Acting Silly

Today's gift is acting silly.

Children bring out the best in us, don't they?  How many times have you found yourself doing something ridiculous and you start laughing at yourself, because you can't believe your child has brought you to this level of craziness.

I feel like this weekly, if not daily.

Kids love being silly.  They don't care what other people think as this is the time they are exploring who they are and their environment.  It doesn't matter if they are typically or not typically developing children....they all act silly in their own ways.  And they want us to act silly with them.

They don't care what you sound, act or look like when you are being silly.  All they care about is laughing.  However, I think we start to step out of our comfort zones sometimes when we are put up to the test of acting silly for our children....especially out in public.  How far are you willing to take your circus act?

Thanks to my daughter with special needs, I have been forced to overcome my fear of acting silly in public.  She is honestly the one person who has forced me to overcome this fear.

I hate talking in public.  I start to get all hot and sweaty....just writing about it makes me nervous.  If you know me, you would probably never believe I do not like public speaking....as I am a chatterbox (really...my 6th grade computer teacher told my parents, I would talk to the computer if it would talk back to me!).  However, speaking for my daughter has helped me overcome this fear (even though I still hate it a little bit).

What helps me the most in getting over this fear is acting silly for my daughter, when she is placed in situations which causes her anxiety or when I need her to do something for me when we are out in public and me acting silly is the only way it is going to get done.

Just like yesterday, we had another doctor's appointment today.  Nothing like getting them all out of the way in the same week!  My daughter doesn't mind going to the doctor, but it is all the vitals they have to take she doesn't care for too much.  Most people go to the doctor and step on the scale...no big deal, right.  But what about the child who has stability issues and doesn't like being off balance......when she goes to step on the scale it is moving under her constantly as she is shaking....which usually leads to an "estimated" weight.  Or the blood pressure cuff....the feeling of something tightening around her arm is making her more anxious, which results in the inability to get her blood pressure.

Luckily, some doctor's offices (like the one we went to yesterday) have a scale, where you sit in a chair.  Whoever designed this is brilliant and receives an A+ from me!  This makes getting my daughter's weight so much easier...for all of us.  I always put her weight and height in my phone with the date for future doctor appointments.

Unfortunately, no one has invented the "perfect" blood pressure cuff (hint hint) or the offices we frequent have not seen them if they exist, so this is where I have to break out my "silly hat".  My daughter does not like having her blood pressure taken...at...all.

She starts wringing her hands faster and faster as she watches them come closer and closer to her with the machine.  When trying to grab her hands apart you feel like you are going to break her hands as they feel like they are suctioned to each other.  And they are super sweaty.  Once you have them apart, you have to hold them down in her lap AND keep her still.  This is not easy.  However, this is easier if there are two people....and luckily today my mom...aka Mimi, was with me.

Mimi has one hand, I have the other and I start breaking out in the song my daughter has requested....Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  As I belt out this song to help keep her calm, I can feel my face getting red like Rudolph's nose.  But she is smiling and we are getting her blood pressure...all is good.  As soon as we hear the machine beep, I know my signal has gone off to stop embarrassing myself.  The nurse today actually told me good job and I stopped singing too soon (as I didn't finish the song)...trust me, she didn't want to keep hearing this mess.  Only a select few are privileged enough to hear me sing....and you have to work in a doctor's office or lab!

This is just one example of where I have to act silly for my daughter and where she has helped me realize it is ok to act silly.  I will do whatever it takes to help her feel comfortable....even if it means I have to embarrass myself.  What we do for our children!

Here are some quotes for today....

There is a certain happiness in being silly and ridiculous- Author Unknown

Be silly.  Be honest.  Be kind.- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Silliness makes your soul smile- Doe Zantama