Ok, so I am a dummy.
Parents of "typical" kids struggle when their kids start hitting puberty but there is a basis of understanding. The have "the talk" and explain what will be happening to their bodies as they grow up. Easy enough.
I remember sitting in the 5th grade "maturation" movie movie with my mom. Do they still show that on the projector?
{{shudder}}
I guess when Sam was born, this time in his life didn't even enter into my mind and now it's upon me and I just am not ready! He's been wearing deodorant for over a year now but other things are happening.
{{shudder}}
How do you explain to an 11 year old boy who still likes to watch Elmo and Thomas that he's going to start getting hair in his armpits and "down there"?
What happens when he starts to get facial hair? Is Todd going to help him shave every day?
Is he going to have a little mustache?
How are we going to explain the "birds and the bees" to him? What happens if he starts to masturbate (pardon my french)? What happens if he gets a girlfriend?
These are real and oh so serious concerns. I'm not sure I can cope. No one tells you how to handle these things.
Where is the book Puberty for Dummies Who Have Kids with Special Needs?
5 comments:
Oh Kim, that's tough! Maybe you can talk to some parents with special needs teenagers and see how they approached these topics.
Awkward! I don't even want to think about it. I'm sure you'll do the right thing. Best of luck!
My mom tells of when my three brothers and I started asking questions, many times it was in the evenings when our dad was gone at work, and many of our questions where ones she felt should have been answered by him had he been there. (I recently learned when mom had related a certain incident to him over the phone he burst out laughing at his desk).
What I have learned from her, and hope to apply when I have children to teach, is that a question in that realm of things does not require the full curriculum be covered in one sitting.
The answer to a question becomes just that, and if something in the answer confuses a child they can get further clarification if needs be. As a continuous dialogue is encouraged then it no longer becomes a dreaded talk that you hope is understood and retained, but it becomes a gradual growth of ideas to accompany the new experiences and even better prepare them for them.
sorry for the long response
We call it the "Home Depot" talk because it was on the drive there that my husband filled our oldest in on the birds and the bees. Turns out they have LOTS of things to help illustrate the point. Our family still loves to laugh about it!
I have all the same concerns with Nick. It stinks. I love the previous guys comment about drawing it out over a period of time. That might keep Nick from a future aversion of home repair stores . . .
Shudder is right on the maturation program. I'm freaked out by having a son headed into that phase as well (although our birds and bees talk was HILARIOUS).
There's gotta be a book out there for you! There's just gotta be!
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