List-mania!

This past week was a bit rough.  Since Jonathan was sick the previous week, getting back into the routine was hard for him. But we found he really liked and relied on mini "to-do" lists we started making for him.  Like, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY liked them.

We have a morning routine list:
Potty
Ipad
Potty
Brush Teeth
Get Dressed
Ipad
Eat
Calendar
Put on Shoes and Socks
Blue Car
School

We have a night time routine list too.  (I won't bore you with that one, but it is pretty similar to the morning one).  

We would write them on little scraps of paper.  He really enjoyed crossing off the items he accomplished and recap what he did.  "I all done potty!  Good job!" for example.

School and therapy used lists too.  At school they have a mini dry erase board.
So I picked one up, in anticipation to do away with the scrap paper.  He was giddy when I gave him the dry erase board.  Simply giddy!

So this whole weekend, that board followed us.  On our errands, in the stores, on walks, even tucked in with him in bed.   At first, I tried to have him leave the board in the car when we went to the store.  But he really wanted to bring it, so I said fine.

While at World Market, he decided to settle in, and start writing too.

It got even more complex as the weekend went on.  This morning, I went upstairs, and discovered he had started writing a list on his own.  He asked for some help on a few words, but he mostly wrote it all out himself.

"Pootty."  We got a laugh at that.  I only wrote 2 of the items.  He did the rest.

Dude was spelling!  My 4 year old was totally spelling!  We also did a list to go for a walk to the park.  He didn't ask to go, he just started spouting off the steps to go to the park.
"First potty.  Then put on the shoes and socks.  Then walk in the wagon.  Then we go swings.  Then we go slide.  Then we go walk in wagon.  Then we go home!"

As tedious as these lists can be, I can see his comfort in knowing what is ahead.  We can add things to the lists that he doesn't like (ie, take medicine), but he can see there are more desired items after, and we keep going.

I better go.  "Potty" is coming up soon on his current list.  And you never want to miss that one.