Whitterer on Autism: Tackle it Tuesday

Monday, October 20, 2008

Tackle it Tuesday - Boo

Just a wee little tackle, just in time for the holiday. Which holiday?
Why Halloween of course?

As with most things American, when this first happened to our family, I wondered what on earth was happening? But over the years I have learned not to psycho-analyze these things and instead join in the fun.

What you will need:-
Copy the text and picture from the bottom of the post, and print out two copies
Two little bags
treats that will fit inside the little bags
Embellishments and decorations to meet your little people's needs

Assemble

Now you and your offspring decide who your victims shall be. Wait until dark. Dash up to the victim's front door, ring the bell as if the bats are on the way, drop the bag and leg it behind the nearest, largest bush to hide. Spy on your victims through the branches and watch their state of confusion. Leave safely when the coast it clear.

Is that clear?

Need any additional information or do you get it?

I got it, once I ignored the psychobabble.

It should bring a great deal of childish glee to your household and someone else's.

Here are the sheets to copy:-

They are available from this site "here."

So any lingering doubts, queries, questions or confusions?

Good, I'm glad it's all perfectly clear to you.

Enjoy.

Backstory-

First of all I should like to point out that this year, finally, we did manage to complete this activity.

Secondly, I would stress that on balance, I would have to admit that it involved a greater degree of hilarity and a lesser degree of angst and confusion.

How can this be?

Well they're bigger of course.

Why would such a simple activity be anything less than delightful?

Ah, well, that's the real question isn't it.

One of the cardinal rules of child rearing, any child, is consistency.

If we gloss over the standard difficulties of completing anything which vaguely resembles 'a craft,' then there are a whole slew of illogical inconsistencies to address. It is a social skills nightmare. For instance, generally speaking, ringing people's doorbells and running away, is a habit that we would choose to discourage in our children as responsible parents, yet for some reason, the Boo reason, this is suddenly o.k.? How bizarre is that?

Additionally, it is an additional purposeless trip in the car. Ideally we would have walked but time constraints, darkness and walking, are never a good combination mid-school week, so I had to cheat and keep some variables at bay.

Normally I drag my children with me into the store or the post office muttering, "no you can't stay in the car, it's illegal to leave you unsupervised." But for this exercise one child accompanies me to Boo, the other two wait in the car, in the dark, alone and unsupervised so that they can watch the fun. How come the cardinal rule changed?

Fun. Well of course that it something that is almost impossible to explain, because as we watch the parents and children come out of their houses to collect their Boo, they have the nerve to look confused. Confused is an expression that we now recognise. Why would we wish to wantonly cause confusion to complete strangers? Why have the rules changed.

Talking of which, how come it's suddenly ok. to commune with strangers? Who changed the rules?

If it is ok to commune with strangers, why don't we have to use our nice words and say hello to them? Who changed the rules?

Fall out

What has been the result of this activity, overall, now that the dust has settled? Any long term effects?

Well the short term effect is that my son is now mesmerized by the 'confused' expression. He can mimic it exactly and copies the little boy on the doorstep, chin to chest looking at the floor with the accompaniment of 'he looked like dis!'

The long term effect?

"Faster dan dah kids in Narnia! My mum is run like lightening!"

Bear in mind that the 'kids in Narnia' movie, run in slow motion.