Poor H had his first lot of injections this week - the DTP (Diptheria, Tetanuss, Pertussis) which now has a bonus 2 more nasties thrown in for free to make sure he doesn't catch Polio or Hib (whatever Hib is). I have mixed feelings about the shots. I'm anxious. For sure we don't want to see a sudden plague of these nasty diseases resurface, but at the same time I'm concerned about the potential links to Autism and other issues that keep surfacing. I read in one magazine this week that there might be dangerous levels of Mercury in them. It feels like such a game of russian roulette with these things.
When D was small I didn't want him to have the MMR shot because it was at the time when it was all over the news and I couldn't convince myself that it was 100% safe. Then they came up with a single shot vaccine so I tried to have those done, but we moved before we were able to get him into the clinic. And here they are less tolerant about people who opt out of vaccines and insist you have them in order to attend school. And they don't do the single shots here. So I ended up getting it for him, although having left it much later (he was almost 3) than is usual I was at least fairly confident that his system was stronger and more able to fight off whatever would happen when the vaccines entered his system.
I'm so concerned about Autism and other developmental issues. I'm almost paranoid about them. There are 2 kids on my street alone with it, one extremely severely, and who knows what causes it but I'm scared for my boys.
But anyway, H is now vaccinated with his first lot of many shots to come. He cried, poor lamb. I gave him baby Tylenol afterwards to prevent a fever and he slept for 4 hours solid. We gave him some more at bed time as he was more fussy than usual, and he slept again 4 solid hours. When he woke at 4am G wanted him to have more so that we could get some more kip! I said no, but boy was it nice to have a long stretch of sleep like that.
In other news, fall seems to have arrived overnight. The temperatures have dropped suddenly and there are glorious reds and oranges appearing on the trees and other foliage. Quite strange how this can happen so quickly. It'll be minus 25 before we know it.
And battle continues with D's school, the public school. The quick version of this particular situation is that the school has an influx of new pupils this year due to more housing being built in the area, and the classes are suddenly very overcrowded. The kindergarten has 60 children in the one classroom, with 3 teachers so that they meet the teacher/child ratio of 20-1. This means it's incredibly noisy and busy, plus they don't have any more materials or resources for the kids. So Dylan is completely bored out of his mind and has very little to do. He's also way ahead of all the other kids in the class academically, as he's been at the Montessori for the last 3 years. He's reading at Grade 2 or 3 level and is also pretty hot in Maths. Whether he is there emotionally though, I don't know. The kids in Grade 1 do seem, to me anyway, to be that bit more confident. Anyways, after a visit to the principal the school is now assessing him and testing him with a view that he could be accelerated into Grade 1. It is worrying me alot, this, and I'm having bad dreams about it. I don't want to be pushy, I don't want to make a life altering decision that leads Dylan to be unhappy. I don't want to send him up a grade if he's not ready for that and I don't want to keep him back if it means he's bored not stimulated. Tough.
Posted by katie at September 29, 2004 10:48 AMWell the mercury preservative was in the triple vaccine not the 5-in-1 so that should be a relief... they accelerated its introduction here because of that.
The autism link is somewhat in dispute, various studies show it one way or t'other, I guess you pays your money and makes your choice... having a autistic family member I have my own views.
Link to a very recent BBC story about the 5-in-1
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3693220.stm
Posted by: Aka at September 29, 2004 03:18 PMThanks Aka that's interesting reading and I feel a bit better about the DTP. Now to worry about the MMR when that comes along (sigh).
I read a ton of stuff about the MMR back when D was due to get it and the problem I found was that it was impossible to make a clear decision either way. I found I was unable to say it wasn't safe, but unable to say it was, so decided to get the single dose vaccines....... but then couldn't unfortunately. I certainly shan't be getting H the MMR age 18mths which they recommend, if he ends up getting it he'll be at least 3 (past the age where Autism shows itself)
Posted by: katie at September 29, 2004 05:11 PMIt's a tough call about whether to move Dylan up a grade. Academically, it sure sounds like he's ready for it. School moves awfully slowly for gifted kids (been there, done that).
The only thing that I see that would make it a tough decision would be the social side. I was always one of the younger kids in my class, having been born late in the year, but that's a matter of months, not a whole year - particularly at his age. I didn't get a whole year ahead until partway through high school (I did the first four years of what was then a five-year program in three years), but it's a different thing to be ahead a year when you're in your late teens than when you're five or six.
I'm sure it will worry you until you finally make the decision on what to do with him. But you and Gareth are both bright. Don't let anyone from the school push you one way or the other. Listen to their suggestions but make up your own minds and whichever path you choose will be the right one.
Posted by: Steve at September 30, 2004 07:34 PMSteve is right. It's up to you and G. Physically D is as big as the grade 1's are. Mentally he is past them. Emotionally is the only question. Is the extra year in life experience he lacks going to cost him. Will the other children target him because he "skipped" a grade? Is there no alternative the school can offer other than him jumping to grade 1?
Posted by: Zach at October 2, 2004 07:09 PM