With Christmas just around the corner, I can’t help but want to get ready early this year! We have always said we weren’t going to go crazy with gifts yet we always end up getting the boys too many things (they don’t seem to mind). Anyway, this year we really are going to cut back and not spend as much money on toys that they most likely will forget about in a couple days. I went to Toys R Us the other day and Carter and I (PLEASE NOTE, IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE A 3 YEAR OLD TO A TOY STORE WITH NO INTENTION OF LEAVING THE STORE WITH A TOY!) picked out 4 toys for him and 4 toys for Jaxon. Since Jaxon is really only into a few things; Star Wars, costumes, and Red Coat Soldiers it was fairly easy to get 4 things for him. Well, then a few days later the good ole’ “toy book” came in the mail from AAFES (military store) and of course Jaxon saw it (he gets the mail everyday) and went completely nuts telling me every toy on every page that he is going to ask Santa for…it was time to have a little talk. The only problem, sometimes trying to explain things to a child with autism is somewhat difficult.
This is what I did, I gave him a pen and let him circle the most important toys. Then I had him make a list (I know that this isn’t possible for every child on the spectrum, but Jaxon is able to write fairly well so I wanted to try it out) out of the toys he circled 5 toys that he simply HAD to have. He really sat and thought about it for a long time and did a great job! I explained to him that Santa can only bring so many toys in his sleigh and so every boy and girl will only get 1 or 2 things from Santa and then a couple things from Mom and Dad (we always get new shoes, socks, PJ’s and such and wrap them up too so that it looks like they have more presents than they really do). He seemed to be ok with this. I told him that we would send his list to Santa and that Santa would look it over and see what was available in his workshop…again, seemed to work. Oh, and did I mention that none of the toys that I got him were in that book…GREAT, (since then his Grandma got him two of the items, so I think we are going to be ok) so I went to Amazon (online) and "showed" him a cople of things that I thought he "might like"....since they were already on layaway where they would be secured as gifts but I didn't need to find hiding places for them yet...he was definitely on board with my choices!
I keep reminding him (especially after every toy commercial) that we already made our list and that we can’t get everything we see…sometimes being a kid is just as hard as being a parent. I am sure that he will be very excited on Christmas morning when he get a few of the most important things he asked for and not be so overwhelmed with a lot of little things like we have gotten in the past. I am so excited to be nearly done with my Christmas shopping, what about you?
This is what I did, I gave him a pen and let him circle the most important toys. Then I had him make a list (I know that this isn’t possible for every child on the spectrum, but Jaxon is able to write fairly well so I wanted to try it out) out of the toys he circled 5 toys that he simply HAD to have. He really sat and thought about it for a long time and did a great job! I explained to him that Santa can only bring so many toys in his sleigh and so every boy and girl will only get 1 or 2 things from Santa and then a couple things from Mom and Dad (we always get new shoes, socks, PJ’s and such and wrap them up too so that it looks like they have more presents than they really do). He seemed to be ok with this. I told him that we would send his list to Santa and that Santa would look it over and see what was available in his workshop…again, seemed to work. Oh, and did I mention that none of the toys that I got him were in that book…GREAT, (since then his Grandma got him two of the items, so I think we are going to be ok) so I went to Amazon (online) and "showed" him a cople of things that I thought he "might like"....since they were already on layaway where they would be secured as gifts but I didn't need to find hiding places for them yet...he was definitely on board with my choices!
I keep reminding him (especially after every toy commercial) that we already made our list and that we can’t get everything we see…sometimes being a kid is just as hard as being a parent. I am sure that he will be very excited on Christmas morning when he get a few of the most important things he asked for and not be so overwhelmed with a lot of little things like we have gotten in the past. I am so excited to be nearly done with my Christmas shopping, what about you?