HOW MY SON WAS ABLE TO HELP BY SHARING HIS FEELINGS
When we started experimenting with foods when my son was 4, it was instinctive to ask him how he was feeling. We would discuss it briefly while he seemed to be feeling well and in control, and also when he seemed to have lost all self-control.
His explanation has always fascinated me, especially how his explanation has changed over the years. At four years old, he would explain that he felt his brain was "crazy" and "not so crazy". And honestly, I could not have found a better way to describe it myself.
When he was a bit older, about 8 years old, after he had a few good days, then a few bad days, then a few good days again, I remember asking him to describe how he felt in his head during that week. His best explanation was that there were two switches in his head, a good one and a bad one. The good one had switched off and the bad one switched on. Then the bad one switched off and the good one switched on again.
Now, he's 10 years old, and we have mostly good days...yes...I still have a hard time saying that without tearing up. But for a change, I'm talking about tears of joy. Now I ask him if he's feeling 100% for a few days after trying a food that he wasn't used to eating to see if he reacted. Or after starting school again in September, I noticed that he wasn't quite himself. Sometimes I notice it before he does, sometimes he notices before I do. But his answer to my question "Are you feeling 100% today?" If he's reacting to food or environmental (or whatever it may be), he'll say, "I'm only feeling 99% today.
Talking about how he's feeling in his body (ex. able or unable to sit still), in his head (ex. able or unable to focus) and emotions (depressed or hyper) have certainly helped guide us along the way. Especially now that he's older and we're at a better place, realizing how he feels differently helps him make the right decision when choosing foods when I'm not around to make the decision for him.
