Self-Care For Chronically Ill Children

Mothering is at heart a teaching profession.  If I had to list a summary of course offerings that my children are required to take, one would be entitled- Self Care: from personal hygiene and nutrition to personal banking.

For my two young sons with chronic metabolic disorders self-care involves remembering to snack every 2 hours.  On the FOD support group I followed a long thread about using watches with timers to discreetly remind teen FODers to snack.

Brilliant.  Self-care with a non-mommy-nagging reminder.

I looked up watches and found some pediatric medical watch-sites.  They look like they would work great.  I needed something cheaper.  Way cheaper.  I'm not putting a $100+ watch on my 5 year old.  Especially before I know how my son will do with the whole idea.

Timex, here we come... at least to experiment.

Self-care in camouflage with a two hour timer = Cool.  According to my 5 year old, "You know, spies and soldiers and super heroes all have watches."

Unfortunately the alarm on this watch model can only be set for one repeating time a day.  The timer can be set for every two hours, but after it goes off it is a bit harder for my son to re-set without help.  

However, after only four days I'm really in love with the idea- even if I have to eventually try a new watch.  My 5 yo is enjoying turning off the timer and getting himself his 2 hour snack.  He appears proudly independent about the new routine.  I'm enjoying the reminder myself as our summer has been hectic.

I may go completely Montessori and buy a small pitcher so he can learn to pour his own milk for snack as well.

My 3 year old?  Too soon.  He'd love the watch, until he took it off to do something inexplicable- like stuff it in a sock to "cook" it over a pretend camp fire in the back yard.  Bye-bye watch.

Like I said, it's all a work in progress.