More May Days - Welcome

Here’s a few more pictures of family time in May!

Family dinner

We usually let our boys serve themselves dinner, meaning we let them put the food on their own plates. This simple strategy seems to help them feel more control because they can choose what does and does not get put on their plates, and how much of each thing is put there. We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now, and I love how it eliminates power struggles at dinner. I took this picture to remember that Dallin tends to take more than he can eat, but he always eats a little of everything that he takes. Little bit by little bit he is learning about “saving some for others.” Instead of forcing him to finish everything he takes (because research shows that this contributes to very unhealthy relationships with food), we often show him at the end of his meal all the food that he wasn’t able to eat and talk about how next time we could save some for others by not putting so much on his plate, such as taking 1 scoop of fruit instead of 3. When we remind him to “save some for others” he sometimes says “Oh yeah! I almost forgot!” and will put some back in the bowl for others.

We are also trying to implement an “alternative meal option” for the boys (mostly for Tanner when he is too overwhelmed with certain spices and new foods). The boys have to try the food, which according to our occupational therapist means either look, smell, touch or taste it. If he decides that he does not want to eat it, he can choose from a list on the fridge of foods to eat, but he has to get and prepare it himself. Sometimes, the thought of making his own food is enough to make him stop complaining, and he eventually eats the food I’ve prepared. Other times, he gets right up and makes his own thing. And other times, he just sits and cries on the couch without really eating anything. I can’t say it is a miracle working tactic, but at least it is one more tool in the bucket to help him at meal time.

Tanner’s Spring Preschool Concert

We were so proud of Tanner at his concert. He was really excited about it and was not scared to go up in front of everyone! He sang so beautifully! He wasn’t singing abnormally loud, but we could hear his strong, sweet voice because he was singing in tune the whole time. #proudmusicmommy

In this shot, he’s under the green 7.

They did a little graduation ceremony and read some quotes from Tanner while he got his certificate. He said that his favorite thing about school is his friends and that he wants to be an “everything man” when he grows up.