On friday I waved goodbye to Mikey's chair (looks terrifying doesn't it?!). It's been amazing and has made all the difference to our family over the last year. Having a chair that Mikey was safe in, that was stronger than he is and that can be high or low was brilliant - and hard to come by. But in recent months the chair has become unsafe, because Mikey is houdini. He can work the straps loose, he can bounce the chair (which I'm unable to lift) across the room even when the wheels are locked and when he bashes about in it when he's angry or stressed it becomes a metal torture chair!BUT, because Mikey is physically able to sit, and the fabulous NHS is sadly strapped for cash, we won't be getting a replacement. At the moment we're wedging Mikey onto a little chair at a small table and he's coping well as long as we're right there to keep him sat down and to help him keep his food on the table. We really need to find a chair that is suitable for sitting at a normal dining table but that will also cope with Mikey's super strength! We're considering a Stokke chair, but I don't know whether they'll stand up to the Mikey test. Anyone got experience of them? If they're the right thing, it looks like it'll be a christmas gift - they're not exactly cheap!
I've got a date in the diary for Mikey's specialist health visitor to come and observe a mealtime and to give us some advice for feeding. I'm tired of meals being stressful and I would love to see my boys eat more than weetabix, yoghurt and beans on toast (inevitably, Dan ends up only wanting to eat what he sees Mikey eat)! Hopefully she'll have ideas for keeping a jumping bean with the flexibility of a fish and the strength of a bear in a chair and will help us crack the bleakness of mealtimes as they currently stand! I'm expecting miracles please!
3 comments:
Oh my goodness you've got a strong little man there! I hope for a speedy solution to this dilemma for you. It must make mealtimes stressful for the whole family. You're a good mom Alice. I see it every time I come here.
Hi Alice! Pooping over from Dandy Dawn to say that probably you could use walkers shortbread although they are more course and so you may need to play around with the liquids and add more vanilla.
About the chair I wish I knew more about pediatric seating and positioning. Before I was a stay at home Mom I did geriatric therapy in Occupational Therapy. I have a friend in Texas who does pediatric Physical Therapy and I'll see if I can get in touch with her for any ideas. The stokke chair looks nice but I'd be afraid if he is that strong that he could flip it off balance.
How hilarious my previous post should say popping not pooping! Anyhow just following back up with you I spoke to a friend and she referred me to a supply magazine I think is a US company and prices for equpiment would be way too high. My other friend was traveling for US Thanksgiving so I didn't get to pick her brain she does pediatric therapy. I have seen therapists build seating from very strong cardboard, specifically for postural purpose and also because kids grow so this makes a useful modality to change over time without too much expense. What is the primary need you are looking for in the chair?
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