Tuesday, August 9
I owe Griff's first grade teacher a debt of gratitude. She showed me how important it is to let him be himself. Now, I try to approach all of the adults I come in contact with in a manner that accepts them where they are at that moment. Turns out, I hadn't completely been doing that with my own child.He is this delightful, maddening combination of his daddy and me. He is laid-back, barely motivated but selfless and sensitive. He moves at his own very slow pace, but he is always willing to stop and help someone along that journey. So many times I have said that the very traits that will make him an amazing man also make it difficult to be a little boy.
But this teacher embraced him where he was at that moment in time, and that made all the difference. Not only did she seem to enjoy him but she let him be. She encouraged him and stayed on him (necessary for this stage of the game), but she also didn't push too hard. She taught me about helping my son.
And so, I try (though I don't always succeed!) to take him as he is. Now, that's not always easy. We spent two hours last night preparing a double-spaced, one-page book report on "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman." An hour and a half of that was spent with him moaning about how hard it was, crying that he'd never finish. Once he got moving on it, it really only took about 30 minutes of work.
Mike said he was impressed with how calmly I handled the situation, and while I think I did pretty well last night(the BRAIN, CHILD magazine I was reading helped), I am also aware of how difficult this next school year may be. And in all honesty, the year after and so on.
But I want Griff to be his own person, to make his own choices, and to become his own man. And I know that I have to allow him some space in order for that to happen. I'm also, admittedly, hoping that the lure of watching "Teen Titans" will speed him up in his homework.
[ posted by Chel on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 ]
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