At an informal parent meeting last Wednesday, I was told to brace myself for the fact that peers would be more important than parents this year. Hairdos would trump propriety, and social obligations would outweigh homework priorities.
In my heart of hearts, I wish I could say this wasn’t true. That MY kid was still a mama’s boy. that MY kid would still hug and kiss his mom outside the classroom door — to hell with his skinny jeaned posse! While some of my wishes have been granted — he still hugs me on occasion or mutters “Love you!” while sinking his curly mop into my shoulder (Oh, God, my shoulder… he’s getting so tall) — he has, true to the warnings, started to show real signs of maturity.
And while this naturally brings out the weepy eyes in this mama, there is also a sense of pride and gratefulness. Despite my big worries about TS and its effect on his future, he really is just like any other boy — finding his way, navigating friendships, and loving a good fart joke.
Today, he brought a new kid home — one that shares the same faith background as him as well as his very namesake! The two of them barely spoke. They barely looked at each other. But at 6:45 I got a happy text from this boy’s mama. “My Stink said he had so much fun today! Let’s definitely get the boys together again soon!”
Sounds like a plan to me!
Sometimes I wonder, too, if it’s harder on us parents than it is on the kids themselves. Kids, even those with neurological disorders like TS, seem to adjust so much better and quicker to things these days. Often I think that it’s us parents that are screwing things up and making it harder on the kids and, by proxy, ourselves!