Distressed

The movie screening, Madagascar III, did not go well as planned.

Instead, Jaden was so distressed with the whole experience, I have never seen him act this way before. He was really frightened of the whole thing and seemed kind of traumatised.

The last trip to the movies, even before the movie began, he was already crying his silly eyes dry. So we headed home almost immediately.

Yesterday, it went a step further. Before we even set foot into the cinema, we were outside the halls, and Jaden seems to remember his previous experience and started to cry. He was pulling my hands asking me to go away from there.

I thought it was just for a while and he might settle down, get use to it in just a few minutes but no, he kept crying even when the lights in the hall were still lit, and nothing was playing on screen.

The whole traumatising experience started when the Spiderman trailer started and booom, he went into this manic distress mode, pulling and trying to push me out from my seat to the nearest exit and both his tiny little hands, with tight grips on mine, never once let go and he even went into a state of trauma that he wanted to strip himself. I am not sure why he is doing that, will ask around other parents if they know the reason why but yea, we got out of the cinema in no time and although sobbing, he was pretty much ok after we left the cinema.

His ABA supervisor and I thought maybe we can try again, when the cartoon is playing and it might be a different reaction to it but still the same, he reacted the same way so I guess our movie session was that.

We left the cinema for good and went carrot shopping for my rabbits instead. He was all bubbly again inside the shopping trolley while I choose the carrots.

Jaden showed signs of fear when we are nearing the escalator, as if he remembered every single step that we took to go to the cinema earlier. So he struggled a bit and cried when I place the vege in the car, and had to go up because we have to bring another Winnie and M to the carpark with us.

*sigh* It was really a total 360 change from how he used to be when we attended the last two cartoon movie screening.

Is it because he is much more aware of his surroundings, his feelings now? Or his visual and hearing stimulation has heightened to a certain level? So many questions yet I have no answer to it. For now.

Will try again slowly to re-introduce him to the movies. Just not happening for now though, maybe a few months down the road.. next year?

We headed to another mall in Bangsar and I had lunch/tea with Winnie. Both the boys seems to be getting more comfortable with each other now and on several occasions, approach each other. M, too, has shown a little sign that he is getting familiar with me since we always hang out at their place. Trying to get the boys to play with each other.

The over-stimulation experience did tire Jaden out indeed and his emotions were all upside down for the day. We finally went home at about 6 and he only had a 15 minute cat nap before he woke up crying because the lights were off.. No, he was not left alone in the room. I was there, lying beside him napping away myself before I cursed that short 15 minutes. Well, better catnap than none.

Jaden, later at night was feeling much more better after his father played with him and was all over him.

So, in conclusion, my dream about going to the movies with Jaden has to come to a halt for now... time to find other movie partners now. =)