She’s wearing pants!
Or, more specifically, shorts.
Big deal? Nope, it’s a huge deal.
My girl has always had “issues” with her clothes. I can’t count the number times a tiny wrinkle in her sock caused her to come completely unglued. But that’s waaaay back when she could be coaxed into wearing socks. For the last year it’s been flip-flops or crocks with the occasional sockless tennis shoe (with antimicrobial properties) when school PE demanded it.
She hates long sleeves, layers, anything hot, itchy, tight, and on…
and on…
and on…
Saying that it’s been tough would be a gross understatement.
In May, my girl declared that she could no longer stand the feel of pants. I fought her for a while before giving in and sewing her an entire of wardrobe of t-shirt dresses.
I figured that she would grow out of it.
But things have just gotten worse. A couple of weeks ago I invited her to go to a yoga class with me.
“Oh yes, I’d love to!” (She really does talk like that. A bit like a little girl from a book set in the fifties. Must be from all the classics I’ve read to her over the years.)
And then her face fell, “Will I have to wear pants?”
The answer, of course, was yes. She tearfully told me she couldn’t go.
A few days later, we had a similar conversation about karate.
She decided to try pants again. But the softest pair of shorts caused her to practically hyperventilate in the dressing room.
“I really want to mom, but I just can’t.”
My husband was home from work early; he met us in the driveway where I wrapped myself in his arms and dissolved into tears. We needed help.
So I made two phone calls: our doctor, and a friend well versed in homeopathic medicine.
I started my girl on a homeopathic remedy last week. A few days later we went it to see her doctor. She recommended a full evaluation using scary words like autism and aspberger’s. (However, my highly scientific internet research points more to a sensory processing disorder.) We’ll be doing the evaluation as soon as we get all of her medical records together.
Yesterday, we came home from church and Newt disappeared in my room for awhile. When she came out, she was wearing my running shorts. She proudly proclaimed them “the most comfortable shorts ever!” Today she put on another pair.
I don’t know if it’s the homeopathy or the realization that her sensitivity is serious enough to have to go to the doctor, but whatever the reason, I’m grateful.
And I hope it lasts…
