Gobbles the Disabled Turkey from “South Park”
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Continuing from Part 1 of this blog, I will now go over what happens during the actual Thanksgiving Day itself. These can range from cooking at home to going to a restaurant and having your meal being cooked for you. Now, when it comes to Thanksgiving Day, some of that stress and anxiety from the days before are usually brought into the home. For some families, this is sad but true. But, it doesn’t have to be. For the sake of the child or individual, there are ways to help get involved and enjoy the holiday as a whole.
Tip 1: Help out with the decorations/cooking
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There are plenty of thanksgiving tables that get their own trimmings in addition to the food itself. Some of these can range from centerpieces to other thanksgiving decorations.
It’s a good idea to maybe have the child make their own centerpieces as they see fit while keeping it in the theme of thanksgiving. Who knows? You may have an artist in the family and you don’t even know it.
In addition, the child/individual can also help out with the cooking itself. These can range from stirring vegetables, breaking up bread for the stuffing to even mashing the potatoes. Now, most families will either prep the meals the night before or in the morning of thanksgiving itself. Either way, getting the child/individual involved will give them a sense of relief or purpose.
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Tip 2: Having the child/individual’s favorite foods prepared as well
Now, let’s be real here for a second and that is not everyone can eat turkey and mashed potatoes or spiraled ham and scalloped potatoes, depending on what is on your table. Many neurodiverse children/individuals have sensory issues that include but are not limited to food tastes.
The last thing you should do is to have the child/individual not eat something that will impact their food sensitivites. It’s always a good idea to have the child or individual’s favorite food on standby such as a pizza or chicken fingers. Trust me, when I was growing up, I was a picky eater as a result of my food sensitivities, and they didn’t occur just on thanksgiving.
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Tip 3: Keep the company levels down
Lastly, it’s a good idea to keep the company level down as much as possible. If you are in a large family, I get the fact that it can be easier said than done, but thanksgiving is all about being inclusive yet accommodating. Yes, again both my parents came from large families and there were times where things got overwhelming for me.
Thus, it’s always a good idea to have a plan to help the child/individual prepare for the company’s arrival, by telling them who is coming just so they know who is coming and what to expect.
Tip 4: Provide an Escape Room
Finally, like all large gatherings, it’s important for the child/individual to take sensory breaks as many times as possible. Designate a room in the house or other structure for the child/individual to go to if they get overwhelmed or overstimulated. This is a room that should only be accessable to the individual and anyone whom the individual is very close to such as a parent or sibling.
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In conclusion, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and a time to remember what we cherish and value the most. As an Entrepeneur, I am thankful for Going the Distance’s continued growth and development in it’s 1st full year of operation. There are going to be many doors that will be opened in 2023, but all these revelations will come in due course.
For now, let’s just enjoy the homestretch of 2022 beginning this week!!
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Catch you all later and Happy Thanksgiving!!
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