You wake up in the morning and get your kids dressed and ready to go to preschool. Walk out to your car. Hop in. Make sure everyone is buckled up and you are on your way. Simple enough, right?

Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case here.

Last April we found out our youngest son has Sensory Processing Disorder. If you have a child with SPD or have someone close to you that does, then you may already be familiar with the stress and difficulties that go along with parenting a child that does. If you don’t, well for us it’s rough.

Around age 1 1/2 we started to notice some of his symptoms. He is a typical “crash and bang” kid, clumsy, walks not just on his toes, but the tops of his feet too, and all transitions are unbearable for him. We had him evaluated a couple times and it wasn’t until he was 2 1/2 that he finally qualified for services. Now, each week our little guy has over 5 hours of therapy, a combination of Occupational, Speech, and Special Ed.

With the help of three wonderful therapist, my son has been making tremendous progress over the past several months. Unfortunately over the last several weeks, he has had some major set backs like fighting to get dressed or removing his clothes, refusing to get in his car seat, major meltdowns while being in public and let’s not even talk about diaper changes. I am spending anywhere from 3-5 hours a day in a physical fight with my 3 year old and I am tired. He has incredible strength and his stubbornness is stronger.

I have had an extremely hard time coming to terms with my son’s SPD. As a parent, you just want the best for your children and this is not the way I pictured parenting. I realize now, I just need to let go of that perfect idea of being a stay at home mom that takes her kids to parks, the library, museums, and special events with other moms and kids. These things just aren’t in the cards for us. Part of my metal struggle is that he is such an incredibly sweet kid and I hate to have to see him go through this. His personality is incredibly charming and very captivating.

Another difficult part of all of this is seeing how my younger son’s SPD is affecting our 4 year old. It is heartbreaking. I end up spending so much time fighting my 3 year old that by the time I am finished I just have nothing left to give and my older son. He sometime gets the short end of the stick and knows it.

Through this whole process, our entire family is learning so much. For starters I had no idea what SPD was until I found myself in the middle of it. We are learning our son’s triggers and coping methods for all of us. If you have never witnessed a sensory meltdown before, let me tell you, it is completely different than a temper tantrum.

I know I am so lucky to have these two beautiful boys in my life and I cherish ever moment, the good and bad, I spend with them each day. We have just hit a rough patch.

With everything going on here, I have decided to take a step back from the blog and really focus on the needs of my family. Every day is truly unpredictable and can be completely different from the next. I still plan to be involved in the blog, but until we get a handle on our family challenges, you may see a little less of me around here. Erin may be flying solo for a little bit. If you have a minute, please provide her with some additional bloggy support. Thanks for your understanding!

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Del Monte, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #DelMonteBTS http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

Summer is almost over! Where did it go? It flew by and now it is back to school time. My little guys and I had an amazing summer together and now I am conflicted with my feelings on sending both of them to preschool this year. My oldest is 4 and I know how much he loves seeing his friends and learning new things each day. I am extremely excited for him, as I know he will thrive and grow tremendously this year.

My almost 3 year old will be heading to preschool this year too. We have recently learned that he has Sensory Processing Disorder and can get quite overwhelmed with change. I am nervous about how he will handle the new environment. He melts down during transitions and gets very over stimulated with others around. These little guys will most definitely be missed this year while at school, but in my heart I know this is the right thing for both of them.

My boys argue and fight a lot (like most siblings) and I am always looking for ways for them to bond and hoping the commonality of preschool will help bring them together. Also, snack time is usually a good time for us to sit down and talk about what the boys did at school that day. Both of my boys are obsessed with fruit. While recently shopping at my local Walmart Super Store, I discovered Del Monte Fruit Burst Squeezers. (See end of post for free back to school photo offer and coupon details.) I know these will definitely be a go to snack and lunch item for us.

My youngest is pretty particular when it comes to food textures and these squeezers are a favorite of his. I can give them to the boys in the car on the way home or with lunch and even grab some for a quick breakfast that will help the kids get a good start for the day.

The school my children will be attending is a Co-op Preschool. It is run by a board of parents and everyone is extremely involved. Several times this year, we will be providing a snack for each of the boys’ classes. The convenience of the Del Monte 4-pack fruit cups will make a great healthy choice for my sons’ classmates. In both my boys’ classes there are children with allergies and fruit would be a great way to avoid any issues.

This year to make the transitions to and from school go a little smoother, I have decided to create a little snack station near our door. This way I can easily grab squeezers for the boys on the way out or in. Leaving the house with my two preschoolers can sometimes be a fight, so this hanging snack basket will be extremely convenient to just grab a snack and go.

Check back later this week to see a full tutorial on the hanging snack basket!

What are your kid’s favorite healthy snack and lunch items?

Head to your local WALMART Super Store and take part in the free back to school photo offer and purchase (2) Del Monte 4-pack Fruit Cups or Fruit Burst Squeezers with your $1 off coupon.

To receive your $1 off coupon you must participate in the free back to school photo print offer. To participate you will need to bring in a photo (no copyrighted photos, like school pictures, will be eligible for the free print) of your kid(s) or you can upload and use one from your phone or SD card while in store. The Walmart Print Shop will then make your picture into a 5”x7” print with a Back to School border. Your actual picture will be 4”x6”. When you receive your picture after it is printed you should receive a coupon for $1 off Del Monte products in the photo envelope. This promotion runs August 1 – September 13, while supplies last. This offer is running at SELECT Walmart Super Stores.

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