Open Your Eyes!

With my son (mostly) away at school, there is a different dynamic in our house. Although I have written here about the clear-cut instructions for picking up after himself, the truth is my son has really not gotten the hang of that yet. So one of those changed dynamics is the fact that our house has been…cleaner.

Not long after he arrived home this weekend, the previously clutter-free floor of his room was littered with socks, tissues, remotes, books and battery chargers. I was the first one in bed last Friday evening and the first one up on Saturday morning. I walked into the kitchen that I had left fairly tidy – dishwasher filled, counters clean – and found every cabinet door and drawer open, dishes, silverware and glasses on the counter or in the sink. You get the picture.

I get that teenage boys/young men are not known for their neatness; but there comes a time to tweak that behavior. I am not asking for a sea change, just a sign that my son is capable of seeing a mess and cleaning it.

The things that I really wish he would grasp though have less to do with his environment and more to do with him. I still find myself telling him to wipe his mouth (although much less frequently than when he was younger), and that’s a worry to me. I attribute the fact that he is unaware of whether his mouth is clean and the impact on others if it is not, to his learning disability. I don't think I am overstating the case when I say that is one obstacle that he must overcome in order to be successful.

I have given my son a heads up that while he is home for the Thanksgiving break, I will be in “nag” mode. I don’t know how else to get him over these supposedly simple hurdles. I would gladly take suggestions!

A Short Note on Teeth

It seems these days that nearly all children wear braces at some point in their young lives. My daughter has them now. My son went from 6th grade retainers, to 7th grade braces, to 8th grade head-gear, before everything came off in 10th grade to display beautiful pearly whites.

The problem for my son is that his pearly whites aren't always so pearly. The medication that he is on to control his movement disorder causes dry mouth. As a result, food often sticks to his teeth, especially in the front. He is who he is: he is usually not aware that there might be food on his teeth. So we tell him.

If any neuro-typical person had that stray piece of spinach caught on their teeth, they'd probably be embarrassed, but probably would want someone to tell them. I don't think my son gets uncomfortable when we tell him to wipe off his teeth; he recognizes, because we've told him many times, that it's not a pleasant sight. Hearing this message so frequently, he's usually pretty careful about this now -- but not always.

The short note on teeth: Brush often, brush thoroughly, if you can't brush, wipe.