Learning to Give…Priceless
14 Dec 2009 4 Comments
in ASD, asperger's syndrome, autism, Christmas, empathy, gift, giving, Sister
Each Christmas, we try to teach our kids about the gift GIVING part of the exchange tradition and not just focus on the GETTING part. Colin had his first “Holiday Store” experience at school last week and it was really hard for him to understand the need to buy for other people. Most 5 yr-olds have trouble understanding the joy of giving, and kids on the Austism Spectrum have an even tougher time. But, maybe, just maybe…he’s getting the gist of it.
From 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Erin and I cleaned out, cleaned up and generally fumigated her bedroom. Nice way to spend a weekend. Yes, my pre-teen daughter is a slob left-brained person who feels that organizing (or even putting away) her things is a waste of time. However, before anymore stuff invades our home, she had to figure out what she already owns and where it all is.
On the floor next to her bed she has a small, four octave, battery-operated keyboard that she bought with her own money a few years ago. Now that she’s graduated to the real piano in the dining room, the keyboard is rarely used unless Colin is in her room and then he plunks out tunes he’s heard. He loves that thing and is starting to ask for piano lessons of his own. Erin knew how much he enjoyed this thing and she decided to give it to him rather than donating it to Goodwill (where a majority of her stuff was headed). She took it downstairs and put it in his room for him…he was SO excited.
About an hour later, I saw Colin walk up the steps and go into Erin’s room. I heard them talking awhile and then, back down he came. When I went up to check on her cleaning progress, she was standing open-mouthed in the doorway.
“Mom, guess what Colin did!”
“What?”
“He brought me two of his favorite Hot Wheels cars. He told me he wanted me to have them so that ‘You’ll always remember me.’ “
Priceless.
So You Say