Well, I was dead wrong! Our son was active and exploring from the moment we met him. We brought a book, a bottle of water and a toy car to the Registrar's Office the day we met C. What a joke! He downed the water, turned his nose up at the "toys" and downed 2 CLIFF bars before our time there was over, which all in all was about 15minutes. It's a good thing he was one of the last boys to arrive, otherwise our time in that place would have been a nightmare! Once we arrived back at the hotel it was clear, this kid was going to need something to do...STAT!
Because it's not that easy to understand what you need in the moment, and because getting what you want in country is not always possible, there are a few things I wish we would have had that we just didn't. For the sake of my sanity if we ever decide to do this thing again, and for those who will travel after us, I thought I'd compile a list of some of the things I now know C loves and would have benefited from during our trip.
Just to give you a little context, C was 3.5 years old, his medical records indicated cerebral palsy, and we were unsure of his language abilities, though it seemed as though they were sparse. When we met him, it was clear he did not have the use of his legs for walking, but could crawl and pull to stand. While the CP also affected his arms and hands, he had extremely adept fine motor skills and liked to use them. We also knew from word one that he could speak - Mandarin. And he could speak well! We will not be surprised if when he starts speaking English he tells us he could also read. This kid is SMART! He needed a lot of stimulation and providing that was crazy hard in country.
So, here's a list of the things I wish I would have brought that I know he likes and take time and energy to play with. They would have been worth their weight in our suitcase. I would have sacrificed my second pair of shoes for them, and probably a pair of jeans too!
1. Crayons/Marker/Colored Pencils and Coloring Books
It was not long before we found out that C could color and loved to do it, which was a surprise because we didn't even know if he could hold a pencil. Almost immediately upon arriving back at the hotel we found a pen and a piece of paper thinking it may occupy him for a minute or two. He spent nearly an hour drawing on the hotel notepad! We were able to find a coloring book at a nearby park, but because of the rate of coloring this kid enjoyed one was not enough. We found every available surface to draw on everywhere we went. Coloring books and crayons would have been a lifesaver!
2. Construction Paper to Tear
It was also clear that he LOVED to tear things. He literally tore through every package of Kleenex we brought within the first 2 days! Construction paper would have given him a choice to draw and tear if he wanted to. The stimulation tearing provides him at home is a good indication that it would have been a good thing to have for stress relief after hard days. I would even suggest snagging a paper cup from the hotel and keeping a few pieces of construction paper in your bag so that your child can tear and sort during wait times and car rides.
3. Pom Poms
C is an incredibly sensory child and when we returned home one of the things he first gravitated toward was pom poms. He could practice his fine motor skills, feel a new texture, and sort into cups and containers little puff balls. It was kinda the holy grail of activities when we returned home because it provided a physical way for his brain to sort out what was happening around him. We bought these cute panda bear chopsticks in China and it would have been a perfect activity to pinch and sort pom poms all afternoon.
4. Toothpicks in a Salt Shaker
This sweet little activity was one that I always avoided because it seemed to simple to be affective. However, I've found that shaking toothpicks out of a salt shaker and threading them back through the holes can provide a lot of stimulation for C. This $2, lightweight activity would totally have been worth it.
5. Micro Cars
Another couple in our group had a son the same age as C. Honestly, from day one I thought they were complete geniuses because they filled a small tupperware container with micro cars and let their son carry them everywhere. I have to admit, I was totally jealous as their son sat nicely playing with his cars in meetings, waiting rooms and car trips. I'm sure their experience was different than this, but from my outside perspective those cars saved their sanity.
6. Legos
Sticking things together and pulling them apart provides C with a lot of relief. It is clear his brain processes it's surroundings when he can have control over at least some part of his environment. When we came home he spent large amounts of time playing with the Duplo block wagon we have. It was clear there was some reordering happening in his brain as he played. A of mid-sized Legos would have provided him some sensory relief in confined spaces like buses, cars and planes.
7. Post-its
We brought little notebooks with post-its inside as gifts for our tour guides, etc. On the final leg of our trip we knew we would have a couple left over so we let C go to town. He LOVED it! Tearing, sticking, ordering, resticking, coloring, rearranging; it was the perfect sensory activity to allow him to sort through his surrounds and maintain some sort of control. There were stickies all over our hotel drawers, and it was so worth it!
8. Playdough
Even one canister of playdough would have done the trick in country. If you haven't sensed the theme yet; sensory activities are so important for kids in transition and especially children with spastic CP as it provides and outlet for their muscular tension. Playdough is a daily staple in our house after or before stressful activities like naps or intense people time. The squishing, poking and tearing (of course) helps C calm down and simply enjoy an activity. Plus, it's a great stress reliever for Mom and Dad too!
Somethings we did bring I was so glad to have:
9. Books
We brought several board books with us and purchased a couple in China that had Mandarin and English words on them. Both types of books were incredibly helpful and the Mandarin picture books helped C express his needs and learn some English. It was a great way to communicate through pictures and spend some lap time together just snuggling.
10. Flash Cards
I purchased these flashcards from Amazon and I'm so glad I did!
I planned on using them when we arrived home, but as soon as we arrived back at the hotel C opened them up and started asking questions. He quizzed my husband over and over about what things were called and taught us several Mandarin words by pointing and verbalizing; I told you this kid is smart!
An extra bonus was the fine motor activity of dumping out all of the cards and replacing them. He spent a lot of time working on getting the cards in just right and fitting the top back on. The cards are durable and the box stood up to his playing.
Bonus
Fun Fun Elmo!
Our major find before we left for China was Fun Fun Elmo on YouTube. This is an animated version of Sesame Street that features 9-12 minute videos of Elmo practicing Mandarin words and phrases, plus counting and songs. Several times it was the only thing that calmed C when he was having a fit. We think that having some Mandarin was soothing to him. He loved Elmo and called him the "little mouse". We downloaded all of the episodes for the plane ride home which was also extremely helpful! A huge plus was my husband and I were able to learn a couple of songs in Mandarin and we also learned to count and how to construct several characters. It sounds silly, but Fun Fun Elmo was a huge help to us as well!
Good luck in your packing and your in-country travel! Remember, you'll be home soon and all of these great toys will help your little one transition into your normal family routine!
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