Aspie burnout.

Hey readers,

As someone with autism, I have many a time experienced a phenomenon called burnout.

What does autistic burnout mean? 

To put it simply an autistic burnout is when you are exhausted mentally, physically, or emotionally (sometimes all of it sometimes some of these elements). 

It comes about as an autistic person you are making much more effort to navigate in a neotropical world, sometimes you have to put more focus on trying to get thinks correct and that takes a lot of energy out of you.

 Over time it climates vary decries but there are times when your body and mind need a rest because it gets too much and you simply need a break from constantly second-guessing, remembering how to behave in certain situations that don't come naturally to you.

 Autistic people (myself included) are very good at masking i.e faking it as most things don't come naturally to the autistic person they just learn A LOT.  This like I said is very exhausting work. 

 That is how I feel today, I am shattered beyond belief even after six coffees (that is correct) just this morning.

I think because I am more involved socially with taking my both boys to school. It involves going into two different environments and trying to remember all the social rules when dropping my children off. 

Then again collecting them is very tiring for me socially. I feel so guilty as I am getting worn out from it all and I just want to shut down and not think about anything but rest. 

I can handle about three hours max at the moment going out and then I am exhausted. I find it hard to focus on conversation, eye contact, dealing with social situations where I don't automatically know what to do. I get very dizzy and lightheaded. 

Particularly yesterday I went to a new place and got overstimulated. It causes friction between me and my partner. He wants to know why, why, why and all I really wish to do is scream or hide wide which I can not do either, doh being an adult sucks!

My eyes find it hard to focus after intense periods of time out where I am constantly working and focusing all my energy on being 'normal '. People don't know when they see me. 

I am constantly consciously aware of my environment and what I am doing. My body aches from all the tension as I am hyper-alert that I should be playing out this role of mother. Not to mention if a child accidentally touches me, it freaks me out inside. God, I feel so lonely and sad.

Today I hate being autistic and when your husband hints that your child may be autistic. As the older, he is getting the more traits there are that could be hinting towards Autism. God, I don't want my children to have Autism. 

OK, there are some positive autistic traits such as we pay attention to detail, loyal, and intelligence but it all comes with a price. I'm scared as sometimes I look at my oldest and he is so like me. I wish it was just him mimicking my behavior.

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 19/09/2021

Husband found some gremlins in the back of the boot 😂 

My Spooktacular Wishlist for Halloween 2021!

 Hey readers,

It is nearly time for the spooky season so thought I would devise my Halloween wishlist for 2021 of things that want for Halloween, check it out below. 

1. Halloween mug.

How cute are these Halloween mugs from Poundland and even better still they only cost £1, what an absolute bargain! There are two varieties one is the orange pumpkin-shaped mug and the other is a black cup with gold stars and moon on it.

2. Socks.

How cute are these bat socks from Shein

for £1.50. They are so cute with bats and the orange and yellow section make them a spectral delight. 

3. Pumpkin ornaments. 

These pumpkin ornaments are not your normal variety but black which is quite nice for something a bit different. One pumpkin is fully black, the other is black and white stripes and the final one is white with black spots. They come as a pack of 3 from Next for £10.

4. Horror bath bombs. 

If you are into your horror films and like bath bombs this is perfect and for £2.29 from Etsy I think is good. It comes with a selection of four bath bombs with one nun, clone, ouija, and skull. Something a bit novelty to have in the bath. 

5. Sign. 

I liked this when I first saw it made me laugh and that would be fun to hang on a wall for Halloween. It comes from Gothic Gifts

 for £3.95.

6. Candles. 

There is something sinister about candles that weep out the wax down the candles. Amazon has these candles called vampire tears candles that black taper candles that 'bleed' when lit. These cost £7.43 from Amazon. 

7. Skull wreath. 

A great way to decorate your door for Halloween is with a wreath and it is perfect because you can't have Halloween with good old skulls. This wreath came from Halloween Costumes for £17.99.

8. T-shirt. 

Perfect for a Halloween party is this black t-shirt with red lips and words saying boo at the front. Comes from Next and cost £18.00. 

9. Pumpkin string lights.

As the nights get darker these cute Halloween pumpkin string led lights will create a cosy flow to your room. They come from Lights 4 Fun for £6.99.

10. Gonk. 

How cute is this Halloween gonk with a body, it is small but it is fun to have on your shelving for the Halloween vibes. It comes from Fab Finds for £3.99.

What do you think of my Halloween wish list for 2021? Anything that catches your eye? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

How to deal with chickenpox.

Hey readers,

In this post, I am going to be talking about how to deal with chickenpox in a child. This may be useful if you have never experienced chickenpox before and want to know how to treat the infection. 

What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a common infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Chickenpox is common and is mostly affects children, although it is catchable at any age.

  Chickenpox is highly contagious and causes an itchy spotty red rash and blisters.  Other symptoms are fever, headache, and loss of appetite. 

It normally gets better on its own within a week. After classic symptoms occur (headache, temperature, loss of appetite) the rash will occur.

3 stages of chickenpox.

1. Red or pink bumps develop over the body.

2. The bumps become blisters filled with fluid that leaks. 

3. The bumps become crusty, scab over, and begin to heal. 

As chickenpox is contagious and literally can catch chickenpox in the same room you will need to stay away from school, nursery, or work for 5 days after the spots appear.    

Stay away from pregnant women, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system as this can cause serious problems being around people with chickenpox. 

When to speak to a doctor. 

If you are unsure if your child has chickenpox.

Your child is dehydrated.

If you feel worried that the situation is getting worse for the child. 

How to treat chickenpox. 

Drink plenty of fluids so that the person does not get dehydrated. Try things like lollies as well can also increase fluid levels and help fight the infection. 

Wear comfortable clothing that is not too many layers so that it the not cold or overheated. Cotton clothing is suitable as is cool and breathable material for the skin. 

Painkillers such as child's medication in liquid form are perfect as it helps bring down the temperature of the child, it does not cure the fever element but it just makes it more comfortable for the child. 

It isn't a good idea to use a fan as it provides too much cool air. Instead, have a window open to allow gentle airflow through the room. 

Keep fingernails short to stop the child from scratching their skin. 

Calamine lotion is good to use to help soothe the itching of the skin. 

You can also speak to your pharmacist about an antihistamine medicine to help with itching which is good to take at night when the child is struggling to sleep with the itchy skin. Alternatively putting socks on the child's hands at night can help stop the child from itching.

Please do not give ibuprofen to the child as this could potentially cause serious skin infections. Also if a child is under the age of 16 years age then they are not allowed to take aspirin. 

Take regular cool baths and pat the skin dry but do not rub as this can irritate the skin. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 12/09/2021

...and just like that, we are back to school!

60 fun things to do on your birthday.

Hey readers,

Looking for some cool ideas to celebrate your birthday then look no further as I have 60 birthday ideas to get your inspired. 

 1. Eat at a restaurant that you haven't tried before. 

2. Play board games. 

3. Breakfast in bed.

4. Spend the day with someone special. 

5. Spend the day at a spa. 

6. Rent a limo. 

7. Spend the day at the beach. 

8. Go to a concert. 

9. Ditch work for the day. 

10. Have a coffee date at a coffee shop. 

11. Check out an amusement park. 

12. Climb a mountain. 

13. Play laser tag. 

14. Buy a new outfit. 

15. Do a birthday photoshoot. 

16. Go camping.

17. Go flower picking. 

19. Spend the day in bed.

20. Buy yourself a gift. 

21. Book into a hotel.

22. Go to a vineyard.

23. Visit a brewery hop. 

24. Buy your favorite treat. 

25. Head to a bowling aisle.

26. Go for a hike. 

27. Splurge on a nice bottle of your favorite wine. 

28. Buy yourself some flowers.

29. Turn your phone off for a set period of time. 

30. Plan a trip to somewhere you really want to visit. 

31. Have a favorite movie marathon. 

32. Go dancing.

33. Go to an escape room. 

34. Go wine tasting.

35. Go to a trampoline park. 

36. Watch a comedy show. 

37. Go canoeing or kayaking. 

38. Hire a boat and ride on the lake.

39. Get a psychic reading.

40. Go horseback riding. 

41. Go to a clay or pottery class. 

42. Go rock climbing.

43. Learn how to sail.

44. Go to the lake. 

45. Ride a bike.

46. Donate or volunteer.

47. Visit gardens or an arboretum. 

48. Check out a natural trust property. 

49. Create an art masterpiece. 

50. Visit a zoo. 

51. Live out your ideal day. 

52. Plant a tree.

53. Go urban exploring. 

54. Scrapbooking. 

55. Make origami.

56. Have a long soak in the bath. 

57. Try out VR. 

58. Play mini-golf.

59. Have a BBQ. 

60. Got a fair, carnival, or festival. 

What do you like to do on your birthday? Love to hear your ideas in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

How to make a sensory bottle

Hey readers,

A fun activity that is simple to do is a sensory bottle. Kids love watching the mixture in the bottle move around and can be calming for them if they want some wind-down time. Below I tell you how to make the sensory bottle. 

What you will need. 

* Pop bottle.

*  Glitter glue.

*  Glitter.

*  Water.

*  Washing up liquid. 

How to make the glitter bottle. 

1. Wash out the bottle and remove the label.

2. Put the glitter glue into the bottle.

3. Fill it up with water to about an inch or two of the open bottle. 

4. Add some glitter.

5. Screw the lid tightly. 

6. We added a squirt of washing up liquid as it made the glitter sink and not stay at the top making the mixture more evenly spread inside of the bottle. 

7. Shake the bottle and there you have your own sensory bottle. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 05/09/2021

My boys were chuffed to get their medal for completing the summer reading challenge  :)

Kids activities that parents can enjoy too

Hey readers, 

Sometimes the words 'will you play with me for me and a lot of other parents' be filled with dread. I don't do imaginary play and reading other people's experiences a lot of other parents too. 

However, I do enjoy some elements of 'play', and here are my top things that I do enjoy and take part in and I am going to share my ideas that are how to make playdough do for adults and children, check them out below. 

1. Colouring books. 

Help Teaching says you don't have to be a kid to enjoy colouring, it can be therapeutic and a nice way to spend time with your child by colouring in together. It is a calming activity and there is pressure to think outside of the box as it was so good to relax as a parent as well. 

2. Jigsaw puzzles. 

Jigsaw puzzles are a brilliant way to work together and deal with a problem and working out how to put the pieces together to form a picture. 

3. Video games.

Video games are a fun way to spend time with kids. I have a Nintendo switch as a family we love playing Mario Karts, it is fun and everyone has a laugh play together. 

4. Reading.

Not only is reading educational but it can be a fun activity to do together. Whether that be reading to the child, child reading to you, or both taking it in turns to read a story together is a lovely way to spend some quality time with your child. Reading Rockets has a brilliant list of different types of reading activities you can do with your child. 

5. Board games.

There are many board games out there and of course, age-related as well. So, going from my experience with a seven and nine-year-old I enjoy playing with my boys Monoply, buckaroo, card games, Uno, top trump, hungry hippos that kind of range is perfect to kill some time and spend some time on your child. 

I like board games because I enjoy them and they do not fill me with dread and looking at the clock because I don't have to make up things much prefer structural play. 

6. Baking.

Good to Know points out the beauty with baking is you don't have to make something complicated (though you can if you feel confident in doing so) but there are really simple baking you can do such as cookies but kids love being in the kitchen and helping out.

 Of course, the best bit for the child is licking the spoon but seriously they enjoy doing what adults doing. It is also fun and something you can do together to create something tasty. 

7. Drawing.

An activity that both my boys enjoy doing with me is drawing along videos on youtube where we all draw what the person is doing on their video whether it be animals, cartoon characters it is just a really fun way to do something together.

 It is also my kids sometimes struggle to know what to draw so draw along videos are perfect because you know what you are doing and don't get the feeling of being overwhelmed in thinking of something on the spot. 

Have I missed off any activities that as an adult you like to do with a child? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

How to deal with siblings squabbling.

Hey readers,

As a parent with two children, the constant squabbling at times between my boys can be really frustrating as a parent. At times you feel at a lost end that being said there are some methods that I think can help reduce the amount of sibling squabbling. Check out my ideas down below. 

1.  Make your kids feel important. 

It is important that each child gets to feel important. Make sure your child is being listened to and given attention. A good activity is to listen to your child listen or go somewhere quiet to have time on their own to talk about how they feel. Also, remind them that they are important to you. 

2. Focus on each child's needs. 

Making sure that your child's needs are met, a simple way to do this is by asking them what they need? It also gives them a chance to talk to you and to feel like they have been heard. If they want to do something in particular whether that is playing a game, going to a park, or even having certain toys in the bath. Make an agreement to do this so they get their special time and that helps reduce conflict as they are getting their needs meet even if it is something simple, it could mean the world to them. 

3. team work - together in the same team. 

Getting your children to work together in the same team so they can work together and know that they are on the same side. It could be playing a game on a console where they are competing against the parents so they can work together, It helps bring tensions down and have time together to have fun. 

4.  Hold hands.

This is a very effective method to stop siblings squabbling is to make your children sit on a sofa and hold hands, it didn't last long but they ended up laughing and breaking up the tension. Therefore when they next start arguing telling them they have to hold hands sure as hell cuts the arguing and they stop and so sort out the issue. 

5. Separate them. 

Sometimes it can work where you get them together other times for whatever reason it could be bothered overly tired at the end of the week you simply have to separate them and let them do their own thing. It helps defuse the situation and sometimes they just want some alone time especially if they are uber tired. 

6. Outside. 

I live in a flat on the 16th floor and though I am lucky to have quite a big balcony sometimes we just need to get out of the home and get some fresh air. My kids often especially at the weekend find burning off some of that used energy outside helpful, even if it is just scooting around the block. It breaks up the day and a change of scenery does everyone good. I always find that when I do this when getting home kids are much calmer and everyone is happier. 

Are there any methods that I have missed from the list that you have found beneficial in stopping siblings from squabbling? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 29/08/2021

A to Z of children's activities.

Hey readers,

Below I have the ultimate A to Z guide on all things children's activities related, so scroll down and feast your eyes on some fun activities. 

 A - arts and crafts.

B - bubbles.

C - cook.

D - dancing. 

E - exercise.

F - make forts.

G - walk on grass with your bare feet and feel the earth. 

H - help around the home.

I - freeze toys in water ice cubes.

J - jigsaws.

K - kids bored games.

 

L - lego challenge.

 

M - movie night.

N - nighttime glowing sensory bottles.

O - obstacle course.

P - playdoh.

Q - quiz.

R - reading. 

S - slime.

T - play tag in the park. 

U when it is raining go for a walk with an umbrella.

V - vegetable prints. 

W - write a story.

X - do a poem about items beginning with x.

Y - yoga.

Z - make zig-zag art with washi tape.

Cheers for reading X

**AD** Review of Wallace & Gromit Live Concert.

Hey readers,

It is the summer holiday at the moment and if you're looking for something to do then you need to consider watching Wallace & Gromit In concert at the Edinburgh Festival online. 

Carrot production has teamed up with the award-winning Aardman to bring you Wallace & Gromit In Concert. This is perfect for all the family to enjoy and having an orchestra adds something a bit different to the normal cartoon format. 

Did you know that Wallace & Gromit 30 minute animation film is one of the most successful films ever! Not only that but Aardman also created brilliant shows such as creature comforts, chicken run, and Shaun the Sheep. 

My boys love Wallace & Gromit cartoons and we watched a recorded version of the show and they were really interested in it. I say it is perfect for a late afternoon evening time as it is 1 hour and 18 minutes. It is lively but it is relaxing at the same time if that makes sense. 

Another good thing about watching the show at home is you can break anytime and have toilet breaks which are important when you have children. 

Not only is there an amazing live orchestra they play fun classics such as Bohemian Rhapsody which both my boys love Queen so they really enjoyed hearing that. 

I would say it is suited for 5 upwards mainly cause of the association. I liked the fact that orchestra members dressed up in Wallace & Gromit costumes where it is cheese, Shaun the sheep, or Lady Campanula to name a few. 

Not only is the show orchestra music there are classic clips in between the music making it fun with the story and coming together as a live performance.

 Matthew Sharp is an internationally renowned musician, actor, and performer and he really helps bring the show to life with musical performances and humour to get all the family smiling. 

In 2019 a the popular Snow Man live orchestra show produced by Carrot Production also brought the Wallace & Gromit The Wrong Trousers production as well which was successful up and down the country. 

Sadly due to the show being cancelled during 2020 due to the pandemic, it means that a lot of people missed out on the performance, including different countries. 

However, 2021 brings the return of the multi-awarded Wallace & Gromit live show which will be on-demand from 6-30 August 2021. The show is available online and on-demand including in BSL and audio description format. 

To book tickets for the online show of Wallace & Gromit The Wrong Trousers live orchestra at Edinburgh Fringe Festival click here. The cost of the tickets is £15.00 full price or a concession at £13.00 and this is an online event meaning you can watch it from the comfort of your own home. 

Also if you are interested in The Snowman Live they are doing shows later in the year so you can book tickets now here. I was lucky enough to be gifted some tickets in 2019 for me and my family to check out The Snowman live and you can check out my review on my blog here.

Cheers for reading X

I was gifted tickets in exchange for a review of Wallace & Gromit Live Concert. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

My Sunday Photo 22/08/2021

 

Sometimes it is the small things that make life great!

Things you lose when you become a parent

Hey readers,

When they say your whole life turns upside down when you have children they ain't fucking lying that is for sure. You can kiss your old carefree life goodbye because everything that belongs to your owns is tangible or intangible you have lost and now is the sole owner of your little darlings.

Let's hit hard and go for ideals - somewhere amongst the deprived sleep days of your newborn you lose a part of you and it can be hard to be found. Nothing makes sense anymore, you lose your shit and you will learn the art of negotiation.

 Being the perfect earth mother that you so desired during pregnancy failed badly. All you care about now is being masterful in the art of bribe just so you can get some peace even though you probably spend hours after with guilt and dealt.

Anything within eye level has official gone when they start walking.  I suggest hiding everything that is precious to you under lock and key. These young 'uns have the skills to find anything they want, the more desperate you are not to let them get it the more they will find a way to sniff it out!

All my stationery is destroyed, used, dried up or vanished in the darkest depths of their bedroom. I was deluded in thinking that if I give them my 'posh' fine liners I could sip a cup of tea and then be presented with lids at a later day. In actual fact, I just gone and lost my beautiful pens, chewed to death, god dame it.

The idea is that you pretend you look alright and asking your four-year-old what they think of your outfit. The boy is brutal in honesty, "mummy you have a big bum and you look a bit like the wolf in the three pigs". Don't ever be deluded and pretend you think you look like them as they will bring you back to reality with a hard bump.!

A quiet time where you can watch your programmes, I suggest completely forget it. The child will win hands and down and will take full reigns. 

Forget watching any of your favourite programmes with kids around or learn to read the subtitles but still have the problem of them conveniently being magnetised to the screen and standing there for ages for no other reason than to annoy the crap out of you.

Have you lost anything now that you are a parent? Love to hear your thoughts n the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X