Just Another Teenager Mowing the Lawn
Just another teenager mowing the lawn? At first glance, perhaps. But a closer look reveals a secret weapon or two:
Anyone who knows Nigel knows that mowing the lawn is not an easy thing for him to accomplish. Here’s what’s working against him:
1) Sensory issues, the obvious offender. Notice the ear plugs to help muffle the sound of the mower and the sunglasses to fend off the glare of the sun.
2) Nigel’s fear of bees and other flying insects. Notice the long-sleeved shirt and jeans even on the warm day.
3) Nigel’s inherent lack of understanding about household responsibility and his lack of desire to contribute. Notice the hurried, haphazard zigzagging direction that he’s taking.
What motivated him to forge ahead in spite of these obstacles? Seeing other teenagers in the neighborhood mowing their lawns. Nigel’s desire to “be like everybody else” was motivating enough for him to brave the elements and take some responsibility around the house. Of course, I have to realize that this may be just a one-time engagement. After about ten minutes, a wasp came “dangerously” near him, causing us to renegotiate what constitutes a mowed lawn. But hey - under the circumstances, I’m pretty impressed that he even tried. He told me that he’d try again on a cloudy day, because “bees don’t swarm so much on cloudy days.” I’ll take his word for it. Happy Spring, everyone!
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20 Responses to “Just Another Teenager Mowing the Lawn”
April 21st, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I am so proud of Nigel. What a brave guy he is. And I think his lawn-mowing outfit is too cool!
April 21st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
The long sleeves and long pants remind me so much of my son - due to his sensory integration issues as well. He has dressed this way EVERY DAY, YEAR AFTER YEAR. Of course, there’s always that knowledgeable teacher that felt it should be “nipped in the bud”. Yeah, right!
April 21st, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Also, “lack of understanding about household responsibility. . .” Sigh! I can SO relate! It is wonderful that Nigel wants “to be like everbody else”. My J is 19, and I’m still waiting for that to “kick in”!
April 21st, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Big Red is forever telling me he’s going to mow lawns to make money to buy robots and robot parts…I always patiently explain that not all neighbors go for the “zig-zag” look..we only go for that look in the back yard, never the front.
Kudos to Nigel (and Nigel’s mom for the experience).
April 21st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Oh sweet Nigel. He wants to be like everyone else.
Riley is also terrified of bees. She was stung when she was three,and it’s been a phobia ever since.
Good for Nigel for giving it a go!
April 21st, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Awesome! Movie Boy also likes to cut the lawn, but it took a major desensitizing. We had to sort out the loud noise, the vibration from the mower, the smell, the pollen, the bees, the bugs. I did not have high hopes the first few times we tried it, but like most things as it became part of his routine, it is now solidly part of his routine. Movie Boy’s motivation is not social so much as a part of his OCD I think — he likes the order of it. I also give him a little cash for doing it, which has lately become a big motivator for him (maybe too big, I’m on a budget after all ;).
Have you read the book A Regular Guy? Its written by the mother of a young autistic man who is fixated on lawn mowers.
April 22nd, 2009 at 4:52 am
He mowed. Victory!
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 am
Excellent. Again, similar. Daniel is SO SCARED of the bees and wasps. He will not eat outside any more bc of the fear of them coming to check on his food. sigh
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 am
You must be so proud
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
He looks so cool I just want to walk up to him & say “Duuuuude!”
These kids are just amazing.
xo
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Bees! DAMN BEES!
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Oh yes, also THE BEES.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
i recently moved in large part to avoid mowing. oy, it kills me. all of that yard debris flying around, making me itchy. usually i just let it grow to high heaven and refer to it as a “free-style botanical garden”. fun for me. the neighbors? not so much. i was periodically growled at by discontent yard watchers.
anyway: it’s nice to see nigel on the move, taking those tentative steps into yardville.
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 am
Well done mum too. Where there is a will there is a way. Not my quotation but it works perfectly here.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:39 am
he is such a cool cat .. love that he wanted to give it a shot and that he had some tools to help make it possible.
and btw, i think the zig zags are fabulous. since when are our lives made up of neat, tidy rows? why would our lawns be?
xo
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Our trip to Florida a few years back was a HUGE success…except for all the bugs in the Everglades. Kaeden totally freaked out on us a couple times during that trip.
Way to go Nigel. I think it’s great he is trying to be more concerned with home ec
And if it helps make him be ‘more like the guys’ all the more power to him.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
i think that’s fantastically brave!
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
He looks so cool and handsome and brave. This picture makes me wish I had a son!
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
April 25th, 2009 at 9:43 am
You know, I am almost 30 and have never mowed the lawn, for the same reasons that Nigel has. The sun doesn’t bother me, but the noise of the lawn mower is what makes it impossible for me… my heart would be pounding the entire time! Nigel is braver than me because he at least tried it out!
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