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Bye to the Sandman

2011
When you have a child with special needs, progress may be slow. It can also be unexpected, surprising and even downright mind boggling. And if you don't pay attention, it can go unnoticed.

For Memorial Day, we went to the beach. Ben's sand eating is infamous in our household and extended family. I am not exaggerating. As soon as Ben sits in the sand, he begins to double fist sand. I am not joking...just ask Grandma and she will give you an earful. It can be horrifying for some to see the amount of sand he eats. We even warn people who come with us to the beach so they do not freak out on us or Ben.

2009
Well this year, we expected the same. We are always prepared for it, well not prepared as in we want Ben's breakfast, lunch and dinner to be sand, but prepared to tell him no, move his hands away from his mouth and then eventually give up because it is a job we do not succeed at - Ben's hands are faster than ours.

Ben did not eat a grain of sand for the three days we spent at the beach. Not one. He sat in the sand and watched kids play, he followed birds as they flew around him and he crawled around in the sand. We even saw him, kind of, play with the sand.

2009
We did not do anything differently. Although when we mentioned this development to Ben's speech and occupational therapists, they thought that some of the work we all have been doing with oral motor exercises may have something to do with it.


Way to go Ben!

Comments

  1. ginabadJune 7, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Ah that's the best! When you suddenly notice your kid is NOT doing something he or she always does, something not-so-good, and there was no thing required. Same thing happened last year when we took Zoe to the beach...she was terrified of sand, until then, almost age 5, when she took 2 steps onto it, and giggles of glee came out of her, like she had discovered an amazing new toy we'd hidden from her. The year before, it had been crying, screaming or whimpering at the site of sand, and now it was so good she didn't want to walk to shoreline. LOVE that

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  2. RenataJune 10, 2011 at 6:57 PM

    So glad you posted this. My son eats all manner of bizarre things, we think it's anxiety driven as he's infinitely worse after a long spell in hospital. It settles down after a while, but one day it would be good if it went all together! More beach holidays on the cards now I suspect?!

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