Elizabeth Cook

Some days, with a neuro-diverse kid, this is the scenario – you never know which one you’re going to get. This morning was very apparent we had Mr. Hyde here for a visit. And how did he come into being? Apparently the secret formula was a mix of about 1 litre of Root Beer and an entire sleeve of graham crackers at 5 am. Days like this are really tough.

It’s almost noon now and Sully is currently sleeping off his transformation into the “evil” Mr. Hyde. He was absolutely wild and erratic for this holiday Monday morning when all I wanted to do was sleep in. There were words – bad words, loud words, regrettable words. And then, silence.

Parenting a neuro-diverse kid is challenging on most days and on days like today, they’re downright exhausting. They make you question every decision you’ve ever made – am I giving him too much screen time, am I getting him enough exercise, am I giving him enough individual attention, am I giving him too much attention?? Every single day I wonder if I have made the right decision and the real shitty part is that I will never know if I’ve royally screwed up or not until it’s too late.