I’ve mentioned before that we have been having difficulties with our daughter, who just turned 10 this month, for about a year now. The problems really seemed to begin when her adoption kept being postponed, by the stage agency, not by us. Last night, Super Dad and I had an interesting conversation with our daughter and I would appreciate it if you would offer your opinions or suggestions. It went like this…

“Dani, what were you doing in the bathroom?” I asked, as she resumed eating her treat.

Scene: Dani was in the kitchen having bedtime treat. She left in the middle of eating and walked to the bathroom on the other side of the house, when there is a bathroom right off the kitchen. The bathroom she came out of is also a laundry room and I went in to do another load of laundry after she came out. I noticed that the toilet wasn’t flushed and there wasn’t any toilet paper in it. Therefore, I wondered what she had done in there, because if she had used the toilet, then she needed to wipe, flush, and wash her hands.

Her response to my question was interesting. “I went in there to throw something a way.”

“Well why would you go all the way to the laundry room to throw something away when the kitchen trash can is right there, beside you?” I was beginning to get a little suspicious.

“I don’t know, I guess I wasn’t thinking,” she rattled off without any hesitation.

“Oh, what did you through away?” I tried to be nonchalant.

“A piece of paper,” she said, again without hesitation.

Scene: I went into the laundry room and looked in the trashcan. There wasn’t any paper in it. I returned to the kitchen.

“Dani, there isn’t any paper in the bathroom trashcan,” I said nicely.

“Oh well, I thought I threw away a piece of paper,” then she looked away.

“Dad, could you please come into the kitchen?” I called him from the living room where he was watching TV. I explain the situation.

“Dani, why did you go into the bathroom?” Super Dad asked.

“Well, I thought I threw away a piece of paper.”

“Why do you keep looking away from me when you talk to me, Dani?”
“Go get the trashcan.”

Scene: Dani leaves the room and returns a minute later with the trashcan. Super Dad asks where the paper is. Dani begins to dig through the trashcan, but it is no use because there is no paper.

“Dani, why did you go into the bathroom?” Super Dad patiently asks again.

The same story was repeated twice and then I asked her to go to bed. She has lived with our family for almost three years now. What do you think that was about?

Time Alone? – Living with FAS and ADHD
I Forgot - Living with FAS/FAE
My FAS Child Can’t Stop Stealing

Photo Credit