Update and reflection on parenting intensity

Wow, what a story! I have to say I was reading and could tell what kind of exhaustion this must have felt like for years. I am so happy for you that your son has reaped the benefits from the intensive OT! Major kudos for you, Mom! I can’t blame DH fir wanting to try the meds, though. Men like to fix problems…now! And he probably truly thought everything that was being done wouldn’t solve it.

I still think he is like many fathers in that his time to shine as a parent just hadn’t happened yet. When the kids be one more “adult-like”, in so far as their physicality and communication skills, he will probably up his game. He loves his family. We all bring different skills and talents to our families, and what you are capable of isn’t his. Yes, his passion is work and running, it’s not so bad that a mans passion is his work, correct? He feels he’s doing his duty to his family.

Give it a few more years and I bet you’ll see a change. You’ll still get angry from time to time thinking of him slacking, but you’ll have to just put that out of your mind and move forward.

What a success story you have!

These have been great comments. H is back from Europe and the S1 and S2 are dancing around him like crazy so excited to see him. There is exotic money to examine, leftover airplane snacks to eat, cool conference tchotchkes to play with. They are even marching around helping H run laundry they are so happy to see him, babbling non-stop with important updates about new lego additions, what we have and don’t have in the fridge, the snowstorm H missed…

I often leave out of my calculations that the boys LOVE their father and are happy with whatever time they have with him. For now I’m letting go of the history and thoughts of disparity and just enjoying the moment.

We four are going to visit my sister in Texas this coming weekend and EVERYONE is excited about the trip. H is a master of points systems (and racks up plenty traveling for work) and got us a hotel with a pool and room upgraded to a suite… and this has given me an idea…

The GOLDEN RULE of working with kids on the spectrum is to work with their strengths.

I think the answer to my frustrations with H has been hiding in plain sight all along. Work with his strengths!

H loves to travel and so I need leverage that passion for the family. Could H become weekend getaway guru?

Very much worth a try… To be continued…

Great idea, Aspieration! Everybody wins!

Yes, great idea and attitude. When we are tired, it’s easy to find fault. It’s easy to let it churn over and over. We all do that. I even start thinking back at slights and things he’s made me mad at decades ago. Then I have to stop and ask myself why I’m doing that? He does so many wonderful things and brings a cheerfulness and levity to the family that is not in my nature. I’m more drill sergeant mom…get everything done. It will work out, OP, I can just tell from everything you’ve written. I can even see a difference in your posts from the original one.

Knowing that you are not alone in the husband parenting deficiency issue probably helps!

I doubt her H is deficient in the parenting I think he disagrees with her choices. He figuratively said “ok fine you do it your way and got out of her way.” That does not make him deficient in my book. It simply tells me that he let her decisions have more weight. As long as he doesn’t let this build to resentment or feelings of neglect of he or the other child and she realizes that the marriage is before the kids it will work out in my opinion. No one gets to mold their partner or own all the decision-making and sometimes one partner just does need to get out of the way and go along for the ride and that is OK. We all make decisions we own.

Well, she did say he was minimally engaged in the kids day to day lives. Also when she asks for more support, he gives reasons why he can’t.

I’ve never thought about it that way but I do agree with @momofthreeboys’s framing of H “getting out of my way” when we disagreed. It is a completely positive framing of the same behavior. And it is not inaccurate…

H is VERY appreciative of all of the work I’ve done with S1. Does he say it spontaneously? No. But when people comment on how much S1 has matured and what a great kid he is these days, H points to me.

He also appreciates that S2 is a rambunctious puppy of a kid that I keep occupied. S2 is a gamer (strictly non-electronic, I have a fatwa against video games) and he and I spend a lot of bonding time over Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, Chess, Scrabble, Prime Climb, Dragonwood, Top Trumps, card games and “toilet paper baseball” in which we play baseball indoors with a paper towel cardboard tube as a bat, toilet paper cardboard tubes as balls and a dishtowel as home plate. (If you hit a wall it’s a 3rd base hit, if you hit it so it ricochets downstairs, homer.). I also labor to keep our children’s library stocked (this is something we sometimes exchange a heated word or two over. We have A LOT of books but I keep buying what the boys want to read, shelf space be damned).

Inspired by this thread, I made a deal this morning with H that he gets to go to the Berlin marathon if he plans us a getaway weekend without kids (he has to arrange kid-care, do all the planning).

He’s accepted the deal.

I am also in a situation where I do the majority of the parenting and understand your frustration. I was a SAHM; then 5 five years ago my husband took a sabbatical and is working part time now as am I, but he has a huge number of hobbies that keep him very busy most of the time. Mine kids are both teens now, one with some learning issues and both with anxiety requiring therapy and a huge amount of support at home.

This is how I frame it in my mind just to keep myself from building up too much resentment. I know the kids are getting the support they need and doing well solely because of me. When we get complimented on our children, when they do well in school, or when they over come a big obstacle, I know that I am the one that provided support for that. As my children have gotten older, it is clear that they know this, too. That is the relationship that I wanted and have built with my kids. They love their dad, but their relationship with him is different.

I try to recognize and reinforce what my husband does do. He has been a good provider (and worked hours to go along with that) and that has also allowed me to be a SAHM and both of us to work P/T now. I also don’t touch the cars, computers, bills, insurance issues, house repairs… Anytime I see a willingness in him to take on something, I reinforce it. I may not take away the emotional tasks of handling all of the kid issues, but it’s at least something I don’t need to deal with.

I have tried to get him involved at times, but it let to disagreements about how to proceed, confusion about who was doing what. I now recognize that in some ways, it is easier to deal with on my own. I know what is going on, and don’t need to spend time negotiating a plan of action. I spend the money; he pays the bills.

And finally on taking care of myself, I have jut started seeing a counselor so that I can continue to work on ways to deal with the emotional toll dealing with these issues has had on me; I just found a yoga class very near my home, one night a week for moms; I was lucky enough to connect with a neighbor to walk with once a week that also has a child with similar issues so I have the chance to talk about the issues we are both facing; and I have found a hobby that keeps me close to home and readily available while giving me a great mental break.

And I want to let you know, it will get better! I have one child very excited to go off to college next year, The younger one is about to start Driver’s Ed. All this effort and work you are putting in now will have results. Your kids will become more independent. They will be able to communicate more effectively about what they need and what is and isn’t working for them.

This board is wonderful. You guys should send me a bill for the therapy.

I’m so glad you are seeing things in a more positive light. Raising kids IS consuming, and ones with special needs add extra challenge to the mix.

It’s great your H sees how his kids adore him and hopefully that will help him engage more with them as well.

You’re a wonderful and very strong person, @Aspieration! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and successes.