Routines

All the experts say that children thrive on routine. This must be true, because there I am, starting my day at 3:00 AM waiting by the bathroom door for my six year old autistic son to finish going potty. It is the same thing every morning. Is that considered getting up early or being up really late? Anyway, this begins his nightly ritual of lying in bed making all sorts of screeches and strange siren sounds for the next two or three hours. Then I have to drag him out of bed every morning to get ready for another very productive day at school. His teachers think he need to be put on Ritalin, but I think a nightly. dose of Tylenol PM would do the trick. Does that come in cherry flavored chewables yet?

It is probably best that he wakes every night, because if I don't have him go to the bathroom in the middle of the night then I am awakened by the melodious sound of my four year old saying, "Mom, Daegan peed on the dog kennel again." It is not always the dog kennel, he has gotten very creative over the years, the entertainment center, humidifier, on top of the changing table, (my personal favorite) in the empty bathtub right next to the toilet, etc. You get the idea. In all truth, sometimes I roll over and go back to sleep. There will still be a puddle in ten minutes. It's all about priorities.