Swim Pants

Swimming with a special needs child can be tricky, especially when they are incontinent.   In a swimmer I look for contain-ability and clean-ability.  So for as long as I could squeeze Owen into them he wore Huggies swim pants because they ticked both boxes.   Here are some swimmers I have tried on Owen.

Eenee: http://www.eenee.com/contents/en-us/d56_eenee_swimmers.html

Look like normal swimmers, strings to tighten to ensure contain-ability and often preferred by schools.  My only issue is when there is an accident and clean up is required there is no easy way to take them on and off.  You can get these from Theraquatics.  There is a very similar version made by Bokers that you can get them from Independence Australia 






So Secure: http://www.sosecureproducts.com/containment-swim-brief
I really like these ones, they are designed to go under a swimsuit, have velcro so getting the right tightness for containment is easy and work like a nappy cleanup wise.   You can get these from Independence Australia  and Theraquatics

Swimmates:
These are disposable swim nappies, so they go under your swimsuit.  I found a bag of 22 for $44 (including delivery) on ebay.  Theraquatics sell them for pack for $28 (plus delivery if you live out of town) .  So they are a little expensive but the ease of clean-up makes it worth it.  Plus, I have managed to dry them and re-use them when there has been no accidents at home.  Not sure if you are techinically supposed to but I did


Here are some links to some swimsuits I haven't tried.

Splash Brand Boardshorts.  Around $50 to $60:  http://www.splashabout.com/swimming/disability/

You can get these from Special Needs Solutions






Splash brand swimpants around $40  http://www.splashabout.com/swimming/disability/

Again you can get these from Special Needs Solutions



Note: I am in no way affiliated with any of these stores.  You may find them cheaper elsewhere.

Good Luck

Use YouTube to your advantage

I take videos of Owen.  I take videos of his milestones, weird behaviour, seizures and developmental snapshots.  When I homeschooled him I even took them as evidence.  All of these videos generally at some stage will be shared.  The only issue is they are too large to keep e-mailing or to even store them on my phone.  

The solution?  Create a YouTube account for yourself and upload the videos to YouTube BUT make sure you select the privacy setting of "UNLISTED".  If a video is unlisted you can't search YouTube for it but if you have the link you can watch it.  So I e-mail the links to doctors/therapists to view or I access my YouTube account during appointments.  

Not sure how to Upload to YouTube?  I found this video describing how you upload as unlisted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrpyRFLYhD4

And if you are going back later to find them, Log into YouTube, go to My Channels, then uploads (as per the highlights below) and you will be able to see them all.

Just say hello

Just say hello, when you see your kids staring at a special needs child, just say hello to the child and encourage your child to do so.

Today we took Owen to the park. Today I estimate 80% of the kids stared at him.  I actually get why they do and I describe it in this post http://hintstipsandhacks.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/how-to-cope-with-not-being-invisible.html so this is not saying don't stare or notice Owen.  I get that you will and your kids will too. This post is just saying kids like Owen have feelings and most of them love to be around other kids. This post is saying, it would make their day if you and your child said hello.  This post is saying it would make their Mum and Dad's day if you and your child said hello. This post is saying, show your kids how it's done.  This post is saying, just say hello.

Don't say it's rude to stare, just say hello.

Sensory Wall for less than $100

A number of years ago I bought a Sensory wall for Owen and it cost around $700.  It isn't really tailored for him so he only uses a few items on it.  I love the creativeness of making these sorts of things so I thought I'd try my hand at making a Sensory Wall.  I also I wanted to make it, if possible for less than $100.

What I used:

• 
  
• Plywood  (I got off cuts for 50 cents each from the now defunct Masters) 
• Pine for framing so it would sit out from the wall (I got 4 off cuts for 75 cents each from the now defunct Masters) 
• Wooden Xylophone (ebay $9.20 incl delivery)
• Coloured wooden beads (I used pet bird ones and got them on eBay $2.70 incl delivery)
• Wind chimes ( $5.40 inc delivery)
• Wooden activity triangle  ($20 Kmart) 
• Plastic activity cube ($10 Kmart)
• Vibrating cat toys ($3 each cheap shops)
• Wooden castanets ($2.68 eBay including delivery)
• Bike bell (I got an easy ring one for approx $10 amazon)
• Black spray paint  ($10 Hardware shop)
• Brush ($3 Hardware)
• Screws, cable ties, wood glue, hat elastic
• Screwdriver, jigsaw (if you need to cut wood),sandpaper, drill and drill bits

How I did it:

1. I sourced the parts and waited for delivery.  That is one of the longest parts as some take up to a month.
2. I dismantled the activity cubes.
3. I then put the plywood together and famed the back.  This step was only necessary so I could put moving toys  that could not "move" on a solid piece of wood.  I both glued and screwed the frame on.
4. I laid out the items and took a photo of them in place.  I marked anywhere I would need drill holes and drilled them.
5. I cut any larger holes/spaces with the jigsaw.
   
6. I smoothed any edges with sandpaper.
7. I painted the board and allowed it to dry.
8. I threaded the beads through the hat elastic and attached it to the Xylophone.
9. I drilled holes and screwed all the parts on.
10. I cabled ties any parts on and trimmed the back.

How long did it take me?

Around 9 hours all up.  This time includes finding the products on ebay, painting and putting it all together.

What would I do differently:

• Screw in the frame on from the back not the front, so you don't see the screws
• I used a spray on paint, I would try and paint with a roller/brush Or I would a piece of wood that did not require painting.
• I would also learn how to cut in a straight line and paint as both are appalling....

Happy making :-)

School lunch note

Owen is non verbal and needs assistance with eating.  He eats both orally and via his button.  He is still very much learning to eat so it is a balance between self feeding and being fed (as well as ensuring he gets adequate nutrition).  To make it easier for his teachers to know what to feed him (and when) and for me to know how much he has eaten, I have always put a note of sorts in his lunchbox.  My first offering was the laminated note (more on that in this link) but I have since come up with a better option.

I found a whiteboard notebook at Dasio for $2.80 and put labels on it.  Now I record what he needs to be offered and when.  There is even a spare page for any general notes like "serve hot".  Here are some photos:

Tip keep the page open for a few minutes after you write on it to allow the marker to dry.

School, what should I do?

What school to send your child to is always a hard choice.  I'm not sure how other countries work but in Australia, especially Queensland, we have more than one option.  We have Public schools (even those outside of our district), Private schools (traditional and alternate) and Home Schooling.  Add Intellectual Impairment you also have the choice between Mainstream (ie your local) and Special School.

There is research into which is better (Mainstream or Special School)  in terms of both short term and long term outcomes. I'm not going to go into it but will say when reading research I take into consideration that every child with special needs is different from the other, so whilst the research can be helpful it might not be true for Owen. I would recommend you do the same.  You will also find some people are "pro mainstream" and some  are "pro special school".   I'm actually neither. I'm pro having school options available to choose from and I'm pro matching the child with the best education option and environment for them to grow and thrive (where ever that may be).  I've seen some go to Mainstream and some go to Special School. That path was the best choice for them as an individual.

So when considering a school, look at all your options and consider:

• Your child's learning needs (where are they developmentally and where they are heading)
• What curriculum the school offers, how much will they alter the program for your child, how will they include them in the learning.
• Your child's environment needs (quiet, busy, aircon/heating, access, sensory, equipment) 
• What support can they provide, how much one on one they will get
• Your child's emotional needs and how the school will meet it
• Any anxieties they might have and how they will play out in the school environment
• How you will get them there, will you be eligible for transport.
• Any nursing or therapist support they offer
• How does it fit in with your family.
• What extra curricular activities will they offer your child
• What extra's does the school have eg library, playground wise, vegie garden, pool, sensory room/wall, pool.
• If required, before and after school care

Then send them to whatever school that turns out to be.  If you try that and it doesn't work, advocate to fix it or find a different and better option (whichever is the most appropriate).

Here's the things that factored into our decision on Owen's school:

• Developmentally he is less than 1 year old, is in a wheelchair, non verbal, has vision impairment.  He needs activities appropriate to his development level, that encourage him to reach the next milestone.
• Bearing the above in mind, it was important for me that he be doing the same work as his classmates not separate work.  I felt that "included" him more than him being in a class with local children doing totally different work to him.  He is one of 5 students of similar abilities.
• Their communication techniques matched where he was heading.  They used PODD AAC in the classroom.
• He needed to be in a school environment that was social yet not terribly hectic (otherwise he would not concentrate on the task at hand), that was small in numbers.  He is one of 5 in his classroom and catches the bus with a similar number of children. 
• They offer hydrotherapy as part of their program.  Owen loves the water and such a  program benefits him with muscle strength and balance thus hopefully walking some day. 
• Owen needs a strong sensory focus as for both calming and learning.  They have a sensory room and offer sensory activities in the classroom.
• Owen needs air-conditioning to ensure he does not over heat in summer (risk of seizures and distress).  This school is fully air-conditioned and they remain indoors at lunchtime.
• He needs access to nursing staff.  Most days there is a nurse on site.
• He needed access with therapists to help with movement, transfers etc and to write programs for the teachers to use.  They have therapists on site.
• He needs teachers specialised in teaching children with his level of impairment and his vision impairment.  They have both.
• They have walkers, standing frames, swings etc.
• I felt confident they could protect him from germs as much as possible (I home schooled Owen for 20 months after his health deteriorated so much he could not cope with his previous school environment)

For us, that all led to a Special School.  We also went through a similar process when working out where our other (neuro typical) son goes.  Who knows where you will end up.

Even more Sensory Boards

I made some more sensory boards the other day.  They can be used to touch and feel or a wall decoration in a sensory room (they will catch the light).............These are so easy and quick I had to share (both took me less than 15 minutes to make):

You need:

• 2 plastic chopping boards (I got these ones from Daiso)
• Pre-curled ribbon for presents (exact number depends on the size of your board)
• Present puffs or other decoration
• Stick on velcro
• cable ties
• drill
• nail clippers

Instructions for the "fish":

• Drill two holes for each ribbon you have
• Take any staples out of the ribbon

• Attach to the front of the board with a cable tie and tighten as much as possible, trim cable tie with the nail clippers

• Hold both sides of the ribbon together, put a cable tie around it and tighten as much as you can (this is so it won't be able to be pulled off the board).  Trim cable tie with the nail clippers.

 Instructions "Pom, Pom apple"

• Stick two strips of velcro on the cutting board
• Place a small piece of the opposite side of the velcro on the back of the pom poms.
• Attach the poms poms to the cutting board

NOTE: I use the velcro as the double sided tape on the back of the ribbons and poms poms tends to be useless (they will continually fall off) and it means I can replace one very easily if one gets destroyed or tatty.  I don't recommend continually removing and reattaching them, they will not last if you do that.

If you want to see some of the other boards I have made you can find them at on these links
http://hintstipsandhacks.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/how-to-make-your-own-sensory-boards.html

http://hintstipsandhacks.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/continuation-of-how-to-make-your-own.html

Welcome to the "Club" you didn't apply for.

This is a little removed from my usual tips and hacks but it might just help someone. This is for those just starting their journey.  A few tips and lessons learnt to help you on your way.

There is no right or wrong way to feel

Don't feel you should react in a particular way.  I am my harshest critic. I felt I should instantly know how to cope, instantly feel at ease with Owen's issues and basically have no adjustment time (how delusional of me!).   So when I did not feel that way, I thought I was not meant for this road.   I suffered greatly from depression and anxiety. I was resentful, in denial, thought my life was over and thought I did not have the strength to do it.  Although I do admit there are some mums who just take to it like a duck to water I have found very few.

  
Most (like me) were terrified, felt like they were drowning, felt like the carpet had been pulled out from under them and felt ripped off.  They did not get the baby they "ordered". I know we don't "order" babies and that is a harsh way of putting it but it is an accurate way of putting it. We have dreams for them from way before they are even conceived, expectations of healthiness, expectations of the life they will lead and the life we will lead. We have so many images in our heads it is no wonder when we are presented with something that does not match that, it overwhelms us.  Often we are not even given images to replace the ones we have. 

Love is not always instantaneous.  In the very early days I felt like I could not give Owen the life he deserved nor the unconditional love he deserved. I felt I was not capable of looking after him and that I would never look at him without regret for missing the life I had imagined. I was VERY wrong about ALL of these things and it it took time to learn and feel that. I love him unconditionally and see nothing but beauty when I see him.  I no longer see the path I imagined all those years ago, I see his path and am OK with it.

If you are starting your journey, be gentle on yourself,  don't judge your feelings, feel them, accept them, allow yourself time to grieve, don't look too far ahead just look at the next step you need to take and concentrate on that.  The rest will come.

It's OK to be terrified

As I said above, most mums and dads are terrified. You have imagined a set path, where you can see everything but you have ended up on a unknown path in the dark. You can't see where you are going and you are worried to take a step.  You are worried you will trip and fall over, step on something scary or even find nothing in front of you at all.  Don't worry you will adjust to the dark and be able to see where you are going.  Even better, eventually the sun will come up for you.  I promise, this feeling will pass, it will become easier and less terrifying. 

You are not alone

I felt very alone. Although family and friends were supportive I felt alone as they had never been on the path I was on.  Then I went to a playgroup at a special school, joined some website forums (this was before Facebook), got connected with therapists that could help and guide me.  I suddenly found I was a member of a club, that welcomed me, that welcomed Owen.  A club that didn't care if I was late, tired, cancelled at the last minute, didn't' feel like talking or that I felt like crying.  The club didn't care that Owen vomited or screamed.  They cried with me, offered tea or coffee, offered advice. We supported each other.  So find a playgroup, join some online forums or Facebook groups.  Connect. 

You are not special nor are you chosen

I used to think this.  Special kids are only given to special people who can handle it.  It is something people like to think, as they admire what we do and how we do it. They also don't think they can do it.  I  did not put myself into the special category and still don't, so when faced with this path I panicked as I did not meet my own expectations.  So here are the facts. I love Owen and do my best for him, that is what a parent does, ANY parent. It's just that I had to learn different parenting skills.  It is special but doesn't make me special.

It's important to seek help and set-up networks

Don't try and do it alone.  Get counselling (professionally or otherwise), see your doctor if you aren't coping.  Look into what networks/organisations there are around you that provide advice, therapy, respite etc, and register with them.   Join playgroups for special needs kids, accept help from friends and family.  Look after you.

Never compare

NEVER EVER.  Not only should you not compare your child to Neuro typical kids, you should equally not compare them to other special needs kids.  They are all different and on their own path.  Even in the same "syndromes" the pace of development can be poles apart. Comparing can lead to disappointment and unrealistic expectations and more grief for you. So just don't do it.   

Don't look too far ahead in the early stages

I tried but it just terrified me.  Here are the facts, your child will develop at his or her rate, your job is to help that.  The development or lack there off  that you are imagining may or may not come to pass.  Rules, day programs, job programs, funding etc may look different by the time your child gets to the age to use them, so what is the point of worrying about it now.  It helps to just think of the present and immediate future.  Just think of your next step or two.  Help them with what you can now, don't give up.  The rest will come and you will know when the time is ready to think about it.

It will get "easier"

I promise it will.  I can't promise it will always be easy and you won't experience a challenge or two (or three or four) but I can promise you, you will find ways to cope, it will be less terrifying and you will adjust.  

Whilst you might not feel like it now, you can do this and will want to do this. 

Welcome to the club xx

Kitting out your car for a quick get away..............

One of my earliest blogs covered how to kit out your child's wheelchair so you can head out in a hurry.  Here is a link to that blog post: the-sara-lee-method-and-kitting-out your child's wheelchair. Further to that post,  I don't always take Owen out in his wheelchair but I'm still keen to get out in a hurry. 

We have a special harness that lets Owen sit in a normal car seat. We use this seat if we are taking out other equipment such as his walker, jogging stroller or tricycle. They take up the space his wheelchair would have taken up which means no wheelchair (or the things I kitted out his wheelchair with). I have had to have a nappy bag ready, then remember to throw it in the car. Additionally, I sometimes need to change him in the back of the car (due to the lack of adequate change facilities at parks etc).   So I decided to kit out my car for changing Owen and other things I might need for outings where we don't have his chair. 

Solution:  Car seat organisers. I bought two $5 car seat organisers from Kmart ( you can get them from just about anywhere though) and placed them on the back of the back seats (see below) that Owen's wheelchair sits between. He can't reach them from his wheelchair (otherwise the contents would be spread across the car before I even got out of the driveway) but if I'm changing him everything in easy reach for me.

What Did I Pack?

• Sipper cup
• Spoon
• Snack food (for Owen it's baby food custard custard etc as he still likes them)
• Feeding tubes and syringes
• Baby Wipes
• Antibacterial wipes
• Tissues
• Disposable change pads
• Several emergency toys
• Nappy disposal bags
• Sick bag
• Disposable gloves
• Hand sanititizer
• Nappies
• Hat
• Pen
• Bib
• Sunscreen (not officially in there yet but will be)
• Nappy cream
• Umbrella

Stored elsewhere in the car:

• Change of clothes
• Fold-able picnic rug
• Bike pump (in case his tricycle or jogging stroller tyres need pumping up and trust me it's happened)
• Screw driver set (I've needed it for his bike trailer)
• A box of muesli bars (so I can grab one if I'm hungry)

Writing the above list makes me wonder if I was meant to be a boy scout........as it appears Owen and I will be ready for just about anything!  I hope you will be too :-).

Advocating Tips

If you ask me what makes me tired, I will often tell you it is the paperwork associated with being a special needs mum, the advocating to ensure Owen gets what he needs and we as a family get what we need too.  All that takes an extraordinary amount of time and energy.

I thought I would share a few tips I have picked up along the way, in the hope it helps you.  It is not fail-proof but it might help.  

Advocating Tips

Prepare
Read any rules or policies associated with what you are advocating for ie, enrolment policies, service guidelines/principles, transport policies, patient care guidelines etc.  Get to know the terminology, phrases and words they use.  If you aren't very good with that sort of thing, ask a friend or another special needs parent to help.

Take off your parent hat
This is really important.  You need to take the emotion out of it.  You need to consider the facts.  You need to put yourself on the other side, the side that is making the decision.  You need to match your child's needs up with the rule or policy you have just read.  Are they entitled to it? If they are outside of the guidelines, how much of a exception are you asking them to make?  Is that a reasonable exception?  What are the tangible benefits of the exception both for your child and the provider.  Is there any other way?   

Get evidence (in need)
This could be a therapist, dr or nurse report that backs up your request.

Put it in writing
Firstly don't get personal and be polite.  Treat them how you would like to be treated.   Put it all down.  Link it to the policies, use the same terms the policy/procedures uses.  Use dot points (if you can) to make it easier to read.  Include the benefits for your child and your provider.  If you are asking them to go outside a policy, tell them you know you are making such a request but also tell them why it is critical to do so and why there is no other valid way.  Tell them how you came to that conclusion.  Be specific and factual. Include any evidence you have organised.   Remember the person you are talking to or writing to are doing their job and 99.9% of the time want to help you so give them everything they need to be able to say yes to your request.   Let them know what you want and when you anticipate hearing by.   

Good luck!

Continuation of how to make your own sensory boards

Vibrating Cat toys

For those who missed my initial post here is a link:

http://hintstipsandhacks.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/how-to-make-your-own-sensory-boards.html

I have made several more boards and thought I would share the pictures to give you a few more ideas.  Additionally you will note I have now added elastic to the back to help them stay put when you put them on a tray/table.

Stay tuned as I have an idea I'm trialling on making crawling easier when you have wooden floors.  Once it is trialled I will publish it.

Castanets

Elastic on back

Aussie Mums and Dads, make voting at elections easier

This post comes from an unexpected discovery when my husband and I voted at a recent election.  It was a local election and neither of us was able to vote on the actual day so we attended a Pre-Polling booth. There was a HUGE line but the Election Officers spotted the disability sticker on the car and Owen in the back. It turned out this booth offered "Assisted Voting". Hubby was allowed to go straight in and vote and they sent a portable booth out to the car for me to put on my lap and vote (yes in the car) so that I did not have to unload Owen.  Within 10 minutes we were gone.  Impressive and helpful!.

This lead me to investigate further and there is a postal voting category called a "General Postal Voter"  and you can tick a box that says you need to do a postal vote, each election, as you are "caring for a seriously ill or infirm person".  We ticked that box, uploaded the forms and explained in the info box that the infirm person was our disabled child who had fluctuating health.  Our application was approved.  So for federal elections we will get a ballot paper in the post and for state and local elections a form to tick to confirm we wish to do a postal vote, then a Ballot paper in the post.  More information can be found at: General Poster Voter 

So the crux of this is apply to be a General Poster Voter or take advantage of Assisted Voting if offered at your Polling booth (apparently they list it on the where to vote list they prepare for each election).

A rocking horse on wheels???

I want Owen to want to get himself from A to B.  I want Owen to be able to get himself from A to B. I want Owen to think to himself "I want to go to my ballpit" and take himself there.

Here are the 

• He can crawl, in is own little way, for small distances to toys he can see.
• He knows where things are in the house as he will lead me to where he would like to play when we do assisted walking.
• So he also knows what he likes to do (and what he doesn't)
• He loves his Little Tikes rocking horse but he is getting too tall for it (not related to the above points but relevant)

My assumption is his crawling method is hard work, too hard for him to use it for any great distances. Walkers are too tiring and big at this stage (to use inside anyway).  A scooter board is too low and requires too much core strength for him to want to do it for any length of time.  Soooooooooooo this is the solution:

Ok, so it is a Scooter board like trolley I got from Bunnings for $29.00, Owen's Little Tikes Rocking horse, attached with a huge Physio strap I already had.  He can move backwards and forwards using his legs, turn around easily.  He loves it and has already started exploring a little.  The rocking horse does not rock and I have secured it very tightly.  It does move a little but Owen's sensory needs love that.

Getting Clean

Owen loves water and can play in it all day! For this reason we like to make his bathing experience fun and even at times a learning experience.

Tips to make showering easier:

Shampoo visor:  The only part of a shower Owen dislikes is the shampoo in his eyes. So I bought him a Shampoo visor like the one in my attached photo.  I got it from my local chemist but there are so many to choose from on e-bay (search "shampoo visor"). Note: Owen is 8 1/2 with a smallish head and this one fits on the last clip only.  There are however many larger options.

Shower Chair:  We have two, one with wheels for when Owen is not up to walking and one without wheels.  With the "Wheeled" one, I can hoist him from his bed into it and wheel him into the bathroom to use.  For when he is up to assisted walking we have a Goanna Chair where the wheels have been cut off at the bottom.  This means it is at a height Owen can walk to and transfer into with minimal assistance.  He can feel his feet on the ground when he sits in it.

Wheelie stool:  This is for me and to save my back.  I can wheel around him at the right height. 

 

Making shower and bath time fun:

First rule: ebay is your friend.There are lots of weird and wonderful lights etc on e-bay. You will have to wait a few weeks for them as the cheapest ones come direct from Hong Kong or China but boy is it worth it :-).

Disco shower:  We bought a disco shower head from ebay.  They have a turbine in them, that lights up LED lights as water flows through the shower head.  There are no batteries.  There are two types, one that changes colour based on the temperature of the water (so you know when it is too hot or too cold) or one that randomly changes colour (we have one of this sort).................There are oodles and oodles of them on e-bay for around $15 with delivery (and some a LOT more expensive).  You just need to search in e-bay for "shower head lights", pick the one you want and order.  To  install, you just screw off your old one and screw on the new one.

Disco bath lights:  In ebay search "disco bath light" and these little lights come up for around $5.  Now you do need to make sure you really tighten the screws so no water gets in or they won't last ling.  Owen loves these.

Light up bath animals:  You can get rubber ducks with LED lights in them that will flash when in water.  They are awesome.  They don't last for ages but if you shop around you can get them for a $1 or so each.

How do we make it a learning experience for him?

Shower: After he is clean I give him the shower head to play with.  We practice the signs stop, more and yes.  I stop the shower and ask him if he wants more.  We do this several times each shower as the water is a big motivator for him

Bath: The disco bath lights can be turned off, so again I turn it off and ask if he wants more etc.  As they float and move it encourages visual tracking plus hand and eye co-ordination to pick it up.  I also put cups of various sizes in there for him to tip water in and out of, pick up etc so that he can feel the various weights of the cups.

Keeping blankets on a problem? Ideas to keep them warm

I know, it's summer and I'm talking about keeping a child warm at night!  Whilst keeping them warm at night is not an issue now, it will be winter before you know it and lets be honest it is winter somewhere in the world.  Owen can't keep blankets on, he can't pull them up.  For this reason, blankets are of no use to us and keeping him warm in winter is difficult.

Some ideas I have:

Sleepsuits/Onesies Layering:

I rejoiced in the recent popularity of the sleepsuit.  Suddenly there were sleepsuits in all shapes, sizes and fabrics.  I even found some lightweight summer style ones made of Tshirt material.  Not knowing how long the popularity would last, I bought up big at the end of last two seasons.  I bought some in each and every size, so that as he grows we will have the right size for him.  I got some bargains too!!!

Owen doesn't just wear the sleepsuit.  He wears Pjs and just before bed we put the sleepsuit over the top.  Whilst this does the Autum/Spring months, this is not always enough, not for the coldest nights in winter.  So the below are solutions for then.

Grobags:

These are very expensive (usually around $100 each), you can get special needs ones too (the largest size is for 6-10 years).  There are varying degrees of thickness (togs) for the different temperatures throughout the year.  They are basically a sleeping bag, with arm holes.   I was fortunate enough to get Owen's Grobags on special for $40 each from Trade Secret.  I have seen them on the Grobag site for half price at the end of season and there is a similar product called the Slumbersac (note I have not tried this one). Owen is very tall for his age so our Grobags probably won't last past 9 for him therefore they are not a long term solution.

Sleeping bags:

Sleeping bags are made for all ages, you can get varying degrees of thickness.  For my solution, you need a non hooded one that zips all the way around (to make getting it on and off easy)..............But how do you keep it from slipping down (and off) or up ( and over the child's head)?    Simple, you also need one of those Physio Straps I'm so in love with to wrap around their chest (see picture).

You will need a couple of sleeping bags. So that you can have one on and one in the wash.   I'm not sure if you are technically supposed to wash them in the washing machine but I put Owen's ones (zipped up) through the "hand wash" cycle on my machine.   I have a top loading "front loader" (one without the agitator).   It seems to wash well and there is no damage to the bags thus far.  They were only really cheap (I think one of the Big W $12 ones) so I am not concerned if that goes haywire. There are a broad range available and range from really cheap (as in the ones I got) to really expensive.   If you do your research you might find one that is technically machine washable.

I'd love to build on the sleeping bag idea and somehow fashion a sleeping bag out of a quilt (maybe even a coverlet that is pretty to look at).  With the zip all the way around.   That would make washing a darn sight easier.  That is a job for another day and possibly another blog post if I ever get a chance to do it.

Update 24/06/2017  ................I finally built on the idea. Here is the link of the blog about it http://hintstipsandhacks.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/another-idea-to-keep-warm.html

Iron on safety...................

One morning (when Owen was sleeping in) I went in to check on him and found his head up his pillowcase.............whilst his pillow was also in the pillowcase!  Lucky his head was facing away from the pillow, so he could still breath. I'm sure I lost a few years off my life when I first spotted him. I was shocked as Owen is 8 and 1/2.  He can sit, he can crawl and he can pull a hat off , pull his glasses off or pull a towel away from his face but he still got himself into trouble.  That day I came up with a solution.  Sewing not being one of my favourite pastimes (nor am I that great at it)  I bought Iron-on Velcro and now they Velcro shut to stop it from happening again.

Secondly...........so when we are checking Owen's baby monitor, we can easily see what he is doing (you know when he is supposed to be sleeping but isn't)  we have ironed on  a strip of reflective tape to his sleep-suit style PJs.  Whilst he can't see the shininess it is like the light from a lighthouse to us. It occurred to me, it might also be worthwhile for those who have escapees to do this with their PJ's, just in case.  It would make it easier to find them but also for others out and about to also see them. 

You can buy both these products on e-bay (relatively cheaply).