THAT KID

I have THAT KID.  Yep.  That one who has anxiety about going to school.  That one who made and threw a paper airplane at the new teacher on “meet the teacher” night.  That one who got excited just last night.

I have THAT KID that on the first day behaves poorly and the teacher sends a text message.  Not once but twice.  I have that kid who is impulsive and easily manipulated because he is impulsive.  I have THAT kid who struggles with personal boundaries and empathy.  I have THAT KID.

I have THAT KID who put a starburst in a little girls hair and splashed a friend in the restroom ON THE FIRST DAY.  That kid who everyone will hear about tonight.  I have that one.

This kid that I love with all of my being.  He challenges me every single day to be a better parent and person.  Our struggles are very real.

The struggle is to get his medication just right so that he can slow down and think situations through. The struggle is to teach social appropriate behaviors.  The struggle to make quick decisions often goes wrong.  Today we may have had it wrong.  I have that kid who made the first day something other than amazing for others.  I have that kid who will be THAT KID that people know.

It makes me cry with frustration and sadness.  It makes our afternoon rocky at best.  On a day when parents are excited to hear about the day, I am anxious about hearing him tell me what happened and why.  And I am sad to hear him cry.  He wants to be able to make the best choices and be a good peer.  He just struggles to control his mind and body.

Taking responsibility for his behaviors is the important part of today.  The best and hardest way for us to enforce that is to make him write it.  So tonight I sit here waiting for him to write what he did today that he should not have done and 2 things he will do tomorrow that will be better choices.  He struggles through it. That kid... he still wants his peers to like him.  He wants his teacher to like him.  He wants to do well.  THIS kid is going to try.  And this mom is going to let him.