Puppy Love ♥

This type A, organized mom was really fighting the idea of adding a four-legged addition to our family. I finally felt like our family routine was a well-oiled machine and I was a tad nervous about messing with happy.   All I could picture was sleepless nights, lots of paper towels and white vinegar, and chewed up dining room chairs.  So when a six month old crate trained, house broken, sweet white mop of love fell into our laps, I knew it was meant to be.  Our puppy has only been with us for a short time but has had a unbelievable impact on all of us, especially my sensory child.  As I have watched this bond grow, here are my thoughts on why this relationship is so easy for my sensory child:

KEEP IT SIMPLE

For many sensory kids, reading facial expressions and emotions on top of trying to understand what you are saying totally overwhelms them.  Pets keep in simple – no words and only two main non-verbal cues to figure out:

1. Tail Wagging and lots of licks mean LOVE & MORE LOVE
2. No tail wagging and no licks means everything else (tired, sad, sick)

THINKING ABOUT YOU

Pets are a great segway into social understanding.  Because animals keep it so simple, they can be the perfect teachers for helping sensory kids understand another being’s thoughts and needs.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

When your sensory child comes home after a long day at school, pets don’t ask about homework or ask how the day was.  All they do is come running to the door with a huge level of excitement about them being home again.  For kids that often feel like they are the square peg in the round hole, this type of unconditional love is an amazing gift.

Embrace those opportunities that push you out of your comfort zone – gifts are waiting for you, your sensory child, and the rest of your family.  Our puppy is connecting this sensory family in new and amazing ways.  Feeling Grateful for Puppy Love ♥

What our Sensory Kids Teach Us about LOVE

I try to pause each day and think about the many gifts I receive from raising a sensory child.  Many of our rigid, anxious, and distracted kids see and experience the world in a slightly different way – often with much more clarity and genuine awareness than we do.  My sensory child has enhanced my life in so many ways but none more important then the way he has broadened my experience of Love.

A few things I have learned about true and unconditional love from my sensory child:

*LOVE IS SIMPLE

Love is in the simple things you do each day for the important people in your life.  Our sensory kids have a unique ability see through all the clutter of life to see what’s important to the people they love.

*LOVE IS AUTOMATIC

Our sensory kids have the most amazing ability to express genuine love without expectations of anything in return.  They are the master’s of paying it forward!

*LOVE IS REAL

For some sensory kids, feelings can be an overwhelming part of their day but one feeling they do understand and crave is love.

*LOVE IS SOMETHING EVERYONE DESERVES

Many of our sensory kids have a very clear definition of what makes up the Rules of Life.  My sensory child’s top life rule is that LOVE is Something that Everyone Deserves – no questions asked.

On this day we celebrate love, think of all the wonderful things that you have learned about true love from your sensory child.  These are the sensory gifts that keep on giving all year long!

Happy Valentine’s Day!