another aspect of personal hygiene

When Hayden was a toddler, we honestly had to make sure no windows were open when we trimmed his nails. 

People with FX will also have sensory processing disorder, and therefore experience tactile defensiveness (among other things). You can look that up under any search engine and get some idea of what it means. 

(Actually, go open a new tab or browser window and familiarize yourself. Then come back to this blog entry.) 

When it was time to groom Hayden, the desperate screams that would come out of this child are not noises that a human should release. Unless their life is coming to an end. Dan and I were genuinely concerned that a neighbor might misinterpret what they're hearing and call 911.

So, when we had to trim Hayden's nails because we let it go long enough-- we locked this place up as if we were preparing for a storm. (Well... in essence, we were.)

Those were the easy days. It was just screams. 

Now he is much larger. He is much stronger. And he knows it.

Imagine if you will, that you're wearing pants that are too tight. And you have to sit on the floor, with your legs crossed like a pretzel. If you're right-handed, squeeze your left fist. Now sit on your left arm, while still holding a firm fist. If you can't figure out how to sit on your arm, then slump yourself over a little bit. 

(If you're left-handed, reverse the aforementioned and squeeze your right fist.)

Do this until your muscles start cramping, and your arm tingles. 


Now, hold a piece of paper in your left hand (yes, the tired, aching one) and try to cut it with your right hand. Using only your right hand. Oh, and use dull kid scissors. Keep in mind, each cut must be crisp and straight. 


Are you managing alright? Now, have someone kick you while you're doing this. Not like they're trying to get a soccer ball down the field, but more like they're trying to push you with their feet. 

At the same time, they should periodically try and pull the piece of paper out of your left hand. Also they must constantly ask you, in a yelp, if you're done. And their voice must grow louder and more desperate. They can only say the word "done". And it sounds like "gun". "Gun? Gun? GUN? GUN??!! GUUUN??!!!!"

When you're sweating, and throbbing, and think you can't take it anymore, get a second piece of paper and start all over again. (Now you have to trim the other five.)


If you have any feeling left in your arm and hand that you were holding the piece of paper with, then you weren't giving the experiment all of your effort.

If you have no feeling left, start pacing and shake it off. 

Now imagine what the child must be going through that they maintained this much effort to try and stop you from trimming their nails.