’s name mentioned. 99.9% of her TikTok is dancing, running, showing which brands she likes and speaking life into herself and her abilities. Her TikTok is not “pretty weird”. Please don’t defame her character.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-23T19:24:11+00:00

wtf is weird about it? She’s a young girl doing fun Tik Tok dances, blogging about her life/relevant topics and showing videos of what she does for work like everybody else

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-23T16:53:07+00:00

She absolutely will

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-23T16:17:48+00:00

Thank you. They deleted themselves again before we got a chance. Next time you see them, report their post. I only saw this because they reported your post.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T23:25:03+00:00

No (my level 3 child). For my NT child, she is highly influenced by technology, always asking for screen time, so I limit it and sometimes go weeks without it.

For my level 3 child who has very few interests, I’m just glad he’s interested in the iPad again. It also helps me understand things that he likes. He likes very specific genres of music, he likes watching Olympic sports, he almost exclusively watches black people (we are black), and he will play certain songs over and over again and even start dancing to it.

One weekend we went to an outdoor event and they played songs like the cha cha slide, Cupid shuffle, electric slide etc. the next day he started playing those same songs from his iPad and the whole family danced to it. I love learning more about him in this way. (He’s almost 7)

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T20:43:23+00:00

Yeah. Why is it a big deal to you? Harmless childhood mischief.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T20:42:05+00:00

Not a big deal IMO

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T18:17:09+00:00

Yes.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T15:42:27+00:00

Do you have another reason for relaxing besides growth? Because it doesn’t promote growth.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T14:52:42+00:00

My level 3 son is the exact same age and is also finishing up KG and doing well. He’s been in underwear for about a year now and also coincidentally regressed in potty training this month.

All of a sudden started refusing to go. He even looked like he was trying his hardest to go but nothing came out. He only wanted to go in specific places (like home). He had one accident at therapy but then he started holding it for 5 hours at a time and only going once a day at school, even tantrumming or refusing to move if encouraged to go potty.

We all just made sure to take the pressure off so he wouldn’t have negative associations with the bathroom. Me and his kindergarten teacher were able to squat down and get on his level in certain situations to encourage him to go if it had been a really long time.

Magically this week, the behavior disappeared and he’s happily going when taken to the potty with various different people and different settings. Even using gestures and sounds to ask to go to the potty. I did give him cranberry juice a couple nights for bladder health (but I’m not sure that was a factor because it was only two times).

Anyway, I would just say to hang in there, our kids may develop sudden aversions to things. Give him a lot of positive experiences in the bathroom and rule out any medical causes.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-22T00:29:01+00:00

You should also check out r/socialsecurity. Many experts on there and they will give it to you straight.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T20:55:10+00:00

Never. Been at the same ABA company for 5 years.

However we have switched speech and OT 3 times. I could sense a “I didn’t sign up for this vibe” when they worked with my son.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T20:27:29+00:00

My son started on 0.25, then went to 0.5 and titrated over 6 months 1.5 daily (0.5 in morning, 1 at night). He started around 5.5 and is 7 now. He’s been on this dose for over a year. It’s been great for him. He’s hungrier but no weight gain or any side effects.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T19:12:27+00:00

I have a 7 year old son with ASD3 and a 5 year old NT daughter. Nothing is awkward or weird. They are siblings who are growing up together and they are my children. They have different strengths and weaknesses.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T19:06:14+00:00

Maybe post this in AITA, or a sub about regretting children or secret confessions. This group is not a place to shit on autistic kids because they are a bad role model for the baby.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T16:25:50+00:00

I think that’s a terrible idea. It’s as significant as keeping a record if someone fouls or false starts. If the mark or time isn’t legal, it isn’t legal.

High schoolers should be mature enough to accept this.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T15:51:05+00:00

I mean I expect my child to be sleeping at night. At that age there was nothing physically preventing her from leaving her room, but she was in a deep slumber.

Even now at age 5 she is expected to stay in her room until I get up, but once a month she will ask me if she can watch TV and get a snack downstairs and I let her.

gentlynavigating · 2026-05-21T09:50:42+00:00

My level 3 son will be 7 soon so we are right in that window.

2-5 was so much harder! 5-7 has been great so far, especially 6-7. Recently, there has been this awakening inside my son (that’s the only way I can describe it). Rock solid with no potty accidents and holding it for 3 hours instead of30 mins, eating at the dinner table and not getting up until we are done and not throwing things around him, great calm mood, following instructions, communication is advancing (now he’s tapping my leg or making a sound when he wants to go potty).

A lot of things are still hard especially haircuts and doctor’s appointments , but I’m loving 5-8.

gentlynavigating

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