Helicopter Helicopter Please Calm Down

In my post, A Tower Please, I talked about how serious flight risk is. I may have come off a bit heavy handed, but that is only because I was still upset about the Costco run. She is so quick and quiet, and she just goes. Admittedly we should know better, malls, big box stores, grocery shopping ... these can all set her off. It's more that I never learn.

Physical injuries also terrify me.  She has such tiny little bones, she's my baby and I am all too aware of how fragile life can be. Every time she throws herself backwards, runs into the wall, falls etc. I wonder if this will be it, the one hit too many? Will she fall or land the wrong way? How bad is this going to be?

In Tigers particular case her autism has major impacts on her sensory processing, including her balance and self awareness. I forget what its called but basically Tiger can't feel where she is in space. Where her body ends are etc. She also has motor planning issues and low muscle tone. The term clumsy doesn't even come close to describing Tiger. It also creates sensory seeking behaviours like climbing really high to get that little rush.

I really think that inner voice that says "Nope not a good idea, that might hurt",  is extremely quiet in my girls head. That fear or sense of self preservation, is seriously lacking, when it comes to things like cars, roads, climbing, waterways, stangers, dogs and just things you shouldn't do. She has an uncanny ability to find new ways to get hurt. I know the screams are coming from my kid, at the park ,playgroup, schoolyard, (insert sigh here) It's always my kid.


With all the bumps, bruises and scrapes comes other problems. We had a 3 hour meltdown over removing a few bandages yesterday, which affected her the rest of the day.  If she gets hurt, going to the hospital is to be avoided if possible. Tiger is a virus magnet, we try to stay away from disease centres, for we may go with a dislocated elbow and come out with bronchitis. Plus the waiting room thing, I'm sure I don't need to explain that one.

So all of this.... has made me a wee bit of  a hoverer. I couldn't and or wouldn't be out of arms reach of my girl.  I hovered constantly and I saved her from many a fall and injury because of it. Now though, she's a little bigger, she rarely throws herself backwards anymore and she has learned some safety rules. Daddybear says I need to let her be a kid and give her more freedom. So I'm consciously trying not to hover quite so close. I let her play in the yard by herself, I just watch from the kitchen.
I let her play in her room by herself, with the door open,  and right now I'm downstairs and she's upstairs and I am resisting the urge to go check on her. The dog is on duty and the doors are bolted.

Helicopter Helicopter Please Calm Down.


The High Functioning Life, where it's not being overprotective if the risk is real, right?