I have long speculated that Brad is slightly impervious to pain. He just doesn't seem to react to tactile input the way a typical child does.
Until now?
The litmus test I use: taking a bath.
There are certain near-universal truths about typical children. One such truth is that toddlers become upset if they get soap in their eyes, even if it's "No More Tears." Not Brad. Since he was 18 months old, I've waited for him to express upset when I rinse his hair. Nothing. Just smiles and laughter. Sometimes I know soap is in his eyes. I look at him suspiciously. Just smiles.
And now, finally, it's happened: every time we rinse, he cries. Not that that's a good thing! Of course, I don't like to see Brad upset. But I can't help but wonder if one of those elusive neurological synapses is finally connecting. By my limited anecdotal experience, this usually happens closer to 18 months. Brad is three and a half. But this is me, not complaining. Better late than never.
5 comments:
My son has definately become more sensitive to pain as he has gotten older but still seems less sensitive at times with no consistant pattern.
Same with my son! I originally thought it was convenient that he didn't cry when I was rinsing (I'm a little slow on the uptake.
But now, at three and a half, he screams just like my other kids. Part of me wonders if he would if they didn't, but I guess I'll never know.
E is EXTREMELY under sensitive to pain. But his eyes are the exception. He can't stand any liquid... even tears in his eyes and rubs to dickens out of them. This was a HUGE problem when we were using sunscreen at the beach. diff. topic.
Anyway, otherwise.... he has been bitten by ants, stung by a bee today, fallen and hit corners of tables, skinned knees and NOTHING. Today's sting... he walked to the teacher and pointed at it with a happy look on his face.
Then, there are other times, that he's not hurt at all, but screaming like a baby. My observation is that it has to do with the startle... not the pain.
On the same note: 20 month old TYPICAL baby sis was bitten 125 times by ants the other day. Not a peep. Never scratched at them while they were healing. NOTHING. SHe sat in the ant hill as they ate her rear end alive and no-one even knew until they went to change her diaper and found whelps the size of quarters all over her bum/legs. Get that!!
My boy seems impervious to pain too...he takes the hottest showers on the planet. He swears it's not too hot for him, even though his skin is beet red when he gets out. The Boy is 7 though, not sure if it will catch up to him or not.
A isn't impervious to pain (he cries at the appropriate painful, unexpected stimuli) but I have noticed that like Aspiemom's son, he takes extremely hot showers - if I don't watch him his skin will be bright red. He also crashes and falls into things a lot in his sensory seeking ways and is certainly impervious to any pain caused by that! So...if it is unexpected pain he cries but if it is something HE did to HIMSELF (hot shower, crashing, falling, etc) - no problem, he seems to relish it!!
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