Helpful Brother

This morning after breakfast, I put Jane in her activity center so I could get a few things done. When I came to check on her I found her holding two food items from the pantry-- a small box of raisins and a pack of baby food. Knowing she didn't climb out on her own to get these items and seeing her brother with his own box of raisins, I was able to determine what had happened. Despite just having breakfast, apparently Josh was hungry and felt that Jane needed a snack too.

Jane was obviously thrilled and doing her best to get a taste of what was inside the box. (And yes I know her nose is orange. Darn that orange baby food! No matter how much food I give my kids with other colors, the beta-carotene always triumphs over their pale skin.)

Never mind the fact that raisins are a choking hazard and therefore an absolute no-no for babies. Good thing I came to check on her before she got the box open. Still, I love the fact that Josh brought Jane some baby food. He knows what she wants. He's a good brother. The other day he came over and swiped a toy from her while loudly proclaiming, "Mine!" I was so proud of him since this was a developmental milestone he hadn't reached yet. Kids need to understand ownership. Of course, I realized at this point that I shouldn't have been praising him for taking a toy from his sister. That's when Jane started to cry. Josh quickly gave the toy back to Jane with a "herego" which means "Here you go." I was so thrilled, not because this was a ton of words for Josh, but because he noticed his sister was sad and tried to make it better. Sometimes children with autism have trouble being aware of and understanding the emotions of others. Jane seems to help pull Josh out of his own world. She was the first person he said hi to with a cheerful "Hi, Dane!" In fact, she is the only one who consistently gets a hello. He also follows me upstairs singing a "nigh-night" song with me that I made up for Jane when I take her up to bed. I can already tell he is going to be a wonderful big brother. Jane's face just lights up when she sees him. I'm so glad they have each other.