Losing Teeth

Alex, these last two weeks, has again reminded us (Tony and myself) that things change fast. He is growing up, getting taller all of the time, and just this last week, he lost his first baby tooth.

I explained to him that this is showing that he is growing up, and that eventually, all of them are going to end up falling out. However, unlike Grandpa, we don't have to go out and buy him new teeth, his big boy teeth are going to grow in as his baby teeth fall out. He has had excellent teeth at his last check ups at the dentist, and now at the next one (which I have to schedule) they will be excited for him that he is not only at this stage of dental development, but that he is taking it so well. He is already working on his next loose tooth, wiggling it every chance he gets.

And the one right beside it is ready to come out too!

This last week, his teacher hurt herself at school, so he has had to deal with a lot of new things. I think as long as we continue to explain to him honestly what is going on, he will accept any situation. We don't do the whole tooth fairy thing, however I do tell him that dad and I will give him $1 for every tooth he loses, big boy teeth are exempt from this though. Some people may say, "Oh you are ruining his childhood!" Not really. He has one of the coolest imaginations ever. He doesn't seem phased by there being no tooth fairy.

One tough thing we have to address though is his aggression toward his peers when he gets frustrated. Now that my semester is over, I am going to take some time to read up on it and see what works with Alex. We have tried the social stories, I have tried to explain to him how hitting hurts others, and that even though he is frustrated, he shouldn't hit anyone. Thankfully (if you could say that), aggression is common among autistics because of their frustrations, so there is a lot of literature out there.

I am going to try and be crafty and make him a picture schedule for at home, since the one he has at school is working so well, and maybe get him his own calendar to put things on. Days that he has school, days he gets to see Grandpa and Grandma, when he has to do his homework, just to make mornings and evenings a little bit easier for him. I think I am going to even add on there the times that these things happen, so that he can transition into learning the importance of time and sticking to his schedule.

The last couple of weeks has been pretty chill at our house, which I am thankful for because of all the stuff I have had to do. For the next three weeks, I am allowing the chaos to come forth, because I will have extra time to handle it. It probably won't, but hey, a girl can dream?