r/AutisticParents

Y’all I feel like Superwoman, today

Disclaimer: I need to celebrate a bit after the insanity that took place this morning and the other parenting subs won’t understand the gravity of what went down and how hard it really was. Please don’t read this if you’re not in a good headspace to hear me brag just a lil bit 💜

I hate August. It hasn’t dipped below 80 degrees F in a couple weeks now and recently the highs have been over 100 so I’ve been a bit more unregulated than usual just due to the heat. To add to the fun, we’ve been getting rid of flour beetles in our pantry over the past couple of days which has literally never been an issue for us for the decade we’ve lived in our house. I figured out where they were nesting (rip to my almond flour 😭) took care of that and we sorted through all of our dry goods, put the remaining ones in airtight containers, and cleaned the pantry shelves. Awesome, right?

Y’all, I woke up to a swarm of fire ants (many of which were absolutely gigantic!!) on my pantry floor this morning 😭😭😭😭.

Fun fact about me: I cannot handle an excess of bugs in my home, of any kind. We’re usually pretty on top of things like this but yenno how it gets when you’ve got a little one (mine is 14 months and has been super active since he achieved mobility so a few of our deeper cleaning chores have fallen by the wayside, I admit).

Instantly I’m in a murderous rage and feel like crashing out into a meltdown…but that’s not what happened.

Instead, I somehow managed to:

Exterminate a large portion of the ants, figure out what was attracting them (a giant bag of skinny pop from Costco that my husband got for me as a lil treat but somehow had a tiiiny opening in the bag) and get rid of that, completely clean out my pantry floor, deep clean the area, caulk up some tiny openings along the base boards where they could get in, set a pet and baby safe poison trap for any stragglers so they could take it back to their nest and kill the queen.

All of this on top of feeding myself and my baby, completing our usual morning chore routine together (prep baby meals for the day & milk/water cups, unload the dishwasher, do a load of laundry, and fix my hair in my usual sensory friendly style), coordinate details for an upcoming visit with the in-laws, and SOMEHOW got the baby down for his nap with 5 minutes to spare. We even had time for our usual pre-nap silly cuddle routine to reconnect since he spent a large chunk of the morning playing independently while I dealt with The Invaders 🐜 .

Y’all I’m so freaking proud of us. My son was so patient and resilient with minimal complaints; what a little trooper! I managed to keep my temper to an absolute minimum (only had one quick outburst in the other room when the toilet also clogged in the middle of all this because of course it did 🫠).

When I was growing up, my own mother would have been terrifying to be around if all this happened to her in the span of one morning and I, as a result, would’ve been close to shaking in fear of being the reason that she snapped entirely. But my son was giggling and chatting with me for most of the morning while I took care of the problem(s). 🥹

I don’t know how I managed to do all this, honestly, the morning is kind of a blur outside of the broad strokes. But the crisis was handled and I’m now back in my routine, burning off my extra adrenaline on my walking pad, like usual.

Just wanted to share this because parenting/running a household can be so difficult, especially for us as autistic people, but I love knowing that I can still do hard things if life throws me massive curve balls like this…now hopefully everything in my house can calm the fuck down for 48 hours or so 😅…

Mama needs a minute lol.

I might book a massage this weekend…I think I’ve earned it 🥰

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u/Elfie_Mae — 1 day ago

Lies / Incorrect facts told by kids

How do you handle lies?

I was yesterday at the library and a mom was explaining to her daughter that a 1 yo cannot read books yet. The girl said "I knew how to read when I was 1". I know kids do that and I also read that from age 4 they would say a lie every 2 hours (or something alike). But my brain was in pain.

My kid is 18 months now, and she doesn't speak yet. But I don't know what I would do when the lies start. I have big issues with people saying incoherent stuff, lying, or contradicting themselves.

EDIT: Thanks for your replies. I understand these may not be lies in the strict sense since there is not intention to mislead. Also understand that it is part of their development and a good practice for them. I am not looking for tips to correct and/or direct the behaviour of the kid, but how to moderate/control/change MY cognitive RESPONSE. What other autistic parents out there have found to help them? As I have said I have big issues with people saying incoherent stuff, lying, or contradicting themselves.

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u/love_chocolate — 2 days ago
▲ 41 r/AutisticParents+1 crossposts

Husband made a hurtful comment about our son . Cant get it out of my head.

I’m gonna get straight to the point . My son (9yr) has high functioning autism and adhd, he is a social butterfly, kind and just like any other kid he has his bad moments. For the first 4 years of his like I was a married single parent. Husband started to get more involved but had little patience or understanding of how our son’s brain works. Him and my son go to drum lessons on Sundays , needles to say he came home infuriated that his son didn’t listen in class was not behaving and kept asking when they could go home. Among other things but what got me the most was the following and I quote : ‘I did not sign up for this, I was robbed of fatherhood, I’m
Not a father to this retarded thing’ ( while pointing at our son’s room . I was speechless and crying. How do you handle this?

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u/mexcookie — 4 days ago

Anyone here ND married with less-involved ND?

Hi, i just wanna know that i'm not alone in this matter. This is my first time posting here, so apologies if it's inappropriate etc. If inappropriate, please delete this post.

Anyone here who is neurodivergent, but also married to another neurodivergent, and your spouse is not really involved as a parent/spouse? They're like an absent parent/spouse, and you need to do everything alone on their behalf. even financially (optional).

Not really seeking advice, but just validation. I just wanna know if there's anyone out there here who have similar situation to me. I know logically there must be, but seeing a reply would give me the strength. Thank you.

---

Edit: Thank you so much for your kind replies. Sorry that i couldnt reply to everyone, because i'm thinking of how should i reply, as your comments are precious to me. maybe i'm too overthinking 😅

Your comments resonate with me, and they're mean so much to me. It helps me gone through these past few days with a calmer mindset. Thank you so much, you're really awesome.

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u/Square-Special1520 — 4 days ago

I didn’t realize being a parent would leave me feeling just as “alien” as I felt as a kid.

I grew up and found my people, I don’t spend time with those who can’t tolerate me, think im weird or rude or immature…like, ive found my people and those who don’t get me don’t get me…You think you’ve grown out of certain insecurities and then your kids go to school…

My oldest autistic kid is in elementary school and I have to deal with the same parents year after year even if they make me feel that same feeling. Where it’s clear they think I’m weird as shit and they’re not so good at hiding their judgement. Even if our kids are friends, even if we have multiple kids in classes together. It’s so few parents really but it’s still there. Or strange interactions with the teachers because there’s a rule book for how to interact with the teachers that obviously I don’t understand even when I think I do…

…and then I’m the parent advocating for my autistic kid and teachers nod and smile but don’t understand why my super bright kid needs accommodations because “they look like they’re doing so well!” It’s so hard and so awkward and the cost to my capacity is so much higher than makes sense.

Then I leave school and we go to after school sports and I watch as the coaches clearly think my kid is odd and im odd and it doesn’t matter if we gave 200% of our capacity to the team or that my kid is deeply focused and committed, nobody ever wants us on the same team two years in a row.

Whether they know we’re autistic or not it’s the same shit and I wish I knew I’d have to deal with this all over again but worse because im watching its impacts on my child simultaneously. And there’s nothing I can do. It doesn’t matter how hard I try to play the game by their rules there is no winning.

School and sports already demand so much more of our family, and then for some reason it’s made harder than that for no reason at all just because people can smell our ‘tism a mile away.

Fuck. Solidarity and support welcome.

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u/NoCurrency7143 — 6 days ago

Caution: Parenting as an autistic may push you off of the "functional" scale.

I'm really going through this profound realisation right now that whatever needs you need to have met, to function well enough to manage life (safe space, peace and quiet, sensory issues, other executive function skills) often can't be met when you actually are an involved parent. This is HARD to cope with. It was'nt even a month ago I needed help to overcome simple daytime care of a very active boy 16mo, and just this past week, my wife and him were off to his grandparents to stay for 4 days for the first time since his birth. I was feeling DISGUSTED with how much relief and happiness I felt about the prospect of complete silence, and even more DISGUSTED with how I was feeling and thinking about them comming home again. The anxiety of knowing the 24/7 high pitched screaming and crying and constant demand on my broken brain made me think some really dark thoughts. Anyhow, because of the silence I was able to salvage executive function I have'nt had for a very long time and was able to do a lot of housework I had given up on, and even went to the gym for the first time in a month.

Please someone tell me Im not the only autistic parent secretly dreaming of peace and quiet most days. I really struggle with the pull of my thoughts that speak of regret and mourning, louder than they speak of love, on most days.

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u/Able_Membership_1199 — 9 days ago

The most heart breaking little voice

For about a week my autistic, six year old son has been saying, 'Momma, Dadda kiss.' Over and over again. Up until a year ago he was completely non-verbal. My wife and I still live in the same house but have been strangers for about a year, we haven't been intimate or even affectionate for at least that long. We both deserve better than who each other has become. We're friendly roommates at best. And knowing that all my kiddo wants is to see us together makes me weep. I'm brokenhearted over the whole thing, but knowing how it's already affecting him ruins me. I'm TRYING SO HARD to hold on for him but GOD DAMN I've got nothing left.

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u/Vivid_Discussion5017 — 6 days ago

Love is found in the peeling of an orange

I hate peeling oranges. I hate getting the peel under my nail, and how it squirts juice or orange peel oil. I hate how sticky the juice is, and I hate how they make my hands smell like oranges even after washing. I hate the seeds and the stringy bits. They usually don’t taste good enough to me to make the juice worth the squeeze, so to speak.
I had a hell of a few days, doing a staycation with my husband and 4 yr old in the big city I’ve lived an hour away from my whole life. Husband is working, so just me and kiddo really. Kiddo and I had a really hard time the day before yesterday , with a big meltdown when trying to evacuate for a tornado warning. On the stairs, while I was trying to carry him and a stroller down flights of stairs by myself- he wouldn’t walk just wanted to sit and cry. Rough day. Yesterday though…We took stinky loud public transportation, and my kiddo did great, stayed close to me and got in and out of stroller as needed to do stairs. We got caught in the rain and absolutely soaked through our raincoats on the way to the aquarium. Kiddo did great, I had some dry clothes for him but not for me. Our shoes stayed wet all day. He accidentally splashed fish water all down my pants legs and shoes at the touch tank. I didn’t freak out, but my feet were wet ALL day. We spent hours at the aquarium. Lunch in the aquarium cafeteria.
He wanted an orange. And I peeled it for him.

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u/dollarsandindecents — 8 days ago

Im Autistic and Im thinking back and forth on having kids. If you’re an Autistic parent can you share experience and give any advice? We

So I 20f am Autistic. I was diagnosed at 14 1/2 and am considered low support needs.

I have always been good with kids, I have been my family’s designated babysitter for as long as I can remember. I have cared for children of all ages and am pretty good at it. Everyone always says that I was born to be a parent.

Autism runs in my family. I have several cousins, and uncles that are on the spectrum, a couple of which are high support needs. Some are incontinent, non verbal, are prone to extreme meltdowns and violent outbursts.

I love my cousins and uncles, but i also recognise how hard raising them was on my grandparents, aunts, uncles and their siblings.

My Aunt and Uncle for example, had two children who were 8 and 12 years old, when my aunt got pregnant with my two cousins, who are twins. The two twins were both on the spectrum. They grew up to be very high support needs, incontinent, non verbal, extreme food aversions, and horrible meltdowns.

My Aunt ended up having to leave a career she loved and worked hard to have, to care for the twins full time, while my uncle continued to work full time at his job. My Aunt was constantly black and blue, it started with pretty bad bruises on her arms, then as the twins got older and stronger, it escalated to black eyes, and so on.

The two older boys ended up being sort of an after thought. My uncle was barely home as he had to work long hours to provide for four kids, himself and his wife alone. My aunt then relied on substances to get her through the day and became an addict.

They were unable to get the twins in any respite care in my country, because they were incontinent and there is very little support available for SEN families.

Autism also runs on my boyfriend’s 20m side of the family, and he has an older cousin that is high support needs. His aunt had broken arms, and broken cheek bones, from her son’s meltdowns. She was strangled, punched, nipped, kicked, head butted. My boyfriend’s aunt was a single mother, so my boyfriend’s mother often pitched in to help out, she was also strangled and hit, but not as bad as his mother.

My personal experience, things I have witnessed and stories I have heard from family members, all the fear mongering I see online against autism, and the fact that autism is suspected to be genetic makes me scared to have kids.

Im not afraid to have a disabled child, or a child with learning difficulties, or anything like that.

But I am afraid of giving up my life’s work to be beaten, or being afraid of my own kids, like i have seen so many other women in my family.

Do any of you have any advice?

Im sorry if I said anything wrong, or if I offended anyone, it’s definitely not my intention.

I was just wondering if any of you had felt like this prior to having children, if you did what changed your mind? What is your experience as an Autistic parent raising kids, autistic or not?

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u/throwawaypoop456 — 9 days ago

New to school age children

My son just started kindergarten. I have found that I sit and waste the day away waiting for him to get home and do nothing when it's just me and my 11 month old. Maybe this will change as I get used to it but have any other parents done the same?

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u/Fancy_Account_4148 — 7 days ago

How far should I go with teaching how to socialize?

Kiddo is in kindergarten. Not diagnosed, but reminds me of when I was a child. Has strong food aversions (I wasn't even that picky--or maybe I was just scolded that I was forced to eat?) and is also obsessed with trains, particularly the jingles that play during departures. So anyway, I strongly suspect he has ASD as well.

I grew up in a different country and culture from the country where I live now. There is a huge expectation of being able to blend in the group and not stand out. Everyone his age is making friends now. He has one that he always talks about and from outside looking in, reminds me of the extrovert adopting an introvert type of friendship. Everyone else to him is "not a friend" even if he got along with them for a while and played with them.

I had a lot of issues making friends while growing up for obvious reasons (ASD quirks). I also got bullied. Now I desperately don't want my kid to go down the same route, so I'm coaching him on how to be more approachable. I teach him to greet people cheerfully with a loud voice (this is also taught at school). I tell him to always say bye especially to the kids he'd be playing with when I come fetch him. When we find a lost item in school, I try to have him return it to the teacher, but he asks me on what he should say, so I say the exact words. He failed to do it, by the way. He got too shy to speak, so I did it for him. I know how he feels, so I didn't want to put too much stress on him.

I think to myself that teaching him these things are just the basics of learning to live in a society, but a part of me wonders if I'm teaching him how to mask? Masking is essential to make life a little bit easier outside, but I know how much energy it saps.

I might be overthinking it, but as an autistic parent to a suspected autistic child, how did you handle teaching the social aspects of life?

I know children learn from example and honestly, I feel guilty that I can't be the exemplary model for my child, being an awkward mess myself.

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u/sol_doubt — 8 days ago

AuDHD parent - Executive Function in Burn Out Help?!

Disclaimer: AuDHD parent (self dxd but casually confirmed by therapist and psych friend) of yet to be diagnosed ND kids (status irrelevant), 4y and 6m

Looking for tips on how other parents (especially with the ADHD bonus add on) dealing with autistic burn out but still... coping with all the stuff that has to be done.

I've been struggling lately: work is getting to be high intensity after my mat leave transition back, my partner is having a hard time emotionally and I'm trying to prevent it from impacting my kids, my 4y kid is having some behavioral stuff, etc... I've been holding down okay for the last year (including through pregnancy) but the last month I've been starting to shut down during the day, needing to lay down or getting migraines or just staring blankly at my desk on good days and dealing with SI on bad ones.

Usually my husband and I share the load and trade off owning stuff, but now that we're both in some stage of burn out, things are a literal mess and I am overstimulated everywhere I look.

My intentions each day start good - I WFH so I think to myself "I'll just put in laundry between work blocks" or "I can clean a toilet while listening to this town hall" - but the task suddenly feels insurmountable when I go to do it, like "I have to get out the supplies, go to the bathroom, empty the counters, and then I really should scrub the sink..." and absolutely freeze up but the volume of tasks.

Are meds the answer (I'm already on a cocktail of meds for bipolar)? Do you have ways to trick your brain into doing only the one task you need to do? Do you have a routine that helps? Do I need to budget better so I can afford a cleaning service again?

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u/Tricky-Bee6152 — 10 days ago

That quiet “oh no” when the safe food packaging changes…

How dare GogoSqueez fruit and veggie applesauce add Buzz and Woody to their packaging to promote the newest Toy Story movie. Not only does my ASD toddler inspect it carefully and not trust it: here I am over-explaining ADHD-style and promising that the flavor and texture has not changed just because there is no longer a cartoon apple on the front. 😂

I’d love to hear more lighthearted/silly stories about the little quirks you’ve found in ND to ASD or ASD to ND parenting like this if you all have them!

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u/mobile_ganyu — 10 days ago

How to best help my autistic husband parent

I’m sorry if this is not the thread I need, please feel free to delete this post.

I (30F) am a SAHM and recently was diagnosed with ADHD. My husband (30M) and I agree he is probably on the spectrum somewhere. Our 2 boys are 3.5y and 1y.

I would like to know the best way to help him be the best dad he can be. I believe he is experiencing burnout currently, because any free second he gets he tries to zone out and doomscrolling his phone. He says he doesn’t have time for any hobbies or anything, but he says he’s so bored being with the kids and can only handle a couple hours at a time with them, then he starts scrolling and the older one definitely notices it. I think he’s using it as a way to escape, but I feel like I‘m being neglected because he gets breaks here and there and it doesn’t get reciprocated. I’m starting to have some resentment and that’s why. I want to help.

He also can’t handle the crying and whining, and I can tell starts visibly getting upset. I try to get him to leave so he can relax but he refuses because he thinks he should be able to do it. But eventually he gets really worked up and starts getting angry, so I all but kick him out of the room and I hear him slam his fist on the table. Hes very insecure about parenting.

I try to give him breaks throughout the day and take the brunt of the child care, even when he’s home, but it’s feeling very unequal to me and I’m starting to burnout too. we have no family or friends nearby, so I’m completely isolated. I hold the children’s emotions and have to parent those, yet I feel like I have to be in charge of my husbands emotions too and teach him emotion regulation at the same time.

Sorry for the rambling (ADHD amiright). How can I best help him parent the children? I know to give him lots of breaks, but at some point when do I get a break? Is there anything else that can help him too?

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u/SoSueMe1234 — 10 days ago

Managing parenthood and marriage with an NT

Hi all. Sorry if my post is unclear, in one sense I'm not entirely sure what I'm asking for and just trying to get things off my chest.

I was recently diagnosed autistic and told I'm likely ADHD too (looking to start the diagnostic process in a matter of weeks). Long story short I came to the realisation after burning out after the birth of my second child (both children NT as far as we know, haven't seen signs of ND so far but they're young).

A lot of that burnout and my suspicion of being ND caused tension with my wife (NT). She doesn't see me as autistic, even after I've got a formal diagnosis, but thinks there's something to ADHD (been together 10+ years). She thinks that me seeking out answers is making things about me when I should be focusing on my marriage and children (I don't see looking for answers as separate from these, although of course it has great personal meaning to me).

Anyway, I struggle to manage my career, marriage and parenthood. It's like I can give mental focus only on 1-2 at a time, and I find it really really hard to switch off from my job no matter how much I try.

I'm not an idle husband or father by any measure (I do a lot of the jobs around the house, night-time dealing with children and childcare more generally; she does too but she plans and remembers everything), but it feels like I'm constantly unable to get as much done as my wife and she's finding it really hard. I'm constantly feeling incompetent and unable to push myself, and she feels lonely and exhausted doing so much at home.

Does anyone else have similar difficulties?

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u/JobFabulous594 — 8 days ago

Do other autistic parents also lack an inner compass when parenting?

Life as an autistic parent is very, very hard for me. So hard that I feel like I’m in a constant state of stress, to the point that in five years I feel like I’ve aged ten years and I’m also experiencing health problems.

Some more context. I’m 35 and my child is 8. He is highly gifted, with an IQ in the 99.8th percentile, meaning that only 0.2% of the population scores higher. I mention this because his giftedness has brought quite a few challenges since he was very young. As a baby he would never sleep and only scream. As a toddler, he had a lot of very intense meltdowns, sometimes lasting an hour, with ear piercing screaming, kicking, biting and hitting. Thankfully, that has passed, but things are still difficult in many other ways.

He is largely unaffected by authority, which can be part of being highly gifted. He can be manipulative, constantly tests boundaries and is always looking for loopholes. He already displays a lot of teenage behavior at eight.

Of course, he also has many wonderful, funny and incredibly sweet qualities. I’m mentioning the difficult parts simply to explain why parenting him can sometimes be quite overwhelming.

There is something I’ve been thinking about, and I’m curious whether other people recognize this.

Because of my autism, I feel like I lack an internal compass when it comes to what is and isn’t appropriate. I don’t instinctively know what I should address and what I should let go. Here’s an example.

My son is eight and finds eating with cutlery difficult. He can do it, but sometimes he simply refuses. Instead of having an instinctive opinion about it, either feeling that he absolutely should eat with cutlery or genuinely not caring if he eats with his hands, I end up in a stressed state of constantly trying to work out what other people would consider “normal”, what I’m “supposed” to say, and what is appropriate.

I don’t feel it from within myself. And that makes parenting incredibly exhausting, especially with a child who constantly finds loopholes and actively looks for what he can get away with and what is just barely outside the boundaries.

Does this resonate with other autistic people? And is this actually related to autism?

I have been masking so much since childhood that I feel like I’ve lost touch with what I actually want, feel or consider appropriate. I’m constantly looking outside myself for confirmation that what I’m doing is desirable or appropriate.

Another example: my child talks A LOT. I’m much more inwardly focused myself, and sometimes I simply cannot handle the endless monologues. And yet I don’t instinctively know whether I should say something about it or not.

My thoughts immediately go: But all children talk a lot. What would my mother have said to me when I was a child? Does he really talk that much? What would other parents do?

It feels like I have zero intuition in those moments and that I’m not able to parent from within myself.

Please don’t misunderstand me: my partner is NT and a very good parent. There is absolutely nothing wrong with our child, and he is growing into a wonderful human being. I think I’m a good parent too, if I may say so myself. But underneath the surface, it feels like an endless, complicated struggle.

Do other autistic parents recognize this?

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u/Big-Shoulder187 — 13 days ago

Feeling judged by my childless best friend?

Hi everyone. I'm a first time sahm to a 23 month old. I have autism + ADHD, and I'm currently managing it through therapy and testing out some medication. My best friend is also autistic and we get along super well. She doesn't want any kids and I'm very understanding and supportive of that. She's about 5 years older than myself.

I've noticed that since mentioning I want to try for my 2nd and last kid soon she has a lot of comments and suggestions all which I'm open to hearing but I also feel some judgement. I don't think she means it this way, but I feel sad. I think she's worried I will be overwhelmed since she sometimes is witness to the hard days. But she also doesn't always see the good and great days. So perhaps she doesn't have enough perspective to understand my decision. Today, my son was refusing to nap (as he has been doing for thr past 2 weeks since his molars are coming in) and she said "and you want to have another one in a couple months??" And I sort of stayed quiet. I know she's just trying to be a voice of reason, but to me, the hard days and hard parts of motherhood don't make it "not worth it" to me. I still enjoy most days of motherhood and I am finding new ways to cope through therapy. And medication is definitely helping me feel like a happier revitalized version of myself.

My friend doesn't understand why I haven't just cold turkey weaned my toddler, and doesn't really care for my gentle parenting / thinks I'm too soft with my toddler. She grew up with a hardcore genX mom who had her very young and her mom definitely has the latchkey kid mentality. All of her other mom friends are not stay at home moms, or frequently leave their kids with the grandparents to go out and drink / have fun and don't really "enjoy" their kids. I on the other hand want to raise my son and possible second kid for the first few years before returning to work and sending them to school. This is a decision I've made on my own, same with gentle parenting and extended breastfeeding. All are foreign concepts to her, and she seems to think because I ocasionally get overstimulated that I don't actually enjoy these things.

I feel like I'm just trying to enjoy motherhood to the best of my abilities and yes I have hard days but I don't yell or hit my kid, nor do I express any disdain towards my son at all. Idk why she believes I'm not truly enjoying it. Of course, as neurodivergent parents we are naturally going to struggle more than our NT counterparts, but at the end of the day I've chosen this life.

She also is more interested in drinking, more so than before. We didn't really drink or do anything like that prior to my son. She also wants to go on outings more which I totally get and I love to go, but I usually need a months heads up to let my mom know, so she can babysit for 2 ish hours. I don't like to leave my son for too long since he's still getting used to being babysat. My mom doesn't babysit too much because she works, but she always tries to help where she can.

We recently went on a birthday outing and accidentally stayed out for 4 hours and I was really missing my son, and she said she didn't think it was long enough, but that we went back home since I was worried about my son. :-(

I just feel very judged and sad because idk how to explain to her that I really am happy/content with my decisions, even if things are tough sometimes. Also my son was recently diagnosed with autism and I've been working on speech therapy with him, so of course things are a little more tense around here, but I'm doing my best and I definitely don't feel like I'm in the "trenches" or anything. Idk what else to say to her other than telling her I am content with things right now and the only thing I would change is my husband helping more.

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u/ToughDependent7591 — 12 days ago

How to come back from burnout?

I’m 33F, got dx back in November with AuDHD. I’ve been a SAHM since 2021. I have 3 kids, two are school aged and a 3yr old toddler. Summers and school breaks are very rough for me. School is starting back up tomorrow, so I’m *hoping* it will get better. But, we are moving to a different state in a few months. We don’t have much help right now, just my MIL occasionally watching the kids for a date night. But, once we move, we will be completely on our own. I had a hard time trusting people for child care, and I’m afraid I’ll won’t want to hire someone. I rely heavily on my husband for my social interactions and relief from overstimulation and melt downs. Afternoons are very hard for me, and some days I have to lock myself in a dark and quiet closet for relieve. I think doing this all summer has caused me to become pretty depressed and burnt out. I’ve aggravated and irritated from the moment I wake up, until the moment I fall asleep. I rarely smile anymore, and nothing seems fun and it’s hard to concentrate on most things. It’s normally hard for me to wake up in the mornings anyways, but it has become harder. I’m afraid it won’t get better once school starts. I’m afraid I’ll just get worse after the move. I have been in CBT for a few months now, but honestly, I don’t think it’s helping me. I also have a prescription for stimulants, but I don’t feel like they help much, either, so the point of where I just stopped taking them. I tired different kinds and doses, but only vyvanse 30mg seemed to help, but only occasionally. This also happened with antidepressants. Nothing seemed to help much. I believe my issues is my life circumstances. Which is why I’m in CBT, I was hoping it could help me chance my outlook and thinking patterns to hopefully appreciate things in life more, and learn to be happy and more involved with my kids. But it hasn’t really done much. Idk what to do anymore and I just feel lost.

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u/90smomma93 — 10 days ago

Zespół Aspergera u dziecka.

Cześć u mojego synka zdiagnozowano zespół Aspergera. Mam pytanie do rodziców dzieci które również mają taką diagnoze. Jak wspieracie swoje dzieci, jak radzicie sobie z napadami złości? Będę wdzięczna za każdą pomoc ☺️

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u/BitterSweet0987 — 14 days ago