Can Lying Actually Be A Good Thing???

Last week for the first time in his life, Mason lied to me. Blatant flat out LIE! So remember he is 9, but developmentally about 2 or 3.

Here's the story:

As you are aware, we are trying to potty train him. So he went to the bathroom to go pee, sat for a bit then got up. I asked him if he went pee, "No.", was his reply and sat down again. A minute or two later I heard him flush. So I asked him the same question, "Did you pee?". Turning his head, avoiding eye contact he replied, "Yes.". I asked him again, with the same reply. Hmmmm, rookie liars.... I don't allow him to flush unless he's added something to the clear toilet water. Flushing is his reward.

So I took him into his bedroom to get on a diaper. I readjusted my strategy. "Did you flush?". "Flush!", was his excited reply. There was a complete change in body language, so I continued with the same question from a few minutes ago. "Did you pee?". He sadly lowered his head and said, "No."

Caught him!!!! But I could hardly contain my laughter! And at the same time I was excited! Mason lied! Yes, I will have to figure out how to deal with a lying child with very limited comprehension. Yet at the same time, lying indicates progress in his development! Woo Hoo!! Lying requires imagination, so this incident clearly indicated that it's working!

Hopefully he doesn't do it again for a while. I'm not sure what to do with it now, he doesn't respond to the same type of discipline as typical kids. As with everything else with Mason, we'll figure it out as we go!

Back to School

Hello again

Just to give you a QUICK update on the boy.

Tomorrow is back to school! I don't know if I'm ready for it yet. ( I can't believe I wrote that and mean it!) This summer has been great. Usually during the last two weeks of August is when Mason starts loosing it and I need him to go back to school for me to stay sane! But now, with the big increase in respite funding that we got just over a year ago, I am finally catching up on rest. After 6 years of intense sleep deprivation, I have been able to sleep through the night for most of the last two years! Woo Hoo!! And with the respite, I get many breaks from the CONSTANT busyness of Mason as well as all the other issues.

Yet I am also ready to get back into a routine (eeeek! I actually mean that too!) For those of you who don't know me that well, ummmm, can you hear the laughter of those who do know me well? I tend to be a lot more spontaneous and random than structured. But it's something I've learned to deal with.

So I want to keep you up to snuff on the hallucinations and violent episodes I told you about recently. I have not seen any hallucinations in 3 weeks. Although Mason was at Grandpa and Grandma Martens this weekend, and Grandma described something that sounded like a very short version of his hallucinations.

We have also seen less of the violence. There was one episode last week where he threw over the dining chair and a coffee table. I put him into time out (he didn't want to cooperate, so when he's like that, I have to lay on top of him to keep him in time out. I know I have to follow through and make him stay in time out every time in order for that form of discipline to keep working, otherwise I'm hooped.) As soon as that timer went, he calmed down (he fought me the whole time in time out. Sometimes he sits nice but grumpy in time out). I had a little discussion with him regarding his behavior "Are you going to be a good boy now?". He then nods his head with his bottom lip sticking out a mile. He then tips his head towards me for a hug. I then wrap my arms around him for a moment before he gets going with that smile back on his face. I instruct him to pick up the chair and coffee table, and he does just as he is told. After that he is quite well behaved for hours or even the rest of the day. Amazing how consistent discipline works, even though it can be extremely difficult to follow through at times!! We spent 6 years of it not working at all, so using time out with Mason is extremely valuable. This particular day, he'd had a seizure just before the violent tantrum began, so I think that may have played into it as well. (there is a BIG difference between a regular and a violent tantrum)

We have an appointment with Mason's neurologist on Oct 15, sooner than originally planned. I think the plan was to go back next year sometime.

Well, I'm off to bed now. we have to get up EARLY tomorrow. No more sleeping in. All of us are night owls.

Thanks again for your prayers for us!!!