Breakfast and a show...

I now know that the problem was that I said it out loud. I said it to my friends. I said it to my husband, I even said it to his teacher. I now know better.

Never say it out loud. 

"He's having a really good week." 

And he really had been. My little ASDer had been happy, cheerful and compliant. Excited to go to school and doing extra homework he was ever a delight.  

Saturday came and under the illusion of this wonderful behaviour, I didn't hesitate to take my child to a boxing class at the beach. He was great! This streak was continuing so off to breakfast I suggested to a friend.  

Fate and luck had run out.  

He chose the wrong food.  

He didn't like the toys that were there. 

He was bored.  

So after his chocolate milkshake was consumed and he ate the discovered gingerbread that marginally saved breakfast- it was time to go. Suddenly instead of being the rational human he usually is - impatient but still considerate in as much that he at least stays near me whilst I pack up, he decided to declare that he was leaving and that he would meet me near the car. Realising that he meant to cross an extremely busy main road, I ran after him as he was “looking left and looking right”. I yelled at him to stop! He was quite angry with me and began his tirade of illogical logical arguments.

“ I know how to cross a road”

“ I need to practice for when he is an adult”

“ I can do it and he doesn’t need me”

Trying to not create a scene in front of my friend and the customers of the café I tried to negotiate how to get him to cross the road without actually let him cross the road by himself during the very busy morning traffic.

He was stalling and yelling and petrified that he would do the bolt I picked him up and crossed the road.

Big mistake.

It is with the deepest pride and greatest pleasure that I present the breakfast show!! 

He was gone – screaming and yelling, crying and then rolling on the ground, he was unable to understand why I wanted him to die by not allowing him to learn to cross the road alone.

So I became the center of attention for around 40 minutes as I tried to figure out a way get him into the car.

Threatening

Discipline

Bribing

Negotiating

Calling Daddy

Slowly but surely none of these quite worked but he started to calm down. Once we were close enough to the car he begged to be allowed to cross one of the smaller streets I had mentioned in the negotiating period, one with a zebra crossing. He was very careful, looked left and right several times and crossed this road by himself. We then talked about how he is to only ever cross at the zebra crossing when I am watching, by himself. He also tried at the traffic lights but was more afraid of the road once he got going and I think he is realising the dangers better. We agreed that he could cross the road by himself when he is in year 12.

So much was learned over what was supposed to be a quick breakfast.

Mostly what I am never, ever to say out loud again.