[blueprints]

Yes these kids are extremely time consuming and mine need constant watching... it's exhausting! Please be careful with your pets, it's very common for a child with RAD to harm the family pets. You definitely need to take some time for yourself or you'll burn out quickly. Can you give him a nap? Even if he's not going to sleep, let him go in and lay down for an hour or so that you can have a break. I tell my kids they don't have to sleep but they need to lay down or play quietly in their bed. They take in little stuffed animals and that usually keeps them occupied for at least an hour. And a bonus..... Sometimes they actually fall asleep!

I don't know if this will help but, when our children first came home, they were constant motion. They had never seen anything in a home, I seriously think they were confined to one room in the orphanage. They wanted to touch everything and they ran from thing to thing.... My daughter would run to the stove, turn on the burner and then try to reach for the flame! And I had two of them at the same time, I could not keep up.

The very first thing our therapist suggested was to put a blanket down on the floor (one for each of them) and give them one toy at a time. (like you would for a baby). We told them to stay on the blanket and each time they got off we'd put them back. This worked as long as I kept close enough to keep an eye on them. I could get a few things done and they would at least stay put.

After that we graduated to a small tent in the family room... These kids love to be contained, our therapist says it makes them feel safe. My son would go in his tent, zip it up and play for hours, sometimes just going in and out. (zipping unzipping.... totally nuts! But hey, it kept him busy.)

Here's a few busy projects I use and it makes them feel a part of what you are doing...

Folding laundry .... towels, underwear, sorting socks! (don't expect it to be perfect, this just keeps them busy)

Dust the kitchen chairs, (feather duster)... they love this.

Windex and paper towel and let them clean our big sliding door window. Also, if you have a sliding door window (or a big window) you can buy the vinyl plastics cling stickers... they sell sometimes at a craft store and they can arrange them on the window any way they want.

Sometimes I get macaroni noodles and sea shells.... (different sizes) and ask my son if he would help mommy, someone mixed up all the noodles and I needed them separated. I don't know if your son needs this but, this was also something his occupational therapist recommended because he needed practice sorting things.

Something to do with him that he'll love is baking. Even if you just get the kind they sell in the dairy case where you just place them on the cookie sheet and bake. If you let him put them on the cookie sheet, he'll feel he's making cookies.... my kids love this. Then I have them tell me when the timer goes off (as if I can't hear it)...... They really think their helping and they think they've made cookies. If you make peanutbutter cookies (dairy case kind) and buy a bag of Kisses....... You can give him the job of opening up all the kisses for the Kiss cookies.

Here's something we use when the kids are spinning out of control...... Tell them it's exercise time and ask them to march in place, then jumping jacks, toe touching, etc.....

To be more in control of the hugging...... That is a tough one, my kids are the same way they want affection on their terms. Something you might want to try is have a bedtime routine. Take him and rock him, read a book, while cradling him in your arms like a baby, it puts you in control and he probably needs to be held. And...... you may think this is nuts but our therapist recommends this (no matter his age), feed him a bottle.

Take care of yourself..... When ever you can schedule time away, get a sitter if you have to, it's so important!