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Behaviour/development

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Autistic 5 year old.

2 replies

Cinders2022 · 14/08/2025 08:19

Hi everyone. I feel horrible and just wanted an opinion I guess, if anyone else has experienced this.

my 5 year old boy has autism. He can be hard work when we go out anywhere and he’s very clingy and controlling over me. For instance if we’re out, and I go to pay attention to my other kids he has a meltdown. We’re trying step to fix all the problems but yesterday, we decided to take our 2 teenage girls away to a theme park with just us. They needed a day with mum present and the four of us had a lot of fun with zero arguments.

but my mum came to my house to keep my son. We left after 8 so I let him sleep on and he woke after 10 for my mum, I should have known really it would be an issue but waking him up so early would have had issues of its own. Well, he wouldn’t get out of bed for the whole day. No toilet no food no nothing. We left early to come home and we’re home before 6. I had to shower him and strip his bed and it was soaking with sweat because of the heat yesterday. I feel awful. He spent a while day in bed because I’d went out and left him. I know it’s not my fault but at the same time I feel I like it is. We never get out without him because we don’t have babysitters on tap. And tbh it’s not just the autism thing but the age gap. Sometimes my girls want to do stuff that he’s too young for so it works better to give them days of their own but I can’t after yesterday. I won’t leave him again, sorry I just feel awful

OP posts:
BunnyRuddington · 16/08/2025 09:29

It’s not ideal but he was sage and had someone he loved keeping an eye on him.

I think the surprise of you being there was probably a bit much for him but understand why you would try dealing with it in that way initially.

I wouldn’t let this put you off leaving him again though, like you say your DDs do need you and they don’t want to be doing the same things as your DS.

Maybe try arranging to go out for coffee with them whilst DGM babysits and give him plenty of warning beforehand. Does he have pictures tgat let him know what’s happening?

BunnyRuddington · 16/08/2025 10:10

The SN Children Section might be useful for you too @Cinders2022Flowers

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