1. The locks and alarms on your doors are similar to those on prison cells.
2. You can spot another child on the spectrum from a mile away.
3. Your child can have the same thing for lunch every day and always enjoy it.
4. You are no longer alarmed by piercing, high pitched screams but only by the sound of broken glass.
5. You have memorized all the theme so
ngs from NICK Jr. or PBS Kids after having to listen to them daily even though your child is now a teenager.
6. You never get lost anywhere because your child is a human GPS.
7. The definition of a clean house is now, one that doesn’t have an overflowing trash can, dishes in the sink are rinsed, and laundry is at least in the hamper or in the basket.
8. Someone walks into your house and asks if you live in a dangerous neighborhood and you say no… the window locks, gate locks and three types of door locks are to keep my kid in… not bad guys out.
9. Your child is over the age of six and you still carry a diaper bag.
10. Your stress level is equivalent to that of a combat soldier at war.
11. You can communicate with your non-verbal child without using words, PECS or sign language.
12. You have a child that enjoys stripping down in winter and wearing layers of clothing in the summer.
13. You still have to tie your teenagers shoe laces.
14. You can relate to most of these and probably both laughed and cried reading them.
15. Your freezer is always stocked with chicken nuggets and French fries.
16. Your child has to sort his fruit loop cereals according to colors before eating them.
17. You have a neat ‘mess’ of perfectly lined toys/items all over the floor that you have to step over.
18. You have holes in your walls that were caused by your child’s head during meltdowns.
19. You know your child pooped…you just don’t know where.
20. Your dating life has become non-existent …um…What is dating again?
This list was compiled from responses given on our page atSingle Mothers who have Children with Autism.
6. You never get lost anywhere because your child is a human GPS.
7. The definition of a clean house is now, one that doesn’t have an overflowing trash can, dishes in the sink are rinsed, and laundry is at least in the hamper or in the basket.
8. Someone walks into your house and asks if you live in a dangerous neighborhood and you say no… the window locks, gate locks and three types of door locks are to keep my kid in… not bad guys out.
9. Your child is over the age of six and you still carry a diaper bag.
10. Your stress level is equivalent to that of a combat soldier at war.
11. You can communicate with your non-verbal child without using words, PECS or sign language.
12. You have a child that enjoys stripping down in winter and wearing layers of clothing in the summer.
13. You still have to tie your teenagers shoe laces.
14. You can relate to most of these and probably both laughed and cried reading them.
15. Your freezer is always stocked with chicken nuggets and French fries.
16. Your child has to sort his fruit loop cereals according to colors before eating them.
17. You have a neat ‘mess’ of perfectly lined toys/items all over the floor that you have to step over.
18. You have holes in your walls that were caused by your child’s head during meltdowns.
19. You know your child pooped…you just don’t know where.
20. Your dating life has become non-existent …um…What is dating again?
This list was compiled from responses given on our page atSingle Mothers who have Children with Autism.
