Daddy, I’ve Been Watching You
Today, while driving in the car, we heard these lyrics:
“He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool…I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you….And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are…We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand…Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad…I wanna do everything you do…So I’ve been watching you.”
I started to tear up. I got to thinking about our little boy.
Nathan is 5 and is non-verbal with autism. He can say some words when prompted but cannot hold a conversation.
When I heard the lyrics I started thinking that Nathan can’t say these words to his dad. He can’t tell him with his voice how much he wants to be like his dad.
But with autism, we have learned that words aren’t the only way to show love.
Nathan constantly tells his dad “I wanna do everything you do, so I’ve been watching you.”
He shows it every time he puts on his dad’s hat.
He shows it every time he grabs the hair clippers and pretends to cut his hair like his daddy.
He shows it every time he pretends to work on his power wheel while daddy is working on his truck.
He shows it every time he pretends to start his bike with his pretend keys.
He shows it in every little facial expression or in the way he focuses so intensely at what his dad is doing.
So while the lyrics to this song brought tears to my eyes, I also smiled.
Because to see how much my little boy admires his dad makes my heart melt.
The words will come one day…we feel that, we know that.
He’s got his hero, his role model, his daddy. Someone to watch and learn from.
And that makes this mama so happy.
Written by, Heather Pulliam
My Name is Heather and I’m married with two children. Nathan who is 5, non-verbal, and on the spectrum. And a little girl named Chayse who is 1 and seems to be NT so far. I decided to start my blog Through Nathan’s Eyes as something therapeutic for myself. But then I started sharing it on my Facebook page and I’ve had several people tell me they didn’t know anything about Autism until I started sharing. Finding Cooper’s Voice is what helped me get through the initial diagnosis and I am forever grateful for the group that I have been a part of. You can follow our journey on my blog, Through Nathan’s Eyes. and also on Facebook and Instagram.
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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.
