– Recently I ran into an old attorney friend at a Farmer’s Market I was working. After stating pleasantries he asked me about my new business. Like several other daily conversations, I explained that last year my husband and I quit our jobs and uprooted our kids to move across the country back to my hometown. We need to live where our autistic 4-year-old “A” could receive services. I then explained how much my son hated bath time, and how he would have the whole house pretty much in tears as he attempted to claw his way hysterically out of the bathtub every time we tried to clean him.
– For our first year here we had a teacher and often a behavioral specialist come to the house daily for half the day. For the other half, my son was accepted into a fantastic autistic school in the area. For the first time in over twenty years I found that I could not work, a guardian had to be home during lessons. Also, we found ourselves traveling often an hour away for medical appointments for both my son and my daughter. On top of that, both kids were becoming ill at a rate that was alarming to all involved. It was their first year in school, and they just happened to pick up every virus under the sun. I felt pretty isolated, and honestly a bit frightened. The world of Sensory Processing Disorders and Autism was daunting and new. It was during this crazy time in our lives that I began to focus on what I could control, and my quest to find a way to get “A” to enjoy bath time became my obsession. I worked with so many recipes, posted on so many forums, it was also brand new territory. My attorney friend asked if I was successful, and with a big grin I said “yes”. He said knowing who I was, he was not surprised. (I tend to go full force into everything, and yes I am a bit of a perfectionist).
– He then looked me in the eye and said he always finds it amazing to watch how people reinvent themselves. As we said goodbye I paused for a minute, he was right. I have reinvented myself. I could tell myself it was not a choice but the truth is we always have a choice. My choice is to do whatever it takes to make my kids live as “normally” as possible. I want them both to have a great future and recognize that is going to look very differently compared to my neurotypical kids. I love what I am doing today, and have helped several other families get their little guys and gals to love bath time. I am proud of the products we have created thus far and have huge plans for the future.
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Bath Party Creations 