Max spent a chunk of the weekend browsing Trulia and Zillow on my computer, specifically, offerings in Los Angeles. The $4,999,999 mansion he chose is a bargain, given that it's been marked down from $5,199,999.
"I want to move to Los Angeles!" he announced. (Favorite phrase No. 1.)
"It's disgusting here!" he continued. (Favorite phrase No. 2.)
Max is equally happy to make lists on his iPad about what he likes to do in L.A. (hang with Dave's friends, eat steak, go to Disneyland, eat In 'N Out Burger, drive around, eat mac 'n cheese at his favorite café, eat some more). I'm glad he's found something engaging that also involves writing or learning to navigate a website. It beats those times when he sits in front of the TV and browses YouTube videos of fire stations and cruise ships. I can hear the Princess Cruise Love Boat horn in my dreams.
Entertaining Max at home has never been easy. As a kid, he wasn't one to play with toys alone because he needed a hand, as it was hard for him to grasp stuff, push buttons or focus. Floor time often felt like a chore because I felt compelled to make playing as therapeutic as possible. Floor time could also get me down, because it made it clear just how significant Max's fine-motor skills were.
As a teen, Max likes electronic devices (you know: teen!), but obviously there's a limit. Which we, er, mostly enforce. Max doesn't talk on the phone with friends, although he likes chatting with family. He reads, but is not into reading books or magazines, even ones about L.A. (I've tried). He does occasional chores, like taking laundry out of the washer and putting it into the dryer. He can work on homework independently, which is amazing, and smetimes he uses the homework practice site IXL. But in general, there's not much that he's into doing inside the house, which explains why he's regularly out "galavanting" with Dave, as Dave likes to say.
It will be easier once the weather's warmer, when Max likes to chill on our front porch and say hello to neighbors or take walks. But for now, I'm cool with letting him roam around real estate sites and fantasize about his future home. I think it counts as a hobby?! Whatever! As is often true of parenthood, whatever works, works.
I know it means more screen time, which is a huge challenge with my David, too (and he's only 5). All he wants to do is watch cartoons, most of the time (which is actually a new development this year as his cortical visual impairment has improved enough to allow him to process TV--on a large enough screen (hence my husband winning the 55 inch TV argument-lol). I wonder haveif you have considered introducing Max to The Sims? If you aren't familiar,H it's a PC life simulation game--but one of my favorite things to do when I play is build all different types of homes for my characters. For Max, he could research those extravagant homes and then try to build them within the game--which would help with fine motor development and mental focus. Yes it's screen time, but it's also therapeutic and a fun hobby. Keep up the great work! The struggles are real!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the garbled comment, ai changed gears part way through and didn't edit it fully-lol
DeleteDoes Max like art at all? Might be something both fun and useful (lots of fine motor skill practice). There are so many different artistic media out there he could try out and many that aren't very expensive.
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