Even before Kyson was born, I’ve always stuck to a routine schedule. The schedule always helped me stay on track to what day it was and what needed to be done, so naturally once I had children the schedule stuck. I think it helps my children know what to expect and what is expected of them too.

I tend to wonder if this is something I instilled into my son. I understand children and some children with autism need routine, but I can’t help and wonder if I made it worst. Working full-time, our weekday nights when I got home is, dinner, go for walk (when the weather permitted) or play while doing homework with my daughter (if any,) bath time, then bed. Every day this is the schedule.

Weekends

Weekends were always up in the air, always had somewhere to go. If it wasn’t to the farm, to a wedding, birthday party, etc., we always ended our night the same. Now with therapy on Saturdays, we have opted to not attend so many events. Kyson doesn’t do well with crowds and new faces anyway so we pick and choose which ones to take him to.

Routine Walk

Here’s a look at our evening walk with Kyson

“Baiwee (Bailey) you wanna go for a walk?”

We get our shoes on and head outside.

“Go see water?” Kyson asks

This happens all the time when we head off, even if we answer him or not, we’re going to go see water. By water, he means the little stream under the bridge we cross. It’s quite strange the path we take, the bridge was built a few years back and it leads to a path onto a steep hill that literally goes up to “nowhere”.

It’s a steep hill, it really gets my heart pumping, but Kyson walks up this hill and doesn’t even lose a breath. (To think I walk this every day and it’s still a challenge, I’m so out of shape). We end up the hill to a neighborhood lot, mostly a plot with land for sale. The lot has one house all by itself. As we walk the neighborhood housing complex that has one house, we come upon the busy road and walk along it. He always points out the boat for sale.

“I see boat”

I wonder if that boat will be bought one day, what will he point out then? We turn the street and walk along the busy street. Then there’s the fire hydrant, yep, we have to label that too.

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Our evening walks ends in our front yard where there’s a sports field.

We’ve tried to change the usual path a few times and it didn’t go so well. One time, we eventually walked around a block just to see and Kyson wasn’t too fond of it. He circled us back on to the right “usual” path.

Thoughts

Perhaps I’ll never know if I instilled the routine in him, but I know that Kyson loves our evening walks. Most days now, he has to tell his sister to come along. Teenagers I tell you, always so busy doing something it seems. She does have a soft spot for him so eventually, she comes along if she’s not in the middle of doing something.

Does your child like routine? How do you help them when they get discouraged by “not” being consistent?

Thanks for coming along on our walk with us!

-Anna MV