When All Else Fails, Use YouTube!

I have been a bit absent from writing for awhile. Like a lot of this country, we have been getting a LOT of rain. I hate to even mention it because there are so many families that are dealing with much worse rain damage than we are.....much worse. I am simply explaining what has been going on with our family.

1. Our basement filled with water. Not a lot but enough to ruin carpeting & such.
2. Our ceiling started leaking. Boo.
3. Our air conditioning went out.

All of this happened during the middle of one of our home projects.....replacing our flooring in 5 rooms. If any of you have ever done a home improvement project, you know what it is like to live among that mess. Nothing is where is should be, and your routines are off. Especially when it's the bathroom....which is where our project was when this rain business started.

He hated the roofers making noise,
but he LOVED the dumpster! LOL!

So, the flooring has been halted & our attention has been turned to all things "de-watering." Calling people, taking bids, learning way more about my home than I ever thought I needed to know.....it's wearing & super stressful. But we are making progress. We have had the roof replaced & the gutters are next. This will take care of a LOT of our water issue...but not all of it. We have a couple of plumbing issues that need to be uncovered & addressed as well. Baby steps, right?

Well, that is all things house related....only one portion of our life. We also have Ethan's birthday in 3 days...which I have done ZERO shopping. Oh...his birthday party too....I've done nothing. Mom of the year...right here.


You know how challenging life can be with someone on the spectrum in just a typical day. But adding chaos like 8 men pounding on the roof or his playroom being flooded, and basically removing the bathroom where he brushes his teeth....that just adds to his anxiety. This has put me in scrambling mode! There doesn't seem to be a high demand for social stories about home improvement! LOL! I have been using ANYTHING I can find about all of these situations that are coming up....and honestly....YouTube "how-to" videos have been my life line!

So my tip for the day is....Use YouTube!!!!! Ethan loves to watch how-to videos anyway. His favorite for a long time was learning how to re-wire a school bus's stop sign's electrical circuit. Seriously. More recently, he enjoyed watching how to build a retaining wall. And now, he is enjoying watching videos of wrapping the Nascar cars with vinyl. So, if you can't find a social story & you are entering new territory....see if there is an appropriate video for your situation!

We have used YouTube videos before going to new places like our Route 66 weekend trip.We also have used it to explain new social routines like checking out a library book or getting an X-ray. If you have a smartphone, you are even able to watch these videos on the go....which is helpful to have access to in a high anxiety situation.

A word of caution....one thing that I do NOT like about YouTube is that they put "related" videos to the right of the screen. And not always are these videos appropriate. We have tried our best to figure out a way to remove them, but we have not been successful. However, we found a website to help with this. It's called TINY TUBE. You are able to control what videos your child can see, and it's free! They even have an app for the Ipad & Smartphone! It's not perfect, but it is the best we have found so far.

So, the saying, "When it rains, it pours" is definitely fitting for our situation right now. It's crazy! But that is life. I'm just so thankful to have found some resources that can help us get through it! Lots of prayer, a supportive family and YouTube! :0)

Our new roof...and Ethan's dumpster. :0)