Growing up With Jared: Soft Hair and Relaxed Teeth

Growing up With Jared: Soft Hair and Relaxed Teeth: "Over the last couple of days, Jared's hair has been looking a bit greasy, even with his everyday showers, so yesterday, when I came home fro..."

Soft Hair and Relaxed Teeth

Over the last couple of days, Jared's hair has been looking a bit greasy, even with his everyday showers, so yesterday, when I came home from work, I asked him to show me which shampoo he has been using.  We marched upstairs and Jared showed me an almost empty bottle of---conditioner. Yes, Jared has been "washing" his hair with conditioner. So, we spent the next few minutes reading labels and determining which bottle would be the best one for him.  Then, we washed his hair--- twice.  It looks so much better, very conditioned, but so much better.  Like I've said before, on this journey with a child with special needs, quite often you march 2 or 3 steps forward, only to be tugged back a couple of steps every once in awhile.  But he learns, slowly he learns.  This whole shampoo/conditioner story reminds me of another case of "bottle confusion" that happened about 5 years ago, when visiting my sister.  Kathy and I were enjoying our morning cup of coffee, flipping through the paper and watching Matt Lauer (our normal routine when together in the AM) when we heard Jared coughing rather loudly from the upstairs bathroom.  "Is he ok?" my sister asked. "Oh, he's fine," I responded, taking another nonchalant sip of coffee, "he always coughs when he brushes his teeth." (I should win awards for my "fine" parenting...)  A few minutes later, the coughing turned to gagging, at which point, I decided that there might be an issue and bounded up the stairs. Jared met me, mouth frothing, and I said as I took the toothbrush from him, "here, let me help."  I started vigorously brushing his teeth, and while brushing, happened to glance down at the counter where the "toothpaste" that Jared was using lay open in all its pink, minty glory.  As I looked, I realized it was muscle relaxer! Minty, pink muscle relaxer! And I was assisting my son as he brushed with it! I screamed and dropped the toothbrush as my husband came running.  I began to cry as I explained that I was probably poisoning Jared. I actually asked my husband the following question, and this is the reason I would never have made it in the medical field: "It's muscle relaxer! What if he swallows it and it relaxes his heart?!!"  My husband, my very patient husband just looked at me and patted me on the shoulder as I realized how stupid I must have sounded. Poor Jared. After we rinsed out his mouth and realized he would be ok, the incredible hilarity struck us and we would collapse into laughter throughout the rest of our visit. And Jared's heart was ok...