Everyone's Schedule But My Own

[estherchaya]

The J-Man had an appointment with ye ol' Developmental Pediatrician this morning.  While there, we set up his new and improved morning routine schedule to be followed from here to eternity, like it or not.  So there.  This new schedule is a tool for us to use as part of the behavior management portion of managing J's ADHD.  We discussed with J the

Comments

[journeytoernie]

oo! they have a gerbil!

ok i did read the whole post but that's the part i noticed first. i'ma geek

what is his schedule like?

[estherchaya]

I don't have it in front of me, but if I remember correctly, his morning routine is now:

1. Get up
2. No milk until breakfast time (this is a change. He used to have a cup of milk right away, this will be the first break down point of the day and it isn't going to be pretty)
3. Pick out clothes
4. Get dressed
5. Use Bathroom (J was adamant that he would not do so before getting dressed, even though this flies in the face of logic)
6. Eat breakfast
7. Brush Teeth
8. Choice: TV or Books
9. Shoes
10. Go at 8AM

[journeytoernie]

wow. what time are you getting up?

you're smart to do breakfast and then teeth. i'm not that organized

[estherchaya]

We get up at 5, Julian gets up around 6 or 6:30.

[mindycl]

whats wrong with a cup of milk when he gets up?

btw SM used to have an apple juice bottle every single morning and I quietly phased it out by just ignoring it. he'd come into my bed for a snuggle and bottle, but I just take his diaper right off and put him on the potty with a toy and just ignore the whole bottle issue. he no longer drinks in the morning at all before the schoolbus, which has really helped cut down his accidents. bh.

[estherchaya]

Doc said he shouldn't have anything until he's ready to sit at the table and have breakfast. It makes some kind of sense, because J does use it as a total stall tactic, so I'm just as happy to get rid of it. It was a bad habit we got into when I was on bed rest. As was TV first thing in the morning. Now we've moved TV until after he's completely ready to leave (except shoes, which are the last thing before leaving).

As for quietly phasing it out, the doc told J flat out that there will be no more milk first thing, so there's no quietly phasing it out. We're just done. And I'm okay with that. Fortunately, it's never caused J to have accidents, but then, J was much, MUCH older when he was potty-trained, so that's not surprising. I don't give J juice for the most part, except sometimes juice boxes in his lunch at school, for convenience's sake.

[hap_e]

You’ve been strong and doing great with 4 kids in the family!
Just keep it up . . . obstacles come and go . . . .
Once J is treated completely - it will be easier for you to handle the family. He’ll be of bigger help.
Stay positive and think how much you’ve done by now……. - just a minor change of routine shouldn’t discourage you!

Everything will be fine.
I believe so.

[rlitterst]

"...that's just what it is to be a mom and that's what I waited for all these years."

There have been many instances over the last 14 months in which I've come to that realization too. Blessings abound!

[yeishlitikvah]

that's really great:

that your doctor wants to fit into your schedule not the other way around

and

you used the opportunity to show julian, that your not just schleping a book about, but that your using it to make time for everyone in your life

I also like that your doctor said- NO- you need to schedule the babies around J. I agree with you it will be good for him to once again be a bigger focus.