I THINK has a friend!!!

[Guest guest]

I'm with you, Jacquie. I arrange playdates for with kids in his

class, but after an hour of the other child's company, I'm over it. I'm

starting to to think can get his social interactions at SCHOOL.

Maggie

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[Guest guest]

> Aww, Jacquie, that is so sweet and cool for . Can I borrow Ben when

> you're done with him?

>

> Maggie

I'm done with him. He never goes away.

I NEED to work on being assertive. He's only 6, for pete's sake!

Jacquie

[Guest guest]

OMG, Jacque are you complaining? Maybe k is making you enter into

the NT world too fast.

>>>>

ROTFL!

Yes, maybe he IS! I find myself feeling resentful when he won't GO AWAY!

But I keep it to myself -- I stay at my desk in the kitchen, doing busywork,

and helping out when needed...but in the back of my head, after about an

hour, I'm chanting, " go away, Ben, go AWAY! "

Last night, after THREE HOURS, Ben's dad called and told him to come home.

I wonder if Ben noticed how I skipped to the door and merrily bade him

good-bye. I hope not!!!!!!

Jacquie

-whose own routine is being messed up and is having a HARD time dealing with

it!

[Guest guest]

>

> Ah ha!! So that's the problem. It's not Ben exactly, it's just that his

> presence is throwing off your need for sameness!

AND for reasonable expectations of my expectations being met! ie: when Ben

said he was going to Florida for March Break, I mentall assimilated he was

going away for March break. So WHY is he in my living room right now?

Because he's going to Florida on March 25th! AFTER March break! <sigh>

Now, I have a question:

When NT kids go to other houses, do they generally ask for food? Like, say,

WAFFLES? And for a can of the good soda? Or am I being played, here?

Jacquie

[Guest guest]

> I hand out the soda. But that is just me. In fact most anything in the

house is fair game. But you need to set your limits. Whatever you want to

give Ben should be what he gets and no more. I just realised that my

Ben(Benny) is alot like your Ben.

> Jacquie H

I have really appreciated the replies to this question. Jacquie and ,

the cookie makers? Out of your freaking minds! You have GOT to be kidding!

Strangely, enough, I'd pretty much forgotten my own ASD tendancies until

tonight when I read the replies...I realized that it's not so much that Ben

EATS when he's here that bothers me, it's that he PLACES HIS ORDER. The

first couple times, they told me they'd like a snack. So I offered them a

couple choices and made what they chose. So now, Ben walks up to me no

matter what I'm doing, and says something like, " will you make us popcorn

with margarine and salt and vinegar topping now please? and can I have a

can of diet pepsi? I know how to work the popcorn maker.... "

And it gets up my ass, because a) I'm BUSY doing something, maybe I

don't FEEL like making popcorn, although I'd make something else, c) I'd

RATHER he and just say they're hungry and let ME do the work, and e)the

diet pepsi is MINE. It's the one thing I splurge on myself for on grocery

day. I made the mistake of letting him have one on the " please like my kid "

initial visit, and now he wants to guzzle the stuff. I think he's sneaking

a can when I'm not looking.

I'm not cut out for this, man.

Jacquie