Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Rock that Doesn't Stop

I have known a lot of little ones that never stop moving.  Both of our boys are very active and they never seem to run out of steam.  One of our babysitters once asked Brennan, "Where do you get all of your energy?"  He casually replied, "I think it comes from you."  She and I both agreed that his observation could not have been more accurate.  The wilder they are throughout the day the more likely I am to collapse before the news (which comes on quite early here in South Dakota, so it's pretty pathetic not to make it).

Evan's need for movement is even more demanding than Brennan's was at this age.  Even when sitting, he must be moving.  He rocks back and forth in his high chair, in his car seat, on the couch..anywhere and hard.  He slams his head back so hard we have questioned whether or not he may need a helmet.  Not only does he rock, but generally chants incessantly while he rocks.  We have tried wiggle seats, switching to a booster seat, everything, but the rocking doesn't stop.  The sound of the rocking gets to me so much that I took his booster away and tried to switch him to a small table and chair set.  Boy, was that a mistake!  When he realized his booster was gone he screamed and threw himself to the floor.  He then went over to Brennan's booster and pushed it across the kitchen so that it sat where his should have been.  To say the boy hates change would be a gross understatement.  Changing from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to lunchmeat sandwiches resulted in a broken vase on my floor.  Transitions from indoors to outdoors or walking to being put in a cart or stroller have become such an issue that public outings are limited or not attempted at all and generally cut short by a terrible tantrum.

We are not sure whether the rocking is a way to satisfy his sensory deficits or if it is merely a phase.  The link below is a taste of what he does constantly.  The black paint on the wall is from his chair and the chips in the paint are from the wear of rocking his chair across the room into the wall.  We now have a piece of furniture in between him and the wall, but it doesn't stop him from nearly toppling forward or backward when he gets going hard.



So our house is always moving.  Even though I know it riles them up in the evenings, I do love listening to their happy squeals as they lap each other around the house.  On another positive note, both boys are starting gymnastics and Brennan is signed up for soccer.  The beginning of our journey into sports and other physical activities which I am sure will become a necessity in running out their energy before they run me ragged!

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