Autistic Parenting.

Hey readers,

Since my son goes to school and one of the problems I struggle with being an autistic mum is socialising with other parents.

The dreaded waiting at the school gates with the deafening noise makes my head spin. I physically shake and want to stim so badly that I need to control myself in order to mask these problems I deal with.

I know you ask why, why don't I just be me. But it is not just me, it is my son as well. I am part of him and what I do influences him. Maybe not obviously but in the subtle ways with speaking to parents and getting that invite to a friend's birthday. People judge sadly and what I do can include or isolate him, as sad as society is.

The hard thing for me as a parent is to appear shy/enigma in order to not let people see the real me as I am hyperactive/spontaneous, and might not say the right thing. Laugh and be childish and not click with others.

No one ever prepares you for this and how it will influence your son's confidence. Will, I further fuck him up if I am me, should I hide away in order to make my son blend in better. Or should I be authentic as it provides my son with an understanding of disability and difference-making him more accepting of others that are different (not necessarily autistic)? Just one mould fit it appears in this modern culture I feel and that all problems should be hideaway as it still a taboo, to be honest with children without some professional having a fit and pretending that everything is fluffy and cosy in life.

These are the kind of decisions I have to make. I am currently taking a step back from school duties as the anxiety is so high and paranoia is kicking in.

They say life is too short and you should just do what the fear wants you not to do. But to what extent is this not a good idea anymore.

Baby steps are hard for me as it is grey, I am all or nothing and I find it hard once I have an idea in my head to stop myself from committing to it fully. Alternatively, I just shut down and have no interest in participating in the demotivated situation I have to face. All I want to close off, cry my eyes out, and feel is the point in doing it all. Should I have been a parent? do I have that right? and similar thoughts take over my thinking.

Nothing is ever clear, no right or wrong answers which for my autistic brain feels overwhelmed and can trigger a meltdown in order to try and regulate how I feel.

Autism is selfish or is it people don't see I am trying to work my ass off that little bit more as every day is a struggle and I have to make decisions fast.

it is frustrating when people think oh she doesn't look autistic she can walk down the road or she can communicate. When really most of it is planned, scheduled, and played out like a script. Most of the time I am blagging it with the information I hold from past experiences/observing or reading how others deal with this as a parent.

Don't judge me when you see me, I am scared because I don't know what I am doing.

I am not good with emotions, they are messy and I don't do messy.

I like order and structure, I like steps that have a sequence. When it is spontaneous and in no order I am scared and my anxiety reaches new heights.

SO this is what I am currently trying to work my way through and yeah I can do a course and have some rules. But then things change, situation/environmental/age, etc influence the shit I have to deal with. As we all know change is the enemy of an autistic person.

It is all very well having short stints of parenting courses to guild you but for an autistic person we need continuous support and sadly it is always because of the funds and people like to group everything in one category.

I always find it ironic that autistic people like logical order but that disability is so grey and complex it is unreal.

That is it that is one of the many battles I undergo as an autistic parent and we haven't even reached pubescent years.....oh what joy!

Cheers for reading X