Fun & Family – August, Always

At some point, autism moms stop carrying purses and start carrying what is essentially a mobile survival kit.

Because when you parent a sensory-sensitive child, you learn very quickly that being “prepared” can make the difference between a smooth outing and a full public meltdown in the Target checkout line.

So if you’ve ever wondered what’s inside an autism mom’s bag… allow me to introduce the chaos.

Snacks. So Many Snacks.

Not because we’re crunchy moms with aesthetically packed lunch boxes.

Because hanger is dangerous.

And because sometimes the exact snack your child likes is the only thing standing between peace and complete emotional collapse.

Honestly, I carry snacks for everyone at this point.

The kids.
My husband.
Myself.

Because hangry parenting is also very dangerous territory.

Bonus points if there are:

crushed crackers
melted fruit snacks
and an applesauce pouch rolling around at the bottom.

Headphones

One thing about autism moms?

We do not leave the house without headphones.

Restaurants are loud.
Stores are loud.
Life is loud.

And sometimes a pair of headphones can turn an overwhelming situation into a manageable one.

So yes, there is a 97% chance there’s a pair of headphones shoved into my bag at all times.

Random Sensory Toys

You know those tiny fidget toys you swore you’d never become the parent carrying around?

Yeah. Same.

Now I have approximately 14 of them scattered throughout my car, purse, cup holders, and jacket pockets.

Sticky hands.
Pop tubes.
Squishy things with unidentified lint attached to them.

And the thing nobody warns you about?

They get SO disgusting.

Every single squishy sensory toy somehow ends up covered in:

dirt
dust
hair
cracker crumbs
and mystery sticky substances

Then you try to wash them off, thinking you’re helping…

But somehow they come out EVEN STICKIER and more disgusting than before, which honestly doesn’t even feel scientifically possible.

Chargers. All the Chargers.

Because if the AAC device dies, WE ALL DIE.

Okay maybe that’s dramatic.

But not really.

If you know, you know.

So now I carry:

lightning chargers
USB-C chargers
mini USB chargers
portable battery packs

Basically every charging cable for every device ever created.

At this point my bag looks less like a purse and more like the electronics drawer everyone has in their kitchen.

And somehow… the one charger I actually need is still never the one I grab first.

Emergency Comfort Items

Every autism mom has that one random item her child is emotionally attached to.

A stuffed animal.
A toy car.
A rock.

And heaven help us if we leave the house without it.

In our case, there’s a good chance I’m carrying at least one bear at all times.

But our current “emergency comfort items” situation has taken a slightly different turn lately… because right now August is apparently emotionally attached to my products.

So every morning I’m suddenly searching the house for:

my cleanser
moisturizer
dry shampoo
mousse

Because those are somehow his prized possessions now.

Very convenient for him. Extremely inconvenient for me at 6:30 in the morning trying to get ready for work.

Receipts, Appointment Cards, and Pure Exhaustion

Somewhere in my bag there are:

therapy appointment reminders
old receipts
probably a church bulletin
and approximately 14 unnecessary items I’m too scared to remove in case they suddenly become essential.

And underneath all of that?

An autism mom who’s doing her best.

The Things We Carry That People Can’t See

But if I’m being honest, the heaviest things autism moms carry usually aren’t in the bag at all.

It’s the constant planning.
The hyper-awareness.
The mental load.

Thinking ahead.
Preparing for transitions.
Watching for triggers.
Trying to make the world feel safe and manageable for your child.

It’s exhausting sometimes.

But it’s also done with so much love.

At this point, my bag contains:
snacks, headphones, chargers, sensory toys, emergency bears, crushed crackers, mystery sticky substances, and approximately 47 items nobody else would EVER understand the importance of.

And honestly, it’s fine…

I’m basically Mary Poppins, y’all.

There are a lot of things people associate with autism.

Therapy appointments.

Evaluations.

Meltdowns.

Sensory needs.

And yes — those things are part of our life.

But so is laughter.

A lot of it.

When August was first diagnosed, I quietly grieved the picture of childhood I had always imagined. The one where everything looked typical and predictable.

But over time, something changed.

Instead of focusing on what we thought childhood would look like, we started paying attention to what actually makes August happy.

And it turns out, the little things are where the joy lives.

August loves music. When one of his favorite songs comes on, he lights up. He’ll bounce back and forth and sway side to side like the music is moving through him.

Sometimes he claps along to the rhythm. Other times he snaps his fingers and makes silly sounds while he dances.

It’s impossible not to smile when you see it.

He also loves light-up toys and anything that makes sound. One of his favorite things right now is the Bluey keytar he got for Christmas. If music starts playing in our house, there’s a very good chance August is nearby, happily pressing the keys and dancing along.

Another thing August loves is connection.

He gives the best hugs and is always ready with a high five. And if you try to tickle him, be prepared — he will absolutely dissolve into laughter.

But if you asked August what his favorite activity is, the answer would still be easy.

Jumping.

More specifically, jumping and crashing onto his crash pad.

He will jump, crash, bounce back up, and do it all over again with the biggest grin on his face.

And when summer comes around, the trampoline has some competition.

August loves water play. The sprinkler, the hose, splashing in puddles — if water is involved, he’s all in. Watching him run through the sprinkler and laugh is one of those simple childhood moments that never gets old.

One thing autism has taught us is to never take small milestones for granted.

Things that once felt ordinary suddenly feel worth celebrating. Progress is noticed more carefully. Little victories matter more.

And because of that, the joyful moments feel even bigger.

Not every part of an autism diagnosis is easy or fun. There are hard days. There are challenges we didn’t expect— and still don’t know how to handle.

But we’ve learned something important along the way:

We still get to have fun.

Sometimes it just looks different than we once imagined.

Sometimes fun looks like dancing in the living room.

Sometimes it looks like silly sounds and belly laughs.

Sometimes it looks like a boy jumping full force onto a crash pad over and over again.

And sometimes it looks like a mom sitting on the couch watching all of it unfold… while silently wondering how one small human has this much energy.

We don’t spend our time mourning what we once thought August’s childhood would look like.

Instead, we’ve learned to celebrate the childhood he’s actually living.

And in many ways, this journey has shaped us as parents in ways we didn’t expect.

It’s taught us to slow down.

To notice the little things.

To celebrate progress, no matter how small.

And that perspective is something we now carry into raising Sawyer too.

Whether his path includes a diagnosis or not, we want to approach his childhood the same way — with gratitude, patience, and a deep appreciation for the moments that make him who he is.

Because at the end of the day, joy doesn’t have to look typical to be real.

And August brings a lot of it into our home.

(Along with an impressive amount of trampoline bouncing and full speed crashing.)

Category: Fun & Family

Things Autism Moms Carry in Their Bags