Shades of Orange

I don't have kids, but I do notice that my nieces and nephews get even more whiney than usual when they don't feel good.

my youngest has always been a quiet kid. When he is overwhelmed be will go to a very quiet place and read, do puzzles or even write. He literally will retreat from his older brother when he is upset or over stimulated and it is when he closes the door and becomes quiet that I know he needs solace and quiet to regroup.

My oldest is the hardest to read. She has some issues fitting in with other kids her age and sometimes she gets hyper when having alot of problems or she will just stop talking about school or something like that. When she is sick, she is finally at that age that she comes and tells me what is wrong... I love this. I can not wait until they are all at this stage. :)

My 4 year old is an all out, fly around the house kid all the time. When she gets quiet and wants to just sit and watch TV or grabs a toy and sits quietly playing, I start checking her over and asking how she feels. When she is upset or feeling overwhelmed, it is all about Mom for her. She will literally get in my face and make me pay attention to her and tell me she wants a hug or to sit with me. She usually will tell me when something is bothering her once she is on my lap.

My 3 year old is a bit quieter on the whole, and when he starts "acting out" by being mean to his siblings or getting in trouble alot through the day, he usually is sick or something is bothering him. He also has accidents when he is stressed. That one is a pretty strong clue with some children. My son will go off in his room and

My 1 year old is and always has been VERY happy and playful. I know all babies are playful, but she is more curious and active then my older 3 were. When she is grumpy or sits for more then 10 minutes in one place I start looking her over.

The biggest thing to look for in any child is anything that is out of the ordinary for that child.

My grandaughter needs more hugs when she is overwhelmed and her code orange for this is that she becomes quite and pouty in the face.

My 6 year old daughter is a tricky one to decode... Tears are a big sign code orange or purely emotions, something is wrong, if she is tired that is code orange...
With my 3 year old son, if he isn't bouncing off the walls, something is seriously code orange..

My son will start being very quiet. He will also tilt his head down. I must coax what is wrong out of him. Sometimes its not easy.

My third daughter is the one that demands attention by acting sick. This is her way of getting attention because her older sister has juvenile arthritis.

It always makes me laugh when doctors suggest looking for "anything out of the ordinary", especially when it comes to my middle son, age 6. We call him The King of Random because he is THE most random child on the face of the planet. EVERY thing is does it "out of the ordinary", so over the years we just started stifling the chuckles when we've been told to look out for anything out of the ordinary. Ha!

Both of our daughters were and are totally different from each other. They were even different to read their thoughts. We had to use different tactics on each of them to reach them. I think each child is different and must be treated as an individual.

You ask" Does your seven-year-old escape to a favorite quiet spot when he's feeling overwhelmed? Is your daughter in the habit of asking for ginger ale when she's feeling sick? Share some of the signs your kids give out.."

Well, he wasn't exactly at a loss for words but my son was pretty helpful when he said to me as I was busily doing one thing or another, "Mom, listen to me with your EYES not just your EARs" That'd be pretty useful advice for any parent, any time!

Clearly, if your child is getting sick, being observant is going to make a lot of difference- and, if not, your child will know you are paying attention and caring. So I consider that all-around great advice, out of the mouth of a youngster.