#supplements

What to play

by Theresa Yeager

The Boy has stopped going to bed at a decent hour. He is refusing ALL his oral meds and supplements and won’t stay inside if there are more than 3 of us total. Instead, he sits in the car for HOURS to play on an electronic device. In the silence. Away from everyone. All we have left is an old iPhone 4 that he can use. The iPod is outside… somewhere…. Both iPad minis are destroyed. The Samsung tablet is shattered. All I can see is dollar signs in broken screens.

Today, one of the professionals trying to help us asked what he enjoys doing at home….

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm

Enter my feeling like a bad parent.

I wish I could find things he enjoys. Something non-electronic he could play. I have seen him in the sandbox. I’ve let him play with the water from the hose. He has spent a moment on the tire swing.

So what does my boy like to play?

With a broken heart I have to admit

I DON’T KNOW

And guess what? It’s not my fault. I’m not a bad mom. I’m not uninvolved. I’m not failing him. We have tried to offer him many different things and each only lasts a short season. Since he can’t tell me, how can I know what he really enjoys? How is a mom supposed to know unless she tries and tries and tries some more to see that face light up from totally enjoyment? What do you do when that light just doesn’t shine? Well, I’m going to keep trying. I’m just going to just push on with more options for him. Can you believe I’m going to keep telling myself that I am not a horrible person, a failing parent, because I don’t know what my Boy enjoys most? Yup, that’s what I’m going to do.

Because I still need to convince my heart <3

Found another palatable supplement ;)

by Theresa Yeager

So you know I try to throw you tips and tricks that work for us. You know that I am all about sharing information and trying to help you in your journey. My goal is to shorten the learning curve for all the Autism caregivers out there cause our journey is filled with trials. If I can help you save some money or make one little aspect of your life easier – my mission is accomplished!

Well, I found another liquid supplement that the Boy will actually drink 🙂 Hooray!!! Check out my older Autism Tips – you will see some info on different ways to get stuff into your child. I know that struggle is tough!! Add this one to the list <3

I am using MindWise because doc told us to supplement CoQ10 and Lithium Orotate. It is the only way I have been able to get these into my Boy. It tastes like pomegranate and hides well in juice – grape or apple is what I have used. So far, he has taken it every time we offered – WIN!!

Have you found liquids that taste good and provide the supplements commonly suggested for our children? Share them in the comments! Let’s help other parents shorten that learning curve and save some cash by letting them know what supplements taste nasty and what ones really do taste good 🙂

We are all in this together <3

*Disclaimer – I am a Young Living Distributor and make money on the sale of Young Living Products

That being said, the other liquids I have recommended in the past are made by companies that I do not receive any compensation from. I would love your business, but I do not want you tricked or deceived in any way. I am about the education, the kids and the caregivers/parents who are struggling FIRST. If one of my products is a good fit, so be it. If there is a better option from another company, go with them!

Autism Tip of the Week – Put in on his SKIN!

by Theresa Yeager

Last week I talked about a trick to get your Autistic/Special Needs child to take supplements that they need to maintain their health. Bond was really on to something with that whole “shaken, not stirred” thing.

Want to know what is even easier then using liquids or getting pills hidden well in juice?

Topical Applications

Oh yeah baby, did you know that the skin is the largest organ in your body? Are you aware that when you put something on your skin it is absorbed and can be found in your blood in 26 seconds? Kinda scary when you think about those chemicals in your cleaning supplies and beauty products.

But it’s kinda cool when you consider that you can use that little tidbit to your advantage in order to get supplements into your or your child’s body without some crazy fight.

What do I mean? Well, the boy needs to take magnesium and that is readily absorbed through the skin. In fact, it is a really great way to get your magnesium if you have GI issues that may prevent you from being able to absorb it through your digestive tract! HOW cool is THAT? We use magnesium oil with essential oils during our bedtime routine with the boy – and if you are on the list for my newsletter, that recipe is heading to inboxes across the country Monday morning 🙂

What else? Did you know that many kids take NAC, and you can get that as a cream as well? Glutathione is another supplement that is very common in the Autism community – and again you can get that one in a lotion! I have even heard of topical multivitamins, although I haven’t tried any of those out.

My Stash for the Boy - ready to go! — My Stash for the Boy – ready to go!

My favorite topical wellness support? Why essential oils of course!

I like to have my stash ready to go so that the boy can choose which one he wants. If they are already diluted in roll-on bottles then he can just show me the one he wants and I can rub it right on him. Kids tend to not have much patience, kids with Autism seem to have ZERO patience. So this works really well for us <3

Autism Tip of the week!

by Theresa Yeager

Like so many other kids, my boy has to take vitamins. He takes a whole slew more then just a multivitamin, but if you are fighting with your kid to take one thing or 20 – the fight can be SO draining. I try to find liquids that are pleasant tasting as often as I can. The ability to hide things in juice just makes my life easier. The problem is, what makers find to be a child friendly flavor is not always friendly to MY child.

So tip #1 today – find liquids!!

What have I found that works well?

I buy it HERE

I do not get anything from these companies for recommending them – I simply wanted to share with you the things I have found that are actually okay tasting and liquid 🙂 I also am able to get some Young Living chewables and liquids in them. I DO sell Young Living. I DO love the company and if you order through my site – I will get commission on the products. This is one of the ways I earn money through my business to pay for my son’s medical expenses. In the name of transparency – I wanted to get that out there!

The Young Living supplements that the boy will take are HERE

Now I have been trying to get vitamins and supplements into the boy for 8 years. I have crushed pills with my mortar and pestle and have opened capsules hoping that the powder isn’t too nasty tasting and will dissolve into the liquid I am trying to hide it in. Then I discovered something

AMAZING

Tip #2 – Did you know that shaking the juice will combine things that stirring doesn’t?

I KID YOU NOT

So grab that mason jar or empty glass peanut butter jar (you aren’t actually spending money on glasses are you?) throw a lid on it and shake it up baby!! I like to throw a stainless steel straw in there to help him not taste things quite as intensely too.

Bedtime is not a nightmare!

by Theresa Yeager

Oh my goodness… I can’t believe it. The boy actually sent me out of the room in a nice way and went right to sleep. Pinch me, I must be dreaming!!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that there are many struggles that the boy battles every day. You will also know that those battles often include the rest of the family – we are often collateral damage. Sleep has been a HUGE struggle off and on for the past 9 years. Yes, you read that right. It has been a very LONG 9 years where we have struggled with sleep issues. Sure, we have had stretches of a few days where things were nice. One stretch even lasted a few weeks or so – then we discovered this amazing thing called “melatonin”.

Oh. My. Word.

I would be lost without this stuff.

The problem is that he is aggressive before bed. I talk a lot about it HERE. I won’t bore you with all the details again. Needless to say, we have been in a bad place for a long time. A place many parents of children with Autism have been for years as well.

So why am I so very excited? If he has had spurts of good nights in the past, why do I think this time isn’t just a tease? Well, this time I was actively toying with several different things in my mojo arsenal to see if it would help. This time each night is getting slightly better than the last. This time, we are seeing a slow and steady progress. Each and every night has gotten better and we haven’t seen any backslides in almost 4 weeks. I’m still cautious – by I’m super excited and needed to share too!!

I hear you, hanging there, waiting to hear what my magic bullet is.

I’m going to be honest with you, there is no magic formula. We use melatonin, a blend of essential oils in St. John’s Wart infused coconut oil and magnesium oil. He also takes Hemp oil and we have a bedtime routine that is strictly adhered to. These are things that MY son loves. My son is an oily kid and loves different scents of essential oils. Some kids don’t. Melatonin works wonders for my son, it doesn’t for some kids. My child needs the magnesium oil and his doctor said to supplement it while some kids prefer an Epsom salt bath. My son LOVES routine. He thrives on consistency. So I make sure I am completely identical every single night.

So that I don’t get his iPod Touch chucked at my head when I enter the room, I go in 5 minutes before it is time to take it from him. The first thing I do is use a roller bottle of his oils and rub them all over his belly. The rollerball tickles and he giggles and is happy; but it isn’t stimulating enough to signal that it is playtime.

Bedtime is not playtime.

I then give him a back scratch, one of his favorite things. He lays there and watches a show or plays a game on his device while I scratch his back. I give him a 1 minute warning and I have to count it down in my head. If I try to short him even 3 seconds, I get a swift kick or punch. I can’t give kisses, that signals a hug and playtime.

Bedtime is not playtime.

I then leave and make sure that the house is completely quiet and dark. I don’t read anymore stories to the other children. We don’t chat about tomorrow’s schedule or play a quiet game. Nothing. It is as quiet as can be.

Bedtime is not playtime.

So over the past 2 months I have been trying many different approaches and seeing how my son reacts. I’ve tried different blends of essential oils that I know he enjoys. I tried different timings and different words when I talk to him. I try my best to look at things from his perspective and imagine what he is feeling or thinking about the situation. This last month I hit on the magic formula. As long as I stick to the routine, he goes to bed and no one gets hurt. Tonight he even gently pushed my hand away, handed me the iPod, rolled over and went to sleep without me saying anything.

It was an amazing evening <3