Katie-Anne Gustafsson's comments

Listening to Your Inner Voice and Trusting Your Instincts - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 01:15 PM

Most people don't listen to their instinct, their inner voice, naturally. It's drowned out by other things in our lives such as pre-conceived ideas, other people's opinions, fear of change etc. And yet, when we do listen, we are almost always guaranteed to be doing the thing that is right for us. I have been trying to quieten my inner fears so that I can hear my instinct more clearly, and when I do, I know that the choices and decisions I'm making are good.

When You Want To Hit A Bully - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 01:12 PM

Babydawn, I told the leaders at Jake's preschool if they didn't handle the child in their care who was making my son's life a misery, I was going to contact first the parents of the child and get them to sort out their child's behavior, and if that didn't work I would go to the principal and the local newspaper because they are supposed to be no-tolerance bullying and no-tolerance bullying was more than words on a piece of emotive paper! Things have settled! :)

You know what rattles me though? My son is a nice boy. That's the label given him by everyone that's ever come in contact with him. And yet, with Aspergers, he's also the one with the anti-social label ....shouldn't that be the bully, not the victim?

Katie-Anne (getting off soapbox!)

When You Want To Hit A Bully - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 01:08 PM

Jake's only form of defense is his mouth - he's got Aspergers but verbal skills not part of that problem, our child development specialist said he has one of the largest vocabularies he's seen in a child that age or even a year or two above! I wouldn't want him hitting someone else, but in my mind I wish I could, and we talk about the fact that this is about the bully not liking himself and so has to pretend he's better by picking on other kids, and pretty soon he'll start on someone else but I also tell Jake he has never to forget what it feels like and so no matter what the other kids do, he stays out of it and supports the kid getting picked on.

Katie-Anne

- Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 01:03 PM

I think the acceptance of them as being "ok" is the danger area. If the words are acceptable now, how near is the day when the actions are also the norm. Where is the line drawn? I have friends who think it's so cute when their pre-schooler sings along with Eminiem and co, but have a hissy fit at the language that their 8 year old uses - isn't this mixed message parenting? I'm a very broadminded person, but I think there's a place for bad language songs and it's not on public radio. If people who like to watch adult movies, they have to pay to do this on special channels because they are not for kids to watch - and I think we're getting to a place with songs where they are starting to cross that boundary too. But that's just my two kronor!

Katie-Anne

The Lasting Power of Play Dough - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 12:57 PM

Hahahaha Kori, I must be a distant genetic relation because I still love play doh also! Ok so it doesn't smell as good as a brand new box of Crayola crayons, but hey what does? Play doh is wonderful to squish and form into shapes ...of people who have stressed you out that day .....and squished again..... HAHAHAHA In fact, I think they should do research on the theraputic values of childhood arts and crafts when dealing with the stresses of our adult world!

Katie-Anne

The Magic of the Magic Kingdom ....it's not just for kids! - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 06:28 AM

Sounds wonderful!

What if You Don't Like Your Child's Friend? - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 06:25 AM

I'd like to see an article that advises us moms on what to do when you want to go slap one of your kid's classmates because they were mean to your child and he's cried himself to sleep for a week as a result! ROFL I can't be the only mom to have these completely irrational thoughts ....am I?

Katie-Anne

Preparing Kids For an Unsafe World - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 06:23 AM

I live in a moderately safe country, but I'm from the UK which is not that far behind the US in the non-safe stakes. This gives me conflicting emotions because I don't want to be over-protective of my boys, and yet I know that you only get one chance to get it wrong, and even here in Sweden violence and crimes against people are on the increase. There's also a conflict with the boys because they are used to freedoms here that I can't allow when we're in the UK because it's just not safe.

As far as terrorism goes, as I said I grew up in the UK where terrorist threats were part of everyday life and I didn't grow up paranoid about terrorism, nor did 9/11 change my way of life because what I did learn growing up in that kind of environment is that if you allow fear of what others may do stop you living your life, then they've won.

Katie-Anne

Helping Children Deal With News Trauma - Blog Entry

24 Jan 2007 06:18 AM

This is so true. We don't have the news on whilst our little ones are around because we don't know how much they are listening/understand. Unfortunately one set of grandparents isn't so vigilant and they've learned to their cost how kids take what they overhear and blow it out of proportion through lack of real understanding on how to process the information. The topic that was overhead was about the bird flu and it was months before my then 5 year old would even go into the garden if there was a bird there because he didn't want to die. I didn't think I had to tell them to monitor what they watched when he was around - that was my mistake!

Katie-Anne

Families And Survivor's Guilt - Blog Entry

23 Jan 2007 01:58 AM

You know this isn't just something that's restricted to military situations. I remember being in the neonatal ward a few days after my first child was born and hearing a mother's scream of anguish from the adjoining neonatal ICU. The 3 other mothers in the room with me, all looked at each other, and held our tiny babies a little closer, appreciating every second we had with them because we knew that it was just a little heartbeat that stood between us, and the mother in the next room.

During the first Gulf war, I had a friend who was in a tank regiment (UK forces) that was on some kind of manouvre when their tanks were hit by friendly fire. Our area at home lost about 4 boys in that friendly fire, and I remember feeling nothing but relief that my friend wasn't amongst them, and then guilty when I thought of the other family members/friends who had lost someone that day. I can't imagine what it must be like living on a base and hearing that a serviceman or woman from X company has been killed in action -and having to wait to hear if it's your partner.

Katie-Anne