This is our nickname for T, our 9.5 year old “Pickle Jar”, which was his nickname from about 6 months, then shortened to “Mr Pick”.
T is a bundle of football-loving & football team playing, book reading, hard-working pickle-ish-ness.
He can also be incredibly stubborn (hmmmm just like his mum and dad), an
extremely fussy eater and will sometimes wind his sister (D) up without realising it – although it definitely is intentional on occasion.
Ask him a football fact and he will know it, Match magazine arrives every week and is instantly devoured. His homework is done in a flash and throughout this school year (since September) he’s only got one spelling wrong!
We have always tried to be open with him about D’s autism and the ways it can affect her, and our family as a result. When trying to explain autism to T and without being aware that a puzzle piece was the symbol for autism, I likened the brain to being like lots of puzzle pieces and that in D’s case, a few puzzle pieces had overlapped which causes her to react like she does.
We haven’t gone down the siblings support groups route yet, T doesn’t want to and I don’t want to force him. As long as he continues to be open with his feelings and knows that he has us around, I’m happy with that. In time, I think he would find siblings groups useful.
His football team have won a few trophies this season, as well as being pleased for them, I’m so glad that Hubbie & T have this “boys-only” shared interest (Hubbie is assistant manager of T’s team). It gives them both a chance to go off and be lads for a while, not sure who is more pleased at their wins sometimes.
So Mr Pick, love you, we’re so proud of you xx
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