more newborn/baby permaregressor things (i guess part one is this post!)
this is just some ways i came to learn about my permaregession and how it shows up for me in my daily life
laying down - your go to position is laying down bc it feels nice to be laid out horizontally :) is seating provided? no thank u i'll be on the floor or couch (or bed)!
concept of toys? - u dont really know what to do with toys but just shaking them around and looking at them is entertaining enough! u like having them around but dont rlly do much with them
sense of self - theres always a nagging feeling of needing to be near someone, the entire world feels safer when youve got someone there with u (its been studied that for babies, they see themself as part of their mom/parent so when theyre apart its especially distressing bc thats like taking an arm off!)
you take on emotions like a sponge - this gets easier to avoid with practice but often u dont even notice how other people r very much affecting ur day unintentionally, being near someone in a bad mood long enough suddenly turns u sour or being around an especially happy person makes u happy! u likely stick to a certain kind of personality in others bc its stable for u (not that u cant handle an array of emotions its just a lot of intentional work to remain unaffected)
baths r the best - have you ever been interrupted during a shower or bath by a family member saying "youre taking too long in there!" well me too... warm water on ur skin is the epitome of safety, u often zone out and take long showers/baths bc it provides a special kind of mindfulness and peace u cant rlly get anywhere else
theres no such thing as a 'nap' only a mini REM cycle - yeah... u dont rlly nap cus when u do its usually for 3-4+ hours, theres no way a 30 min nap would ever be doable for u
instructions r hard - u dont rlly do well with verbal or written instructions and they dont always stick... having someone guide u thru the process as often as needed is much more doable
repetition = safety - seriously! if ur ever in a relationship with a permababy u better be ready to repeat urself in ever sense of the word! (terms of endearment, phrases, physical affection, routes u take, routines, music, etc)
emotional regulation is physical - sitting down to talk is just about the scariest thing to do... not impossible but scary! pair it with some sort of movement or soothing activity and the chances of whatever it is being talked about sticking is much higher (and the rejection sensitivity is lessened) talking about boundaries? pair it with being rocked! u or ur little one didnt make the best decision? add some deep pats to the back while explaining why that was a bad choice! needs feeling unbalanced between the two? have a cuddle/massage session while working it out!
acclimation is everything! - u wouldnt toss a fish into its new tank without letting it get used to the new water first, right? same thing for babies in new experiences! sure u can get away with it sometimes but most times? theres gotta be some preparation for it beforehand!
sensitive skin - often times stuff with fragrances irritate u so scent less products r kinder to ur skin! too hot out for a regular person? well its unbearably hot for u (ive had heat exhaustion and near heat strokes throughout my life)
sleep is hard - its really a coin toss :/ u could fall asleep the second ur head hits the pillow, u could be tossing and turning all night, u could be waking up every two hours or watching the sun rise... when it comes to sleep u need to bring out every possible "plan b" to up ur chances
talking/words in general - u can grasp concepts and words but using them out loud is mostly out of the question. its partially my autism but im semiverbal and writing comes much easier to me (hence why i like to use big words and long sentences it makes me feel like ive compensated for how a w f u l i am at speaking out loud irl)
movement - u love to move in weird ways! i love to flex my hands and arms/legs bc of how nice it feels! laying on ur back and swinging ur feet in the air, bouncing or rocking urself, taking a deep breath and holding it in, shaking ur head back and forth, the list goes on!
if one skill gets better, a bunch of others get worse - it happens to babies while reaching developmental milestones but sometimes u get good at one skill and in order for ur mind to focus on that and be good at it, it throws out the ability to do other things u normally do
def making more additions but thats all for now!
