Tween Hell

Okay. I will admit that I am mostly to blame for the meltdown Maizie had today. I was feeling very optimistic when the day began. I considered hiring a sitter today for my haircut but thought, "Oh, it will only take thirty minutes or so. Maizie will be okay with that." Did I ask Maizie if she could handle it? No. Did I talk about what would happen when we got there? No. We strayed big time from the schedule Maizie had all written out. Before my haircut we went to meet Christian at his school bus stop since his mom Marie had a doctor's appointment. After that we stopped by Susie's house to see Chloe selling Lemonade and snacks at their garage sale. I was excited to see Chloe's sale because not only was she having her first lemonade stand but she is donating all of the money to her favorite cause the SPCA. Chloe loves those kitties!

Finally, we were on our way to my hair cut. When we first arrived Maizie was doing well. She enjoyed looking at the hairstyling books saying,"Ohhhh....when I grow up I want that style!" I reminded her that she did not have to wait until she was all grown up to get her hair trimmed. It has been months since the last time she agreed to get a cut.

Half way into my hair cut she begins whining, "I want to get a Webkinz." I tried to reason with her but before I knew it she began repeating the demand endlessly. It was so not attractive.

Once I paid and we were in the car all hell broke lose. Suddenly I was the worst mother in the world because I would not fulfill her demand. She screamed,"You are not my mom anymore! You are the baddest mom in the whole wide world. I'm calling Daddy and telling him how bad you are!" She went on and on. Lately she writes me lots of notes to tell me how she feels. I love these notes.She began crying and there seemed to be no end in sight. After much coaxing I managed to lead her into the house. I convinced her to take her bedtime medications knowing that would help calm her down. When I went to get the medication out of the dispenser I realized what I had forgotten to do today. I neglected to give Maizie her afternoon medication. Yup, her afternoon medication makes all the difference in how the evening will unfold.

I felt so bad that I had taken Maizie on more than one errand and worse, made her sit through my hair cut appointment without having had her afternoon medication. The sounds and smells of the place surely sent her over the edge. Even without the medication I was expecting more than she could handle.

On top of everything else Maizie has without a doubt entered 'tweendom hell'. I am convinced that being a tween is one of the worst stages for kids to go through. I know I hated it. It is even more difficult for children who struggle with communicating. Her attitude and some of her interests are advanced compared with your typical ten year old. Socially and academically she is in between the ranges of a five to ten year old.

I imagine it all must be very confusing for her. I know it is for me. The last few days have been exhausting. I swear she picks arguments with me just to hear herself argue. Sometimes her arguments make little sense to me and I am left bewildered. My brain feels fried. Totally.I sure hope I can survive these tween years. I expect the teenage years won't be any easier.

Good news! We finally have a start date for the Autism Center! Maizie begins the end of September. That is going to be a huge adjustment for her and me. Once I finally get Maizie to bed I have been beat. I find myself staring at the t.v. in a trance like state. My mornings have been okay. There have been a few where I could not stay awake. The strict food plan and medications are helping but apparently it is normal to still have days where I can barely function. God willing those will fade away real soon. I have not had the chance to visit your blogs! I will be there super soon!