Over the years, we have found that having a child like Ethan...with SPD, Autism/Asperger's...going to the beach can sometimes be harder than anyone realizes. There is the noise, the sand, the bugs, and the salt water. When Ethan was maybe 2, he absolutely refused to go in the water. He was ok with the sand, as long as we had toys and kept him busy...but there was absolutely no way he would get in the water. The next summer, my mom would take her beach chair down to the just where the water would come in...he would play beside her for a while, but then want to go back to our rental house. Over time, he has grown to love the beach much as I do. Now he's fine just sitting at the water's edge, building sand castles...not even bothered by sand building up on his shoes, his shorts or his hands. We like to go to the end of the island as the water is going back out...there are tidal pools left that the kids like to play in.
Ethan will just sit, watch the water, watch the minnows....basically, just chill out
Sometimes, they like to catch the minnows
or just dig...a hole, a dam, or the beginnings of a castle
looks like a giant footprint, but really, it's another hole!
The start of our sand castle
Our finished sand castle...we called it "Drippy Cathedral, an ode to Barcelona."
And of course, the "master of the universe" then wants to destroy!
What a great time we're having with our family!
I want to be there! He looks so at peace in the first picture. I love it!
ReplyDeleteHe is Karen...and I loved your last blog post! We have had so much fighting between brothers, it's hard to relax. We have to keep them separated as much as possible!
DeleteSounds like fun!
ReplyDelete