I have the Challenging Kid
I have the challenging kid.
The one who doesn’t want to cooperate or participate with anything, unless there is something in it for him.
Even then it’s hit or miss. And teaching him new things feels impossible, you’re always met with so much resistance.
He’s loud and screams—a lot, because he has such big emotions and no way of expressing them.
I have the kid who has sensory needs. He spins and goes upside down and refuses textures and adventures.
He stims by squealing and dancing and tapping on his belly repeatedly.
He gets upset when something is too loud or doesn’t make sense to him—like the birthday song. And he will hit his head on the counter when you try to sing it because for whatever reason it causes his anxiety to go through the roof.
He has a lot of anxiety this kid. It controls when we speak, when we move and what he do in our home.
I have the kid that would rather spend time on his iPad than painting, reading a book or playing pretend with me.
The one who feels playing is a chore, and it’s a huge struggle for him to even try.
And for a long time that bothered me, a lot. But not anymore.
Because I also have the kid that is unbelievable. The kid that has to work harder than most just to even be in this world.
I have the kid that goes to therapy 35 hours a week and rocks it each and every day.
The things that are asked of him may seem simple to you and me, but they take a tremendous amount of strength and courage for my little one to overcome.
He is the sweetest, silliest kid you’ll ever meet if you’re lucky enough to be a part of his world.
How he finds joy and fascination with the simplest things is incredible to witness—like watching the leaves on trees blowing in the wind. I love watching him in those moments.
Those are the moments I know we’re going to be okay and I know he’ll get there. Because he’s a fighter, and he has got two people who will never stop believing in him, and will fight right there beside him.
Written by, Danielle Mager
Danielle is the proud mama to Noah, a handsome, silly, strong willed, almost three year old who also happens to be on the spectrum. Danielle blogs at story of noahism and shares their journey on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/storyofnoahism/.
Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.
