BARGAINING CHIPS

ITS ALL IN THE BARGAINING CHIPS!!!!!!

CHRISTMAS CAME LATE AT OUR HOUSE THIS YEAR --LOGISTICS WHICH IS INTERESTING WITH A CHILD WHO HAS AUTISM-- SPARING  ALL THE DETAILS DAKOTA SPENT SOMETIME WITH HIS DAD SO HE HAD CHRISTMAS TWICE WHICH HAS BEEN  PART OF MOST HIS LIFE  SO HE IS CONDITIONED TO ROLL WITH THE FACT THAT SANTA WILL COME LATER  A DAY OR TWO DEPENDING ON WHERE    HE IS!     OK

SO IT WAS A GOOD CELEBRATION  LOTS OF GOODIES              SANTA  DECIDED THAT WITH ALL THE TROUBLE HE HAD WITH HIS FEET HE NEEDED SLIPPERS WHICH --MOM HAD NEVER GOTTEN HIM TO WEAR  AND SANTA LEFT A NOTE TELLING HIM THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS FEET AND THAT HE WANTED DAKOTA TO WEAR THESE SLIPPERS AND THAT HE WOULD BE "WATCHING".  NEEDLESS TO SAY DAKOTA HAS BEEN  RESISTANT  TO PUT THE SLIPPERS ON      IN FACT ADAMANT ABOUT NOT PUTTING THEM  ON                           SO THE BATTLE INSUED TODAY-- I STARTED THIS MORNING TELLING HIM HE NEEDED TO TRY TO JUST PUT THE SLIPPERS ON CUZ SANTA WAS WATCHING -- - OH NO    WHEN HE FINISHED HIS SHOWER I TOLD HIM  I  WANTED HIM TO TRY PUTTING THE SLIPPERS ON AND IT WAS A  NO  N O    NO    SO I SAID I WASNT GOING TO HELP HIM DRESS  HE WOULD HAVE TO DO IT HIMSELF OH BROTHER DID I PISS HIM OFF  WE WENT BACK AND FORTH AND I CALMLY EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IF HE WAS GOING TO SAY NO TO ME ABOUT THE SLIPPERS THEN  I COULD SAY NO TO HIM ABOUT DOING SOMETHING FOR HIM.   HE DIDNT LIKE THE ANSWER BUT HE STUCK  TO HIS GUNS AND ENDED UP DRESSING HIMSELF  OUT OF STUBBORNESS FOR NOT PUTTING ON THE SLIPPERS SO THROUGH OUT THE DAY I TRIED TO NO AVAIL--- BUT THEN COMES TIME FOR LIGHTS OUT   HE WANTED ME TO LAY DOWN  WITH HIM                     HE WAS BEGGING  IN A PLAYFUL MANNER --"PLEASE MAMMA SLEEP WITH ME" SO I DECIDED NOW WAS THE TIME TO TAKE ANOTHER RUN AT THE SLIPPERS SO I SAID --"YOU WANT ME TO LAY DOWN WITH YOU THEN JUST TRY I THE SLIPPERS AND WALK AROUND THE BED" WELL AT FIRST HE BALKED HE TRIED 2 OR 3 TIMES TO TALK ME INTO LAYING DOWN  WITH HIM BUT I  REITERATED TRY ON THE SLIPPERS AND

ALL OF A SUDDEN  IT WAS JUST LIKE SOMEONE FLIPPED THE SWITCH AND HE PUT THE SLIPPERS ON AND EVEN WALKED DOWN THE HALL TO SHOW HIS GRANDMA!!!!!! HE ONLY LEFT THEM ON FOR  A FEW MINUTES BUT AS I SAID ITS ALL IN THE BARGAINING CHIPS--- YOU HAVE TO PICK YOUR BATTLES , GAUGE THE TIMING AND SIEZE THE OPPORTUNITY

I DONT KNOW IF I WILL GET THEM ON HIM AGAIN BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE "SLIPPER ISSUE" AND KNOW THAT I HAD ONE LITTLE VICTORY THAT MIGHT CHANGE LIFE A L;ITTLE FOR DAKOTA

JUST A NOTE  DAKOTA STILL DOESNT TIE LACES AND ISNT VERY SUCESSFUL WITH VELCRO  SO SLIP-ON SLIPPERS WILL HELP HIM BE MORE INDEPENDENT IN DRESSING.  ALSO HE WEARS SOCKS ARUND THE HOUSE WHICH DOESNT HELP HIM IF HE NEEDS TO GO OUT TO WATCH THE DOG OR TAKE OUT THE TRASH

IT GETS BACK WHICH BATTLES YOU WANT TO FIGHT AND WHAT OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE  ONE THING I DO HAVE TO SAY --YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR BECAUSE IT CAN COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU    BUT AL IN ALL IT S IN THE BARGAINING CHIPS  IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT HAND YOU CAN GET THRU TO OUR KIDS AND SUCEED