Lesson's Learned,

As a parent I don't think we ever truly know our children. I mean, how could we? We aren't in their heads or thinking their thoughts, right?

Case in point; my son wanted desperately to go to a hotel water park for his birthday so we gave him the choice of a birthday party or the hotel water park with family. He chose the water park. Fine with me...no big presents, no big party to clean for, no big hoopla, right?

Pretty much.

Except that I did not anticipate his sensory issues taking over the experience once we got there. He did such a fantastic job when we were at Key Lime Cove for their Grand Opening that I did not even think about noise or water splashing on his skin.

We arrived Friday about 5 p.m. and hit the water park right away, as AJ had been anticipating it all day (Lesson One Learned...don't tell him we are leaving for vacation until we get into the car). He ran around the house the entire day asking to leave for the water park and wore himself out. He also drove both of us bonkers...By the time we got to the hotel the three of us were completely fed up with each other.

This morning he was roaring to go despite being absolutely exhausted from yesterday's festivities.  Down at the pool he swam for a bit and then decided to head to the "Mayan bell" that dumps water onto swimmers in the standing splash area.

He has always been hesitant about these kind of things and today was no exception. When the bell started ringing to signal the onslaught of the water he wanted to run but I kept him in an area that I thought was safe.

It was not safe for him and we got soaked. AJ screamed and never went back in the water.

Instead, he insisted (at 10 am.) on going home, claiming he was too tired, that he was scared, that he wanted to see his doggie.

And as a parent, my second lesson was learned. No matter what, sensory dysfunction always prevails and there is, often times, no compromise.  I, as the parent, have to remember that too loud, too bright, and too exciting means that he can spend only so much time in comparison to us and "normal" kiddos, that normal experiences can be totally exhausting for him, and that sometimes normal experiences can be traumatizing.

However, some experience can just be normal, like Key Lime Cove, and I have to be ready to be on guard and know the difference.

Makes it all the more exciting, right?

Marcie Pickelsimer writes about parenting, adoption, and special needs at My Two Boys, A Child Chosen, and Discussing Autism. This is an original Chicago Moms Blog Post.