I travel a lot for business, so whenever possible, I like them to join me on various trips. This weekend, we were fortunate enough to only be two hours from home, and they kids are out of school on Monday - so we made it a family weekend in a Chicago suburb.
It was a tough weekend.
It seemed that Chandler had a meltdown at every turn and Spencer decided to join him.
On any given day, one of them might be frustrated, upset, or melting down. Rarely do we have the pleasure of both of them doing it at the same time, let alone all weekend.
My wife reminded me a number of times this weekend that we live in their world. This is something I talk about a lot, but when you're in the moment, it's hard to remember.
What I found most frustrating was when there was an issue - and there were many - we were able to provide solutions to the problem that make perfect sense to you and I. But simply stating the solution to an autistic child is sometimes useless. I found that when they were rejecting the solutions, I was getting frustrated - no mad - because they would not listen to reason.
I need to be more patient. It is only through patience and understanding that I will truly be a good father to these amazing boys. I learned something this weekend, even if it was frustrating and even maddening. I am grateful for the lessons learned during a long weekend away from home.
Cory Howerton
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