Cream Puffs vs Carrots

Now let me start with the fact that I am a sugar FREAK! Yes, I'll admit it. For most of us the access and excess to junk food is our biggest downfall when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Now as an adult, I realize that some of my tendencies that I believed that i could "control" are more in control of me. How did i come up to this conclusion, well my children have followed my lead. Granted my ds has aspergers, he took my lead of the love of media and ran a muck with it. I essentially let him have a choice between "junk" activities (watching television/playing on the computer) and nurturing activities. As much as we read to him EVERY NIGHT, the exposure to media unraveled any benefits that the former had created. The one thing that we always gave into was the love of books and reading stories. With the amount of books that we have and borrowed, you would think the our ds was a prolific reader. Well until a 1 1/2 months ago he was not.
NOW, I can honestly say that with the removal of ALL media exposure, my ds is well on his way to becoming a prolific reader. Does he struggle with reading? Yes. More importantly, has he become a better reader and enjoys it? YES!!! (I hope that you get my drift). This is HUGE! My ds is running around with either a book in his hand or trying to read things around him to figure out what is going on or trying to write about what is going on in his drawings. Granted his resistance to doing his chores/exercises has made things very difficult, the ends results of this new love far out way any obstacle that we have faced as of yet.
Looking back, he had a hard time concentrating, being present, and then of course when he was present he over-reacted to things. NOW, all of his beautiful attributes that glimmered before are now shining. I wish that I had removed the exposure to media sooner. It's truly a wonderful gift.
So cream puffs (television/computers) vs carrots (books) were both on his plate. For this aspie kid, it wasn't until the removal of the junk that he could choose and flourish with what is good for him.