I'm Listening

As much as you grow, I grow.  I am trying so hard to listen these days and to actually process what I hear.  It used to be that I forced you through life.  This was not a bad thing but given your past you had to experience new things, you had to learn, grow, and open your mind to what was going on around you.  We did not have options of going to the store, putting our shoes on, or eating a meal.  These were activities you had to do in order to grow and develop.

Today though, these are not our battles.  You will happily come to me with your shoes when you are bored at home.  I will find you changed into your bathing suite when you want to go swimming, and your love for food grows daily.  I do not know any other child who's favorite meal is clam linguini :)  So today, you do have choices.  You do have a say in what activities we do and to an extent how long we stay at said activities.

Baseball has not been your favorite sport. It has it highlights and its moments but honestly,  you would prefer not to go every week.  I have taken you for a little over a month now to make sure you understood, that you realized what was going on, and that you were allowed to try to form bonds with those on your team.  Reality though, we left today.  We went, we tried, you told me "go" and we left.  I am listening.  I am realizing that your interests are different and that playing baseball for an hour will not make or break our day in the long run.  You love lacrosse and ran onto the field each week last season.  I see the difference with baseball and I see that we can find other activities that would be a better fit for you.

As your parent and being a parent of special needs child I honestly think your interest varies depending on the peers.  You are so social and interactive that you prefer to interact and play sports with typically developing peers.  A little secret though, you can't keep up.  We can probably get away with one or two more lacrosse camps which you LOVE but your peers are only getting older.  They are growing and developing as they should and you still need time.  I wish I could find a way for you to be the "bat boy" on a typical baseball team, or the cheering squad on the bleachers of a hockey team, but those are just not options.  It breaks my heart that you cannot keep up as hard as you try but I believe that you will find your nitch.

The more you communicate (appropriately) the more I am listening. The more I am handing over control, allowing you to spread you wings, and knowing that life will go on.  The more I am realizing that you are becoming an independent, social, and well adjusted little man who has an opinion and has a voice that deserves to be heard.

Keep On Truckin Baby
Love
Mom