Fears, Frustrations, Tears and Triumphs
Last week mommy took me to a park. I had a ton of fun. But right in the middle of all the fun, I looked over and saw mommy crying. I came off the jungle gym and asked mommy, "Why crying Mommy?". Unfortunately that made mommy smile and then cry more! She just said that she was proud of me and that I was 'making progress' ... whatever that meant. Well, here's what it means...
Many of you are unaware of the battles I was fighting inside of me. Not even mommy and daddy really knew. They knew that I was having a hard time learning how to talk. So mommy took me to a speech therapist, named Jo. I love Jo. We have a lot of fun playing with her toys. She teaches me how to say certain statements like, "I want...", "I need...", Open the..", "Close the...", "I'm hungry" and "Can I have...". She says these are basic operational statements that I needed to learn to express my needs. Before I was able to say any of these things, I was a very frustrated child. I didn't know how to get the words in my head to come out of my mouth. I threw alot of temper tantrums, which really made mommy and daddy angry. I don't get as frustrated anymore and mommy and daddy are a lot more understanding. That doesn't mean I don't have to to go timeout anymore, but I can now say, "I don't want to go to timeout". Mommy just replies, "That's a great sentenance Lance, but you still have to go and we'll talk about it when you get out".
When I was learning to talk more, I was able to say, "I'm scared" and mommy learned about a lot of my fears. Some of these fears may seem silly to other people, but they are enough to make me freeze in space or yell and cry really loud. I am afraid of strangers, young toddling children (not just my cousin), loud noises, my feet being off the ground, bodily functions, loud hectic environments, all animals big and small and the general fear of the unknown. With that learned, mommy started me in Occupational therapy. It was a little harder for me to warm up to Jesse, but I finally did and we play well together as long as mommy stays in the room. Jesse is teaching me about my body and what it can do for me. She told mommy that I have some very weak muscles, especially in my belly. She explained that some of my muscle 'messages' aren't getting to my brain, so I don't know where my body is in regard to certain 'spatial relationships' (obviously I can't say that yet. Mommy types well for me). So mommy and I do fun exercises at home to help with that. During the day mommy makes me push and pull a lot of things, especially the laundry basket and wagon. And at the end of a fun filled day, I get a deep muscle massage with lotion!!! I love that part.
Okay, well about that progress mommy was talking about. Let me tell you what I have done in the last two weeks to make mommy so proud:
I am definitely talking more, and am aware of others emotions. I am also learning about consequences and able to rethink my actions.
I let mommy and daddy push me on a swing, and I SMILED!!
I walked across a wobbly bridge - I was pretty scared the whole time, but I did it and without mommy holding my hand! And I even went back and did it again.
We had a dog for a week and it took me 48 hours to not be afraid of him. But by the end of the week, he was my buddy and I even called for him to come play. This was a huge event for me. This dog was enormous, taller than my head.
Mommy took me to a gymnastics class that is crazy with toddling children all smaller than me. I didn't freakout or cry. I stayed by mommy for a few minutes, then realized that I could have fun if I didn't pay any attention to the other kids. I played on a lot of equipment that will strengthen my muscles and at the end I even gave a little boy named Sam, his shoe. On the way home I told mommy, "Have fun at gymnastics". That's the first time I've ever actually told mommy I had fun. I can't believe I had that much fun with all those scary kids running around.
And today, to top it all off, I went pee-pee on my potty chair!! We've been trying this for a very long time. And I just get scared to see my peepee coming out of me. I can hold it for hours and hours. But mommy talked with me for a long time this morning and said we were going to try it again. She made me drink sooo much. Finally I went a little on the floor, got scared and ran to the potty. She told me it was okay and that she was so happy to see me on the potty chair. I sat for 15 minutes and didn't go. So we got up to play more and get my mind off of it. Then this time I made it to the chair before any came out. I started to go in the chair and got scared, so turned it off. Then I saw mommy doing the happy peepee dance. But then she stopped. So I peed more and she danced more. It was so funny to see her dance. Then we celebrated by doing lots of hollering and clapping (even though daddy was sleeping).
So this summer is starting out to be pretty good. I wonder what I'll be doing by the time I turn three!!
Many of you are unaware of the battles I was fighting inside of me. Not even mommy and daddy really knew. They knew that I was having a hard time learning how to talk. So mommy took me to a speech therapist, named Jo. I love Jo. We have a lot of fun playing with her toys. She teaches me how to say certain statements like, "I want...", "I need...", Open the..", "Close the...", "I'm hungry" and "Can I have...". She says these are basic operational statements that I needed to learn to express my needs. Before I was able to say any of these things, I was a very frustrated child. I didn't know how to get the words in my head to come out of my mouth. I threw alot of temper tantrums, which really made mommy and daddy angry. I don't get as frustrated anymore and mommy and daddy are a lot more understanding. That doesn't mean I don't have to to go timeout anymore, but I can now say, "I don't want to go to timeout". Mommy just replies, "That's a great sentenance Lance, but you still have to go and we'll talk about it when you get out".
When I was learning to talk more, I was able to say, "I'm scared" and mommy learned about a lot of my fears. Some of these fears may seem silly to other people, but they are enough to make me freeze in space or yell and cry really loud. I am afraid of strangers, young toddling children (not just my cousin), loud noises, my feet being off the ground, bodily functions, loud hectic environments, all animals big and small and the general fear of the unknown. With that learned, mommy started me in Occupational therapy. It was a little harder for me to warm up to Jesse, but I finally did and we play well together as long as mommy stays in the room. Jesse is teaching me about my body and what it can do for me. She told mommy that I have some very weak muscles, especially in my belly. She explained that some of my muscle 'messages' aren't getting to my brain, so I don't know where my body is in regard to certain 'spatial relationships' (obviously I can't say that yet. Mommy types well for me). So mommy and I do fun exercises at home to help with that. During the day mommy makes me push and pull a lot of things, especially the laundry basket and wagon. And at the end of a fun filled day, I get a deep muscle massage with lotion!!! I love that part.
Okay, well about that progress mommy was talking about. Let me tell you what I have done in the last two weeks to make mommy so proud:
I am definitely talking more, and am aware of others emotions. I am also learning about consequences and able to rethink my actions.
I let mommy and daddy push me on a swing, and I SMILED!!
I walked across a wobbly bridge - I was pretty scared the whole time, but I did it and without mommy holding my hand! And I even went back and did it again.
We had a dog for a week and it took me 48 hours to not be afraid of him. But by the end of the week, he was my buddy and I even called for him to come play. This was a huge event for me. This dog was enormous, taller than my head.
Mommy took me to a gymnastics class that is crazy with toddling children all smaller than me. I didn't freakout or cry. I stayed by mommy for a few minutes, then realized that I could have fun if I didn't pay any attention to the other kids. I played on a lot of equipment that will strengthen my muscles and at the end I even gave a little boy named Sam, his shoe. On the way home I told mommy, "Have fun at gymnastics". That's the first time I've ever actually told mommy I had fun. I can't believe I had that much fun with all those scary kids running around.
And today, to top it all off, I went pee-pee on my potty chair!! We've been trying this for a very long time. And I just get scared to see my peepee coming out of me. I can hold it for hours and hours. But mommy talked with me for a long time this morning and said we were going to try it again. She made me drink sooo much. Finally I went a little on the floor, got scared and ran to the potty. She told me it was okay and that she was so happy to see me on the potty chair. I sat for 15 minutes and didn't go. So we got up to play more and get my mind off of it. Then this time I made it to the chair before any came out. I started to go in the chair and got scared, so turned it off. Then I saw mommy doing the happy peepee dance. But then she stopped. So I peed more and she danced more. It was so funny to see her dance. Then we celebrated by doing lots of hollering and clapping (even though daddy was sleeping).
So this summer is starting out to be pretty good. I wonder what I'll be doing by the time I turn three!!
posted by timberline1228 @ 1:12 PM
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