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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Friendship Is Precious. And I Want My Son To Have a Friend.

Friendship Is Precious. And I Want My Son To Have a Friend.

April 8, 2014 by Lisa 2 Comments























“I want to have a party and invite all of my friends.” Norrin announced a few weeks before his 8th birthday. 

“Who would you like to invite?” I asked.

“Agnes, Edith and Margo!” 

I knew exactly what little girls he wanted to invite to his party. It made me smile. And broke my heart a tiny bit. Norrin’s “friends” were the sisters from the Despicable Me movies. Norrin also wanted the minions to come over -“the yellow minions, not the purple ones” – he was very specific in his request. The yellow minions are his friends too.

I’m happy Norrin has taken interest in friends. And I’m happy Norrin has a sense of imagination. But I want his friends to be real not imaginary.

For most kids, making friends is no big deal. I remember as a kid going to the park and making friends while I was there. Even during my most awkward stages of the tween and teen years, I always had a few friends. But for Norrin, friends don’t come as easily. Ever since his autism diagnosis (almost 6 years ago), we’ve had to work on play, imagination and engaging with peers.

But who are Norrin’s peers? Playdates require work and have to be squeezed into an already full family schedule. It requires preparation, explanation and keeping close by. Typical kids Norrin’s age aren’t always interested in the things he likes; the older Norrin gets, the wider the gap becomes. And kids with autism need to be “a good match” – conflicting behaviors can be challenging to manage during a play date. When you have a kid with autism, everything – even a play date – needs to be a teachable moment.    

I could not imagine my life without the love and support of my friends – the people who choose to be in my life and have held my hand through my journey, the people who love and accept me just as I am. I want that for Norrin. I want him to have a friend. I want to give him the tools he needs to make one and sustain one. Making a friend, has become one of our many goals for Norrin. And it’s just as important as any other life skill we want him to achieve.

Over the weekend, I went on a mother and son double playdate. It was with a mother and son we have known for a few years. Our sons saw the same occupational therapist. I like the mother and her son is sweet. Our boys were good for each other. 

We went to one of those indoor playgrounds. We were like every other parent in the room, sitting on the sidelines, as our kids played. We watched as our boys ran around together and brought them back when they wandered away. Then we had lunch. Us moms sitting on one side of the table, our sons at the other. Just like friends do.

And a party where Norrin can invite all of his friends, doesn’t seem so impossible.           

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: #EverydayAutism, Atypical Familia, Autism, Autism Parenting, Life Skills, Pour Your Heart Out

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Comments

  1. New York Chica says

    April 14, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    Awwww things ARE getting better. In time Lisa… He'll be alright! XO

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. We Went to Chuck E. Cheese for the 1st Time Ever! And It was a learning experience for us. says:
    June 16, 2015 at 7:48 pm

    […] the time to plan out a home playdate. Going to Chuck E. Cheese makes it easy. I decided to invite our friends – Nic and his mom, Janine – with us. Nic & Janine have been to Chuck E. Cheese many […]

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. I'm a 40-something mom raising a son with autism in The Bronx, NYC.

Atypical Familia is a personal blog & resource site for Typical Parents raising Extraordinary Kids. We focus on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. This is parenting from a unique perspective.

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I'm Lisa aka @laliquin on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Snapchat. Get to know more about me and my familia!

Atypical Familia focuses on autism parenting, special needs travel, work/life balance, family entertainment and more. If you'd like to work with us, send us an email: autismwonderland(@)gmail.com. 

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laliquin

🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to mis 🐢 🦥 Slow and steady... I don’t want to miss a thing.
I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m I should be working... but it’s Sunday and I’m easily distracted. P.S. Why didn’t y’all tell me about Married at First Sight sooner?! How is it that 9 seasons in, I’m just discovering it?
cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 cre•ate : bring (something) into existence 🌻 woke up grateful for another day and the life I’ve been able to create. Day by day, my life gets better because I get better. It’s been a slow process. First I had to figure out the life I wanted. Then I had to realize that I DESERVE the life I wanted.
Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. C Happy. Unhappy. Stronger. Weaker. Better. Worse. Change. Complain. Accept. Deny. Accomplish. Regret. Finish. Quit. 
I DECIDE. 👊🏽
🦋 🦋
🖤 🖤
It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful not It’s more than okay. Today I can be grateful nothing in my life turned out the way I planned. My life is turning out to be exactly the way it’s supposed to be. My HPs plan is better than I could’ve ever dreamed of. 🌻
Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything. Just winging it. Life. Eyeliner. Everything.
Never ever 🖤🌀 Never ever 🖤🌀
4🔥5 . . . . . As per my young friends “This 4🔥5 
.
.
.
.
.
As per my young friends “This gotta go on the grid. This is not a story pic.” 🤣🤣🤣 Thank you for this collective effort 📷 @ashestogoodvibes @loutimes5 💛 #flyageless
euphoria: the feeling or state of intense exciteme euphoria: the feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness 🌻 I may struggle with depression and anxiety but I also have moments of pure and genuine happiness. That is where I am right now. One of the gifts I’ve received in sobriety is the ability to hold space for all of my emotions. I feel them, I acknowledge them and I let them pass. For me, it’s in the passing where the power is... I don’t stay in it. ✨ 45 is going to be amazing. ✨
Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. B Depression and anxiety can easily knock me down. But I continue to get up. I do my hair, throw on some hoops, dab a little gloss and give myself a pep talk. Dear Me, I know you’re scared, but you can handle this. Keep going. Love, Me 🌻#selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
No I’m sorry or explanation necessary. Just NO a No I’m sorry or explanation necessary. Just NO and keep it moving. ”No” is hard when you’re a people pleaser but boundaries are absolutely necessary. It’s something I’m learning to do to maintain my own peace of mind. Lack of boundaries invites lack of respect. And I respect myself way too much to allow anyone to disrespect me. 💥 periodt ✌🏼 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
I try to start my mornings with a gratitude list. I try to start my mornings with a gratitude list. After meditating and writing my list, I opened my Beautiful You book. Describing myself in 25 words or less without using roles or physical features was not easy. It took a little time. But I did. Making healthy choices, setting boundaries is a daily practice. I am grateful I have the willingness to do so. I am grateful I can pause and breathe through my anxiety. I am grateful I have the courage to follow my dreams. Thank you @rosiemolinary - I am grateful for your words and online presence in my life. Hope we can be in the same room again soon. xoxo amiga 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand th One of my favorite Frida quotes... I understand the loneliness. More so during the quarantine. As painful as it has been, it’s allowed me to heal. The solitude forced me to figure myself out. I may not always be happy about my situation, but I am happy with myself. And I think it shows. 💛 #selfcareseptember #radicalbodylove
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