#mommabear

Having never babysit boys much less raising one now. I guess I didn't realize the importance of the same kind of sweet treat or favorite food on meltdown days would be so important to him as well. Our family's been going through some Hospital stuff with my aunt who eventually return to her care home on hospice. My kiddo has really held together, going to school, staying on his routines, asking healthy questions & being involved. I've made sure to check in with him multiple times over the course of the week. Calling him while I'm driving, Heart to Heart talks on the way to school, video calls to have our after school unpacks.

Yesterday his dad picked him up and he was upset. His Dad tried to do his daily after school how was your day what was your favorite part type questions and he utterly fell apart in the backseat. He was upset that he had homework tonight which is not normal, oftentimes it's super minor just finishing up a worksheet that took him a little longer than the class time provided. But bringing school work home or home stuff to school to do is a huge trigger as these things stay very separate for him. He recognized that he had a highly emotional week and it probably wasn't the homework but in this moment it was going to be homework and he was having a meltdown and just needed time so when he got home he took himself to his bedroom and had a good cry. I was at the store and text the family chat did anyone need anything.

My boy requested marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles.

In autopilot I almost responded with put those things on the Whiteboard and we'll get those when we do our regular grocery shopping over the weekend.

I decided that both of those things bring him Joy and he was quite literally asking me to bring home joy and happiness. So marshmallows and sprinkles came home with me and we collectively decided the French toast and sausage was for dinner and I watched his entire mood shift back to the normal happy loving teenager he is.

He needed his own reset, he needed a good cry, he recognized that it wasn't one thing it was a whole lot of other little things throughout the week but caught up with him and he was met with understanding and space and love not logic not Reason, Not rationality. Just love & the space he asked for.

Buy the marshmallows 😋 ✨️ 💕