Jack and I tack the subway a lot. In September, we made the tough choice to go to a new therapy gym that involves a subway ride with a change of trains, both there and back. It was a brand new, much bigger gym, and an opportunity to get time with a highly recommended OT therapist due to the fact that it was a new space.
At first, the subway was difficult for Jack – All the movement, trains coming in both directions, people rushing every which way, a real sensory nightmare – there were times when I had to wait at the top of the stairs and right for the right train to pull in before rushing downstairs and running on, and I would literally have to bearhug Jack to keep him under control.
After several trips, always using the same stairs, getting on the same car, and using the same path to switch trains, Jack started getting used to things and it got easier. He was still uncomfortable, and still held on to me tight, but he could comfort himself with the knowledge of t
he routine -- where we were going, about how long it would take, and seeing trains going the other way out of the window.
As his comfort grew, it started to become more difficult to take him on the subway. He started stating a preference for trains, refusing to get on the express and instead insisting on waiting for the local, for example, or demanding to get off at a certain stop and throwing a bit of a fit when I explained we had two more stops to go. It can be difficult, as the train to the gym is at rush hour and involves crowded platforms and overcrowded trains.
The other week, I carried Jackson into the station and heard the train approaching downstairs. I knew it might cause a problem but we were late, so I rushed down the stairs and hurried onto the train with Jack in my arms with no explanation to him about what I was doing or where we were going. Predictably, Jack was pretty upset at the rushing and lack of control, and he immediately began complaining. I sat him down and he continued to whine a bit about something, I couldn’t quite understand, that sounded like dubbadubba. “What is it Jack, whats wrong?” I asked … “its Ok, we are going to the gym to see Missy …”
“Jack no want the dubbadubba”
“You don’t want the what?”
“The dubbayou” he said, pointing at the big yellow “W” by the window that named the train line.
I laughed, “what train do you want?” I asked.
“Jack wants the R” he said.
Guess he had been paying more attention than I thought, as we do take the R sometimes.
That evening on the train home, it was very crowded, and my back hurt from carrying Jack, so I put him down on the one empty seat between two strangers. Later, the seat across opened up and allowed me to sit down and observe Jack from across the train. Jack really liked it, looking up at his two new neighbors and smiling, looking out the window, and looking at me. It was great to see him so happy, and gave me a great feeling watching him as if he was all by himself.
Like anything else, when you let Jack “get away” with something once, it’s a major project trying to disallow it in the future. Now when we get on the subway Jack wants to sit in one seat and have me sit somewhere else. Jack is not yet quite an expert at the ebb and flow of subway riding, so without people on either side of him he is a threat to fall over at any sudden acceleration or deceleration and I find myself constantly jumping half out of my seat to catch him should he tumble. Haven’t been on a train with him in two weeks now …. Might be time to break his habit…
At first, the subway was difficult for Jack – All the movement, trains coming in both directions, people rushing every which way, a real sensory nightmare – there were times when I had to wait at the top of the stairs and right for the right train to pull in before rushing downstairs and running on, and I would literally have to bearhug Jack to keep him under control.
After several trips, always using the same stairs, getting on the same car, and using the same path to switch trains, Jack started getting used to things and it got easier. He was still uncomfortable, and still held on to me tight, but he could comfort himself with the knowledge of t
he routine -- where we were going, about how long it would take, and seeing trains going the other way out of the window.As his comfort grew, it started to become more difficult to take him on the subway. He started stating a preference for trains, refusing to get on the express and instead insisting on waiting for the local, for example, or demanding to get off at a certain stop and throwing a bit of a fit when I explained we had two more stops to go. It can be difficult, as the train to the gym is at rush hour and involves crowded platforms and overcrowded trains.
The other week, I carried Jackson into the station and heard the train approaching downstairs. I knew it might cause a problem but we were late, so I rushed down the stairs and hurried onto the train with Jack in my arms with no explanation to him about what I was doing or where we were going. Predictably, Jack was pretty upset at the rushing and lack of control, and he immediately began complaining. I sat him down and he continued to whine a bit about something, I couldn’t quite understand, that sounded like dubbadubba. “What is it Jack, whats wrong?” I asked … “its Ok, we are going to the gym to see Missy …”
“Jack no want the dubbadubba”
“You don’t want the what?”
“The dubbayou” he said, pointing at the big yellow “W” by the window that named the train line.
I laughed, “what train do you want?” I asked.
“Jack wants the R” he said.
Guess he had been paying more attention than I thought, as we do take the R sometimes.
That evening on the train home, it was very crowded, and my back hurt from carrying Jack, so I put him down on the one empty seat between two strangers. Later, the seat across opened up and allowed me to sit down and observe Jack from across the train. Jack really liked it, looking up at his two new neighbors and smiling, looking out the window, and looking at me. It was great to see him so happy, and gave me a great feeling watching him as if he was all by himself.
Like anything else, when you let Jack “get away” with something once, it’s a major project trying to disallow it in the future. Now when we get on the subway Jack wants to sit in one seat and have me sit somewhere else. Jack is not yet quite an expert at the ebb and flow of subway riding, so without people on either side of him he is a threat to fall over at any sudden acceleration or deceleration and I find myself constantly jumping half out of my seat to catch him should he tumble. Haven’t been on a train with him in two weeks now …. Might be time to break his habit…
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