Medicine Tips

Here are some tips I have picked up alone the way regarding medicine.

Make collection convenient for you.  If you can pick it up from your local chemist for the same cost as the hospital get it dispensed at your local chemist.  GPs are happy to write the scripts and hospital doctors can either give you a hospital or an outside script.  If you have to get it from the hospital or it is easier for you to get it from there, make sure you order your medicine in advance,  so it is waiting when you get there.  This way you avoid the hours it sometimes takes to dispense medicines.  If you can't get there,see if someone else can pick it up on your behalf or if they can post it for you (postage can be cheaper if you consider parking costs).

Make medicine as cost effective as possible. If you go through more than one box/bottle of a medicine in a month ensure you get the Doctor to write an authority script for that medicine. If you are on a health care card you will get one months supply at the concession rate, even if a months supply is 3 boxes of the medicine.

Check to see if the script is any cheaper if dispensed at the hospital pharmacy (note it will need to be written by a hospital DR on a hospital script).  There are some "private scripts" for sleep medicines that can be bought for the concession rate at the hospital eg melatonin but you end up paying full price if you get it through your local pharmacy.

When dispensing liquid medication it can be hard to get the medicine out when the bottle is getting low.  To get around this cut a mixing cannula to size, so it touches the bottom of the bottle and you can still get the bottle lid on.  Then all you need to do is attach your syringe to the cannula.  All of a sudden you can get right to the bottom of the bottle.  You can usually get mixing cannulas on-line and some places even sell them individually (careful with postage). Or use a clean ceramic egg cup.  Pour a little medicine into the egg cup, syringe out what you need and pour the rest back in the bottle.  The cup has to be clean and dry in order for nothing to taint the medicine.

Before wasting time crushing tablets to mix with water before syringing, see if the tablets dissolve from whole when mixed with water.  I place two Losec tablets in a syringe, pull up water and within 10 minutes they are dissolved (Note there are many generic brands of this medicine and only some will dissolve in this way, so I make sure those are the only ones dispensed).

If you have loads of tablets, to be taken at all different times look at paying the pharmacist to do up a Webster pack.

Get in the habit of checking all your scripts (repeats left etc), before you head the Doctor. Ask for any that will run out shortly.  That way you can make sure all the scripts are up to date and won't need a special trip to the doctor.

Day Procedures - you've got this!

I have a few tips that help day procedures run more smoothly.

1/ If someone offers to come with you, say yes (even if you want to say no because you don't want to "bother" anyone or put them out) .  I used to do it on my own but every time I had to go to the bathroom I had to search for a nurse, get them to watch Owen and tell them where I was going.  One time I could not find a nurse, we were alone in the waiting room and crossing my legs is not my favourite pastimes.  I always have heaps of stuff too, so going into theatre or recovery meant I left them unattended.  So now, when possible, I take someone.

2/ Take your own nappies, wipes, food, formula, syringes and other feeding paraphernalia with you.  They tend to keep you for a minimum of an hour once you get back to the day procedure unit (depending on your child's issues) .  Whilst they have supplies for "Average Joe" they don't have easy access to special milks, tubes, purees etc. So you spend time waiting around for them to find what you need, when you could have fed your child and gotten out of there.

3/ If it is easier to weigh your child at home, do so in the day or so before you go (they are generally happy to accept the weight you have taken) or if they have been weighed in the last few weeks, mention that.  Make sure you know the current medication and doses that your child ison.  Take your child's medical folder in case you have to refer to it.  If you haven't seen my post about medical housekeeping you can find it at http://hintstipsandhacks.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/medical-information-housekeeping.html   

4/ Take some snacks for you and your helper.  It's a long day after all!

5/ Get as much of the above organised on the day before, so you can just pop it all in the car and go.

6/ Take a deep breath.................you've got this!

Sandpit anyone? Beach anyone?

I can not lay claim to either of these ideas however they are both too awesome not to share.

Sandpit in a tent

The picture below is doing the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest.  I have no idea who originated the idea or this picture.  But you can see they use a tent as the sandpit.  There is build in shade and you can zip it up, when not in use, to keep cats out.

Beach chair

Again not my idea.  It came up in a Facebook group I am a member of.  People have bought the below chair from Aldi ($60 and some stores still have some left) and depending on their child's core strength have added tomato chairs or old car seats to the seat area.  They have been able to actually access the beach (wheeling them across the sand) and also sit them the waters edge and let them enjoy the waves.  We bought one but haven't used it yet.

For more awesome ideas you can also join Facebook group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/DisabilityBudget/

What can I do to help? It starts in the kitchen.

Over the last few years there have been RAOK challenges doing the rounds on Facebook, where you challenge 3 people to do a random act during the year and in return you will do something for them. They then challenge 3 people and the RAOK movement grows.   When I saw these posts, I thought what a a wonderful idea but I didn't feel the need to put my hand up on Facebook.  I decided then and there that I would, cook a meal or something, when I saw an opportunity to help someone or to brighten a day.  I am pleased to say I have been doing it and I think it has made a difference for the people I have done it for.  For me it was also about "giving back" in some way for all the support our family receives.  

So Next time you want to help someone (whether that be a special needs parent or not) and just don't know what to do, cook them something and that will really help.  Make a family meal or make some cakes, slices or biscuits. Find yourself a "signature" item that is easy for you to make.  It does not have to be anything fancy,  just something you can whip up with (eventual) ease.

There you have it, you should never feel you can't do anything to help someone, especially a special needs family.  You may not be able to look after their child for them but you can cook for them.  As a special needs parent this is something you might be able to do to help others (I do acknowledge in some cases, due to the intense medical care your child requires, this might not be possible).

Go forth and cook.

PS. This is not a call out for meals for my family.  We are doing just fine :-)

Appliances that help

There are a couple of appliances I have purchased that really save me time and make my life easier.  I would like to note (as always) I am not affiliated with any of these products or the companies that sell them.

First issue:  Owen still spends a lot of time on the floor, we have a cat that drops hair, an elder child who drags in all sort of things from his sports training, Owen is a messy eater. We have carpet and wooden floors in our main area, so sweeping is not enough but I obviously need to keep the floor clean.

Solution: I bought a Dyson upright rechargeable stick vacuum.  I leave it charged up in the cupboard and do a quick vacuum of our main areas each day.  It is quick, easy to use and I'm done in 5 to 10 minutes.  Best of all it actually works and does not lose charge gradually (works 100% until the battery needs charging again).  I'm not going to tell you what model I have but there are heaps of them to choose from and I'm sure if you do your research there are possibly other brands that do the same thing, with the same performance too.

Second issue:  Owen eats mainly purees and has a restricted diet.  I often have to make him individual meals, custards and rice puddings with special ingredients, then pureeing what needs to be pureed.  I don't have time to sit there and stir these things and hate having to transfer a cooked meal into food processor to blend. The result can still have lumps and I hate the extra dishes.

Solution:  I bought a "thermo" style of cooker (Target's Bellini version of the thermomix).  With that I cook a meal (risottos, pasta's etc)  and puree in the same jug, so I only have one dish and lid to wash.  I make custards, puddings etc and don't have to stir while they are cooking  I can carry on feeding or bathing Owen whilst the machine is doing it's thing.  I can even add calorie laden "extras" to what I make for him.  They do lots of other things like mix cake batters, grind nuts, knead dough etc.  I won't list them all. There are a huge range of options out there that range in price from around $230  to over $2000.  Really up to you as to what you afford but I have had no real issues with my Bellini (currently $229 at Target).  I have had to replace one under warranty but Target replaced it, no issues and I got a whole new warranty.

Making non perfect equipment, perfect

Sometimes it is hard to find the "perfect" piece of equipment for your child.  It might tick all of the boxes bar one.   If you find yourself in this situation ask if it can be modified to meet your child's specific need or consider what you might be able to do to modify it yourself.  Here are a couple of items I have "modified".

Kaye Height adjustable tilting table

I wanted a height adjustable, tilting table, with a cut-out for Owen to sit at and do school work.  Do you think I could find this height adjustable, tilting table, with cut-out (big enough for an 8 year old) in Australia?  I'm thinking winning lotto might have been an easier task.  I'm not saying there are none, I just couldn't find one on-line.   What I did find was the Kaye height adjustable tilting table.  It ticked all the boxes except the cut-out.  I looked at the on-line photos and noticed it looked like the top was plywood and attached by only a few screws, so I thought, why not get someone with a jigsaw to cut-out a "cut-out".  After more thought, I thought Plywood is cheap,  why not make a new top out of plywood and paint it black (to help Owen see things on the table more clearly).  The plywood was around $20, the paint aerosol was $10. A carpenter friend did the cut-out for me, I spray painted and my dad swapped the tops.  Owen is using it below. Now it is PERFECT for Owen.

Foot rest on Tricycle.

Owen has an awesome tricycle.  It has a parent handle, I strap his feet to the peddles and when I push him, the peddles go around.  This action strengthens his muscles and he learns to peddle................ Only issue is that sometimes we would be 10 minutes or so into a ride and he would decide he did not want to pedal any more.  Owen knows his own mind, if he doesn't want to do something, he does not want to do something.  You can imagine then, the fact that the peddles go around whenever the wheels are moving and there was no where else to  put his feet, caused a few issues.  It did not take me long to realise I needed some sort of "foot rest" for those moments.  There didn't seem to be many options, so  I went to a Brendale bike shop that sells speciality bikes (https://www.blindfreddyebikes.com.au/).  I told the owner I needed a foot rest and asked if he sold anything like that.  He didn't but put his thinking cap on and in just over an hour he had custom built the below foot rest for me.  It was just over $60.00 but made my life so much easier. I can thoroughly recommend him.

I am sure these won't be the last items I "perfect" for Owen and hopefully they may help you in some way.

Sharee

Encouraging the use of Vision and Hands and Feet

Owen has limited vision and has had to learn to use his vision.  When he was a baby he showed very little visual response but now fortunately has learned to use his vision quite well (although still not entirely "normally").  He sometimes saw shiny things, lights, bright yellow and black and white. He was attracted to sound, especially bells and wind chimes and would turn towards them.  He did not seem to know he had feet or hands, let alone he could do things with them.  Owen and I attended Narbethong Special School ECDP playgroup and they introduced us to Active Learning and methods to encourage Owen to use his vision and learn about his body.  I'm sharing a couple of things I made to help him using my knowledge of what encouraged him:

Altered Baby A Frame

You will see from the below photo, I used our old A frame and covered the existing toys with various things like black and white fabric, shiny cardboard.  I added some chiming toys.  I bought Christmas tree decorations that were bells and sewed the bells on the bottom of the existing toys, so they made a noise when he accidentally hit or kicked them.  As he turned towards sound, he would turn towards the object, with the shiny fabrics etc.  This all gave him the best chance of seeing it.  If you have an older child and want to do this you could make an A frame out of PVC pipping.

Hands and feet

I don't have a picture of these but I also sewed bells to some black and white socks so his feet would make noise when he moved them.  I used to pop them on his hands too.  

Sensory Bib

This was another idea I learnt at Narbethong.  I made a sensory bib for Owen to wear in the car for the many trips to hospital's and other appointments.  He could also wear it in his stroller in the waiting room.  He wore it when we went to the park etc.  It was hoped he would accidentally find the items on himself and learn to go back to them.  The idea was permanence of the object, ie it remained in the same place even if he dropped in a million times.

To make it you need:

• A larger sized bib or apron
• Bias binding/elastic
• Shower curtain rings (the little plastic ones that look like a sleeper earring)
• Various sensory items and small toys

Sew on a tie for around the back (to tie up like an apron) with bias binding. Then use bias binding or elastic to sew on little loops (elastic means the child can put the item in their mouth), attach various toys and sensory items to the shower curtain rings and add them to the bib. Use it as often as you can.

Altering a Baby Mobile

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this but I made some black and white patterns (smiling faces, polka dots, checker board) out of paper plates and permanent markers (red and black) and attached them to the bottom of Owen's baby mobile, so he could  look up and see them when he woke up from sleeping.  I also made some cardboard pictures like the below to help him see and had him face them during tummy time.  The black background is to help him see them.

I know the road is long and hard but don't give up.  It can take a long time before you see the benefit of all of these things.

Mealtime Bib Solution

What to do about bibs as they get older?  They don't generally fit baby bibs any more and adult/special needs ones tend to be expensive. I put bibs into two categories, one is dribble bibs for going out, drinking and just wearing all day and larger bibs for main meals.

You can barely see this square one.

Dribble bibs.   Owen is tall but quite slender so at this stage I still get away with using "baby" or "toddler" bibs.   Over the years I have tried many a bib and found my favourite to be the "Cotton On" ones, Owen wears the "Jill and Jack" square ones backwards so the towelling is what you see rather than the "baby" print (although I love the super hero ones and have been known to put them the right way around).   I also love their Kerchief/Bandanna style dribble bibs. They look good and don't scream "special needs"  They are not the cheapest bibs but they last. I find them absorbent and easy to wash. The Toy R Us Kerchief ones fit too but are not quite as
absorbent.  

Main Meal bibs.  This was the toughest 
one. I have tried the plastic bibs, painting aprons etc but I just found them awkward to wash and use.  It also got quite expensive to keep buying them.  I have tried the custom made adult style but I didn't like the feel of them and they are expensive too.  I have seen many people convert towels by cutting them in half and making a t-shirt style neck hole but I hate pulling things over Owen's head (well it is mainly the taking off after he has dropped his dinner all over the bib).  Oh and I am not a fan of sewing either.  I did like the idea of the towelling, so I bought some inexpensive hand towels and a small bib holder clip (like they use at the dentist) from Independence Australia. I then hold the hand towel in place with the clips (see photos). I am sure there are heaps of versions of the clips, with differing lengths etc so  just make sure the length you get matches the size of your child.  When the bib has been used and abused too many times, it is cheap to replace. Easy to shake, rinse and wash.

Sensory Room on a budget

I have created a Sensory Room for Owen.  I home-school him so a place he can chill out and experience different sensations is a wonderful resource.  A sensory room does not need to be expensive, in fact many of the things I used in ours were gifts Owen had received and other items I already had.  It was (like all my projects) a gradual process.  If you are planning one, with Christmas coming, put the word out for some of the cheaper items below as potential gifts.  I have put links for some of the items (so you see what they look like and where to get them from).  I can't promise these places are the cheapest though and they may not be where Owen's came from.  It is purely a guide for you.

Here are the items in the room:

• Old coffee table with old child gates attached with zip ties to it (so Owen can't get to the cords or power points).
• Old queen sized mattress with mattress protector an quilt and a nice fluffy blanket he had already been given.
• Old bean bag.
• I got an hanging egg chair  and frame from Aldi last year when they sold them.  It was less than $200.00.  
• Bubble tube from Sensamart (I got it when it was on special for $99.00 but they are around $145 now). They are lightweight and easy to tip so you have to create some sort of  plinth to stop a child knocking it over.  I used a old sturdy drawer that I sat upside down, with the drawer front cut shorter to make it even and a hole drilled for the bubble tube and power cord (see photo).  I then put some old pillows around it and an old satin sheet.  You will see from the picture collage I used some mirrors I picked up from Spotlight for $5 to accentuate the effect.UPDATE 25/02/2016. the cheaper tubes are getting harder to get but try searching for "novelty bubble fish lamp" and the cheaper style come up.

• Various lights (heaps of people buy these as gifts for Owen).  Here are some ideas.
• Kaleidoscope (small battery operated), you can get them from ebay, smiggle ($25) and Aust Geographic ($20.00)
• Aurora projector light - $20 to $30 on Ebay.
• Disco lights and plasma balls (cheap at Kmart)
• Water speakers ($30ish at shops such as Big W)
• Battery operated Christmas lights.
• Battery operated vibrating cushions.  I got some vibrating neck massagers from Big W once when they were a clearance item for $5.
• Little hand held massagers (The Good Guys have a light up $10 one at the moment that I want to get)
• Keep your eye out for light up toys, blankets and cushions.  They usually have light up led lights and turn themselves off after 20 minutes.  You will see some in the top right of the picture collage.  I got them for $20 each but they were not permanent items at the stores I got them from. E-bay is a good place to start.
• Get some light up balls (Kmart, Big W, Cheap shops etc), light up tambourines (e-bay or Fishpond), Mini swirl LED light (national geographic, Smiggle, ebay $12- $15). They are plastic and glow when you shake them. They are a bit light a snow globe but with led lights.
• Massage back mat/cushion to put under the quilt on the bed.  We were given one (about 5 years ago) that could also go in the car and you can pick one up for $70 or less on ebay they tend to have them around xmas time in lots of shops.
• Make some of these sensory toys and fabric circles and sensory boards.
• Pool hoses.  They are fun to talk through and feel.
• If you can afford it some light up switch toys.
• Add a ball pit (use a blow up pool and add some light up balls)
• Add a mini trampoline.

Good luck and happy creating.

Sleeping options

Having a safe place for your loved one to sleep at night can be hard.  All of our little ones have different needs and different capabilities. Beds are an expensive outlay so my best advice is don't just think about what they are doing now, think about what they might be able to do in the future.  You also need to think of how high the bed will need to to be for you to have the best access to your child.

You need to consider:

• Are they sitting up?  Are they likely to?
• Are they likely to pull to stand?
• Are they poor sleepers?  Do you need to worry about them getting out of bed whilst you are sleeping?
• Are you going to change nappies in the bed or dress the child?  How is the height for your back?
• Is the child going to get in and out of the bed themselves or do you need to be able to get portable hoist under it?
• Do you need to attach any equipment to the bed like feeding tubes?
• What sort of access do you need for making the bed?
• Do you need to be concerned about them accidentally hurting themselves either through sensory seeking or seizures?  Do you need a soft mesh like surround?
• Do you have a Houdini?  
• Is the child going to get very tall or do you need extra room for you to be able to sleep with them?

The above list is not exhaustive but the sorts of things I tried to think about and we still had to add to Owen's bed.

We were lucky my parents got a bed specially made for Owen.  It is basically a king single sized cot.  Both sides go up and down like a cot does, the height of the sides was limited by the fact I wanted to leave a gap at the bottom for portable hoist access.  To add extra height you will see there are hinged, fold down sides.  I also wanted it to be a high mattress so I could change and dress him on the bed.  Owen developed further than we hoped and now he is working on pulling to stand.  So he can't pull up on the side and tumble out we added a large stargazing tent I saw on another blog. It cost $100.00 and although not sturdy enough for a Houdini it meets Owen's needs.  It is full mesh so it has adequate airflow, it is  high so there is plenty of room for him to sit up, even kneel in bed, also room enough to use the portable hoist and it stops the worry of him falling out.

Other options:

I know some people swear by Special needs tent beds such as Nickel Tent bed and The safety sleeper.  There are also range of special needs beds with mesh walls or cot like railings. If you google "special needs beds" and look at the images a whole range come up.  Most people will tell you they are in the thousands and most are.

I have heard or other people using daybeds (particularly Ikea ones), turned around with the opening placed against the wall, trundle beds on the floor. Some people have used car beds. I have even heard of people using double bunks,  the top bunk is the roof of the bed, pool fencing and/or baby gates are secured around the sides for safety and access.  The thing is, Special needs beds are not one size fits all.  Good luck.

Dealing with Loose Pull-Ups

Owen wears pull-ups.  I used to love the Nappy Pants that Huggies made as they had velcro at the side.  Which made them easy to check and you could use them like a "nappy" if you really needed to.  But alas, he grew out of them and into  Huggies  and Baby Love night time Nappies.  They worked a treat for a while but then he got bigger. Now they no longer have the bottom coverage he needs and aren't quite as absorbent as he needs.  This led to lots of leaky nappies and changes of clothes.  

The next sizes up tend to be small adult ones and as a lot of you would have experienced the elastic can be a little loose on the side.  This means whilst they have the coverage and absorbency they can still have leaks as they move too much. To get around this I bought some cheap boy leg underpants that I pull up over them (as demonstrated in the pictures of my childhood teddy).  Everything sits in place and no leaks. Plus he gets to wear underpants just like any other boy his age.

The importance of Respite

Let me just say that I know currently many families would LOVE respite but just can't access it as there is neither the places nor the funding. With the NDIS coming in that should change. If you are a new Special Needs mum I want you to think about this blog but remember, there is no right or wrong way, just what works for you and your child (or in this case family).  

When Owen was a baby, he had seizures, bouts of extreme irritability, endless appointments (DRs and therapy) as well as other things.   We realised it would be a long and bumpy road and that in order to make it we would need help (from then on-wards).  We needed regular breaks for us and to be there for his elder brother.  The second point is so important, I can not stress enough how important it is to make time for the special needs child's sibling/s. So many of their plans change due to some unexpected need of their special needs brother/sister.  They need one on one time as they are just as important.

So, Set up respite supports early.    When they are still babies/toddlers even if you feel you are OK at the moment.  There are many reasons I feel this:

• There is often a waiting list, so the sooner you are on the list the more likely it is the support you need will be available when you need it.
• If you reach that point where you feel you really, really need respite, you are already starting to burn out and as we all know there is still a long way for you to travel and the more rested you are the longer you can travel.  
• If you start respite early your child will grow up with respite being the norm for them. We have the same lady who started with Owen at 2, that still looks after him today (he is now 8). He knows her, she knows him, he loves her, she loves him, he knows her home as he has grown up going there and she is like an extra Grandmother to him.  She is an extension of our family.  Not everyone is as lucky as us to have that.    
• Your other children will get some one on one time with you.  It is important for their self esteem to know they are important. Our eldest is used to us having that time with him.
• Ensure there is time in there for you to foster your relationship with you partner.  It is a sad fact that many relationships fail, even more in the case of special needs families. Have time out for just the two of you to reconnect.  You don't have to do anything expensive.  A walk, a picnic to the beach, anything where there is just the two of you.

What type of Respite?  
It can be a few hours in home to feed, bath  your child etc or an outing for your child.  If funding will allow, some sort of overnight respite.  Even if it is one night once a month.  Again it is getting them used it early so you don't get to the breakdown stage and it is thrust upon them.  With the NDIS coming in I would be asking for a combination of both.

It was hard for me to trust others with Owen but I have had to learn to.  I'm not talking open slather, you do need to vet potential candidates and be comfortable with them. You need to consider the medical needs and implications.  It was also hard for me to ask for help but I learnt I needed to.

I'm sorry I don't usually soapbox but I am going to.  So if you don't want to read a soapbox comment please don't read on.

If you are someone reading this that does not understand the importance of respite  (or the NDIS for that matter) or are the bean counter who calculates how much respite funding a family gets let me ask a question.  Have you ever watched the movie "Groundhog Day?" with Bill Murray.  He lives the same day over and over.  That is how life feels for many families, like Groundhog Day.  Spend a day with them, see what their days consists of.  

For us it is all the things that happen for a 9-12 month old baby, nappy changes, bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, feeding, not always knowing what he wants/needs/is crying about, teething (yes at 8 we are still getting molars through), witching hour, limited timeframe to be out and about before he gets bored or tired.  Add to that medical issues, medication, therapy, appointments and paperwork.  Please don't forget that this is all with a strong, tall,  8 year old boy who can protest about eating, getting dressed or a nappy change and you have my day.  I am not complaining, I love my son, I just want you to understand.

Now I have painted a picture, imagine you have been doing that every day for 8 years and then imagine you don't know when you will stop doing it?    How are you feeling?  Thinking about going to some corner to rock? Imagine you want to be there for your child's needs for the longest time as you love them so much. Respite helps parents like me have a break, to keep going, to take a breath or two.

Imagine you want your child not to need you because you know you will not always be able to be there for them. Like Bill Murray in Groundhog day, special needs parents organise therapy (Ok Bill did the piano) and other development for their kids.  This helps them learn to do the things the rest of us take for granted, so that one day they can do "things" for themselves and wake up from Groundhog day into a new day, just like Bill Murray does. Bean counters ............funding helps this.

I could also go into the mental health implications of all this but I won't at this stage.

If you are starting to worry about me, please don't.  I am one of the lucky ones, I get respite, I have a good network of family and friends,  so most days I am fine.  At this stage I am not rocking in the corner.  Owen also has the most beautiful smile that lights up my world.  If I did not get respite and the support I do, our story would be different.  Owen has therapy so he is slowly learning things.  Other mums  and dads are not so lucky and they are the ones we need to help.  They are the ones you should worry about.  I sincerely hope there is enough funding with the NDIS to go around.

Grocery Shopping

A few tips on how to make grocery shopping easier and cheaper.  BTW I am not affiliated in any way with any of these stores.

I really like Aldi and they are cheaper in many items than the other players BUT they are not special needs friendly.  So I only go there for certain items that I can't get for the same or comparable price elsewhere and when hubby is home.  

If you shop at  Woolies or Coles, most of them have Special Needs trolley's but they store them inside.  My local stores will bring the trolley to the car if you ring the service desk to ask them to.  Take advantage of that. Better still don't go to the store.............Shop Online instead.  Coles and Woolies have both Click and Collect and Home delivery services.  If I do Click and Collect my hubby picks it up on the way home from work.

How to save money on delivery.  Woolies offer a 12 month Delivery Saver offer. Buy the Delivery Saver for  $89.00, then orders over $100.00 are delivered for free (any day).   Coles offer free delivery Wednesdays for orders over $100.00.  Click and Collect are free for both.

You might be thinking but they are so much more expensive than Aldi, so even with free delivery, you will still pay more.   It is not the case for every item as I have found your no name brand milk, butter, flour, sugar etc tends to be the same price at Coles and Woolies as they are at Aldi (or very close to).   Woolies on-line prices are the same on-line as in-store.  For the basics Coles seems to have the same on-line but you'd have to check what you are interested in just to make sure.  Specials  are the same on-line as in-store for both stores, so I always take advantage of half price offers for items I use all the time and for things like laundry detergent I just get whatever is half price at the time.  So if you shop for basics and specials the end on-line shopping bill is comparable to shopping at Aldi or just a little bit more and you haven't had to deal with whatever makes a shopping trip difficult for your family.  

Then if you do what I do and use your  RACQ breakdown membership to by Woolworths Wish Gift cards at a 5% discount, you actually pay $95.00 for $100.00 of groceries (a quick check of RACV and NRMA have confirmed you can use your membership with them to do the same).  Entertainment books have the same Woolworths gift card offer and have discount on Coles gift cards too.

Hope this helps.

Sharee

DIY Sensory Play

There are many items you can make that will help meet your child's sensory needs.

You could make  Sensory Boards or Sensory Fences  following my instructions in some previous posts.  You can also make your own Sensory Table, Sound Tubes, Light Box toys etc.  Here are some ideas to get you started

DIY Sensory Table

• 1 Ikea RAST Bedside table (currently 14.99).
• 1 Clear Plastic tub with clear lid (I got one for $10 from the Reject Shop and you want one without wheels) 
• Self adhesive Velcro (had that but you)
• (optional) 2 Kmart Dog "door stops"

Put the RAST table together as per instructions, turn it upside down.  Stick on enough Velcro to hold on the plastic tub (I did a rectangle). Attach the other side of the Velcro to the Velcro you just stuck down, remove the sticky tape like backing then place the tub on top and press down so the sticky tape side of the Velcro sticks to the tub.  Leave for 24 hours before you try and remove the tub (so it adherers properly. Now if you are worried your child will pull it over, place some door stops on the shelf.  Also if you are super tircky you could buy caster wheels from a hardware shop and attach them to your bottom shelf.

Now if you want to use it as a light table, put your lid on and buy a  battery operated light box  from Kmart (currently $19.00 and found in their home decorator section).  

Now what to use to play on it? Squishy bags and sound blocks

Squishy bags

A4 laminate pouches, filled with cheap hair gel, food colouring and things like sequins or glitter.  Use things that will attract your child's attention but make sure it isn't sharp. To seal them you use a dry iron (on the hottest heat) or a hair straightener around the edges.  I like to double bag mine by sealing one, then cut it smaller. Place it inside another one and seal that.  Just to have added protection.  They are fun to press and move the "filling" around.  The photo just does not do it justice.

Sound Blocks

• Small plastic craft jars (cheap shops usually have 4 packs for $2 to $3).
• Sequins, beads, glitter.
• Food colouring
• Water
• Glue (non toxic)

Fill the jars with whatever tickles your fancy (just mix up the colours you use, how much water and the amount of filling so they each provide a different experience), add water and a couple of drops of food colouring (don't add too much).  Seal it up tight and when dry glue around the seal.

You can also look for see through items like spinning tops, beads, toys etc.

You can make your own Sound tubes too...............Admittedly they are not super long like the special ones you buy but they certainly do the trick.

Sound tubes:

• Selection of plastic Baby bottles (or other see through plastic bottles you might have)
• Selection of objects such as rice, bells, sequins, beads, little balls, fluffy balls, dice, little chains etc.  Just a selection of things (light, heavy, quiet, bright etc) 
• Glue (non toxic)

Fill the bottles and seal.

Happy Creating!!

Learning to sit

Owen could not get himself into sitting position until he was 3 1/2 years old.  He could sit unsupported a while before that.  It was a LONG, LONG process.  Here's some of the tips I picked up along the way.

Therapy Help:  Get your therapist to show you how to help your child into sitting position, step by step,  Get in the habit of doing it each day, even just a couple of times.  These kids need so much repetition in order for their brains to form the pathways to remember it.

Make sitting "normal":   What I mean is get them used to being in sitting position as much as possible. So provide play time in a safe sitting environment. Get them used to seeing the world whilst sitting up, then hopefully they will want to sit. Owen had no great desire to sit, so we had to REALLY work on this one.

Get some aids to help you work on or encourage sitting:

• Such as a Clam Shell Paddle Pool.................But not just any sort. You want one like the pink and green one's  in the photo's, where the sides go straight up from the pool floor and they have curves for the child's back.  Put water, balls, toys, rice, pasta in it (not together though).  Use it to provide different experiences for them.  When they get tired of sitting or aren't quite strong enough, there is built in support for them.   
• Or maybe a sturdy rectangular laundry basket or box, to sit them in with some toys.  Put it somewhere it isn't going to tip it over.
• Get a Bumbo or the like (I used to pop Owen in the bath tub with his Bumbo, It would be a little unsteady until the water got high enough).
• Look at what you already have, can your highchair double as a play chair? Can you put supports or rolled up towels in their to provide  extra support.   Can you give them toys to play with while they are sitting there?
• If you can afford it look into a corner chair, posture chair or the like (whatever your therapist recommends). You can sometimes pick up a second hand one online or loan one through a toy library (such as Noah's ark or you local council) or even your therapist (if they have a loan pool).

Build Strength: Through tummy time.............I know they get upset but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.  If they hate it, do it regularly but in short stints.  Get a therapy wedge (or something similar) so it helps them be a little further off the ground. Put toys in front of them but not just any toys, make sure they are their favourite toys and only bring them out for tummy time.  Get a gym ball.  

Get your therapist to show you some fun activities you can do with them on there eg bouncing them up and down whilst  they a sitting (and and you are holding them) or tummy time rolling and reaching for toys.

Build endurance: They will need endurance to sit, so to build Owen's strength I spent hours, upon hours sitting behind him, putting him into sitting position.  I was there to position him, provide support (when required) and to stop him from falling over and hurting himself. I had a picnic rug that he and I would sit on at the park, at a picnic or while watching his big brother play sport.  I even sat with him like this if we were watching TV at home.  There is even a picture of me in a holiday unit, looking 
at the view whilst sitting with Owen.

Be cunning:  It got to the stage where the only way Owen would to push up into sitting position was if he had no other choice.  So I put him on his tummy (which he still hated) and I would position my self so the only way out of it was for Owen to try and push up into sitting position.  He hated tummy time more than he hated trying to sit.   Once Owen mastered sitting, he would get lazy and just lie backwards, so we placed a low but sturdy toy (Fisher Price Xylophone)  just behind his bottom, so he would lean, feel it and sit back up again. Took him ages to work out that it could be moved.

Lastly, don't give up. There were times I thought it might never happen but it did.  

Easier Toileting? Yes you can make it a little easier

Ok this is a bit of a gross subject but lets be frank, toileting special needs kids is hard, damn hard and it is probably one of your least favourite jobs.

I never thought placing Owen on a toilet would happen so when his special school wanted to do a little bit of toilet timing with him as part of his routine, I said go for your life.  Inwardly  I thought it wouldn't work and they were wasting their time. I was wrong and I underestimated Owen.  He did get the hang of going to the toilet (on a Commode style of chair). So we started doing it at home too and still do so.  He has even now moved to the toilet itself.  He can't tell us he needs to go but seems to know that if you place him on there that is what he should be doing.  

Bearing this in mind,  when we renovated our bathroom,my husband looked at options that would take some of the hard work out of the clean-up.  To our delight he discovered you can get Bidet toilet seat that attaches to your toilet in place of the usual seat.  The bidet washes (with warm water) and dries the "area". It is not  always 100% effective but most of the time it is and it definitely makes it easier. For those with girls there is also a special "lady hygiene" function.  

I think a Bidet is more dignified for a child reliant on parental support for toileting. I also think it would help any child who was capable of taking themselves to the toilet but have trouble wiping themselves.  How much more independence would that provide?  And don't panic that the child will jump off the seat and it will still being going, there is a little sensor that turns it off if they aren't sitting on it.

Are they expensive?  My Mum and Dad ordered one on e-bay recently for $500, ours was around $1000 (from The Bidet Shop).  So yes, they are a bit,  but no more expensive than a dishwasher and when you consider how much we save on wipes and toilet paper etc, in the long run it will pay for itself.

Do you need a special toilet for it to sit?  Not generally but you will need a power point to plug it in.  So that is an added expense.

Who can install it?  A handy person could.

It is worth looking into as it might save you some time.