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Chucky Cheese!!!!
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 277984" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Wes, keep him stimulated. For us, it was educational games on the computer. We let difficult child 3 loose on it (easy child 2/difficult child 2 before him). We were prepared to spend money on a few software packages that were partly game, partly problem-solving, partly educational. You needto sit with him and play the games too, as well as you having fun with them yourself. Once YOU know how the games work you can help him over any hurdles.</p><p></p><p>Some really good ones to get - Zoombini (there are a range of Zoombini games) if they are still compatible with your computer. Just about any Leapfrog, Great Wave software - there are a range of good things. Now that difficult child 3 is older we're letting him loose on SIMS, but I wouldn't get those for any kid not in his teens yet. Even then, you need to supervise.</p><p></p><p>Great Wave had a program (couple of them) called NumberMaze, definitely worth getting. It begins at pre-school level, goes up to high school and beyond, and drills basic math concepts. But in a really fun and almost addictive way. In my book, making maths addictive has to be a good thing!</p><p></p><p>There are also various 'talking book' forms such as "Grandma & Me", "Arthur" etc. These are highly interactive and fun, not quite so educational but still stimulating executive function (which, if you even suspect Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), he needs to work on).</p><p></p><p>You need things to do when he's not on the computer - getting him involved in gardening is good. Even if all you do is begin with a self-watering trough-shaped pot. Find out what he wants to grow - herbs to use in the kitchen, flowers to put in a vase (or just enjoy in the pot) or salad vegetables to eat. For herbs - chives, parsley and oregano are good. For salad - oak leaf lettuce is good because you just pick what you want and leave the plant to produce more. Radishes are good as long as you like them. Baby carrots (or ordinary ones if the pot is deep enough). Tomatoes (preferably tiny ones, they're easy and extremely productive) but plant some basil seeds too. If you're planting flowers, watch out for snails & slugs, you cna spread coffee grounds around the seedlnigs to keep them safe from snails. </p><p></p><p>Something else to get him involved with - photography, especially if you have a digital camera. difficult child 3 will go for a walk and take the camera, he's getting a really good eye. It requires learning patience especially if you're trying to photograph birds. The trick with birds - you look to see where they're flying to, go there and sit quietly (wearing drab clothing) and become part of the background. difficult child 3 also does things like mist-spraying spider webs with water and photographing them sparkle in the sun.</p><p></p><p>ON the subject of unsupportive older generation - husband explained to me that his parents had a deep distrust of anything psychological/psychiatric, in terms of the health profession. mother in law worked in the hospital system and didn't see anything useful from psychiatrists or psychologists. Back in her day, it was an even more inexact profession and a lot of things were being done wrongly (such as the way they used ECT so much and so badly). We had a major scandal here in the 70s with a private hospital which used deep sleep therapy (and ECT) on a lot of patients, some very high profile, and people were dying directly from being kept in deep sleep for so long. The doctor responsible was indicted but suicided before he could be prosecuted. There was a major enquiry - it all served to make mother in law even more suspicious of the profession. However, when I've talked to her she clearly doesn't recognise the difference between psychiatrist and psychologist. "Same thing," she sniffs. And because our kids MUST see one of the other at times, we've had a major hissy fit when the subject comes up. I've got around it in two ways:</p><p></p><p>1) I explain the way Cognitive Behaviour Therapy works and she finds that logical and sensible. She also can see that there is an end to the treatment, it's not just a specialist remodelling his living room while he insists "same time next week" ad infinitum.</p><p></p><p>2) I've said to her, "If you don't agree, you come to the next appointment and put your concerns directly to the specialist. Argue with him, not with me."</p><p></p><p>The thing is - we all care about the child, we love him and want the best for him. It's just that sometimes the older generation have fears (which are legitimate, based on previous experience or known problems in the past) which are no longer valid; but they don't KNOW the concerns are no longer valid, they need reassurance. Pretty much all I've been able to do with mother in law is to make it clear - I vet each therapist personally to make sure they're not ratbag quacks. But to get certain services in our health system, we need to have the therapist's signature on a piece of paper. </p><p></p><p>That's what works for her - officialdom requires it. It's a nuisance, but there it is. And if we can get some practical help form the therapist as well, that's a bonus, we tell her.</p><p></p><p>I hope all that can help.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 277984, member: 1991"] Wes, keep him stimulated. For us, it was educational games on the computer. We let difficult child 3 loose on it (easy child 2/difficult child 2 before him). We were prepared to spend money on a few software packages that were partly game, partly problem-solving, partly educational. You needto sit with him and play the games too, as well as you having fun with them yourself. Once YOU know how the games work you can help him over any hurdles. Some really good ones to get - Zoombini (there are a range of Zoombini games) if they are still compatible with your computer. Just about any Leapfrog, Great Wave software - there are a range of good things. Now that difficult child 3 is older we're letting him loose on SIMS, but I wouldn't get those for any kid not in his teens yet. Even then, you need to supervise. Great Wave had a program (couple of them) called NumberMaze, definitely worth getting. It begins at pre-school level, goes up to high school and beyond, and drills basic math concepts. But in a really fun and almost addictive way. In my book, making maths addictive has to be a good thing! There are also various 'talking book' forms such as "Grandma & Me", "Arthur" etc. These are highly interactive and fun, not quite so educational but still stimulating executive function (which, if you even suspect Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), he needs to work on). You need things to do when he's not on the computer - getting him involved in gardening is good. Even if all you do is begin with a self-watering trough-shaped pot. Find out what he wants to grow - herbs to use in the kitchen, flowers to put in a vase (or just enjoy in the pot) or salad vegetables to eat. For herbs - chives, parsley and oregano are good. For salad - oak leaf lettuce is good because you just pick what you want and leave the plant to produce more. Radishes are good as long as you like them. Baby carrots (or ordinary ones if the pot is deep enough). Tomatoes (preferably tiny ones, they're easy and extremely productive) but plant some basil seeds too. If you're planting flowers, watch out for snails & slugs, you cna spread coffee grounds around the seedlnigs to keep them safe from snails. Something else to get him involved with - photography, especially if you have a digital camera. difficult child 3 will go for a walk and take the camera, he's getting a really good eye. It requires learning patience especially if you're trying to photograph birds. The trick with birds - you look to see where they're flying to, go there and sit quietly (wearing drab clothing) and become part of the background. difficult child 3 also does things like mist-spraying spider webs with water and photographing them sparkle in the sun. ON the subject of unsupportive older generation - husband explained to me that his parents had a deep distrust of anything psychological/psychiatric, in terms of the health profession. mother in law worked in the hospital system and didn't see anything useful from psychiatrists or psychologists. Back in her day, it was an even more inexact profession and a lot of things were being done wrongly (such as the way they used ECT so much and so badly). We had a major scandal here in the 70s with a private hospital which used deep sleep therapy (and ECT) on a lot of patients, some very high profile, and people were dying directly from being kept in deep sleep for so long. The doctor responsible was indicted but suicided before he could be prosecuted. There was a major enquiry - it all served to make mother in law even more suspicious of the profession. However, when I've talked to her she clearly doesn't recognise the difference between psychiatrist and psychologist. "Same thing," she sniffs. And because our kids MUST see one of the other at times, we've had a major hissy fit when the subject comes up. I've got around it in two ways: 1) I explain the way Cognitive Behaviour Therapy works and she finds that logical and sensible. She also can see that there is an end to the treatment, it's not just a specialist remodelling his living room while he insists "same time next week" ad infinitum. 2) I've said to her, "If you don't agree, you come to the next appointment and put your concerns directly to the specialist. Argue with him, not with me." The thing is - we all care about the child, we love him and want the best for him. It's just that sometimes the older generation have fears (which are legitimate, based on previous experience or known problems in the past) which are no longer valid; but they don't KNOW the concerns are no longer valid, they need reassurance. Pretty much all I've been able to do with mother in law is to make it clear - I vet each therapist personally to make sure they're not ratbag quacks. But to get certain services in our health system, we need to have the therapist's signature on a piece of paper. That's what works for her - officialdom requires it. It's a nuisance, but there it is. And if we can get some practical help form the therapist as well, that's a bonus, we tell her. I hope all that can help. Marg [/QUOTE]
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