An Accumulation of Small Hopeful Things
Yesterday was a rough ride on the parenting front. Today there was a series of small things that gave me hope that my kids are growing in the directions they need to go.
Homeschool was accomplished without drama and for once we got through all the tasks I’d hoped for.
I took two kids to an archery range and they enjoyed it so much that never-leave-the-house boy is interested in going back once per week.
Never-leave-the-house boy has also joined an after school game club where he’s acquired an interest in Magic: The Gathering. Suddenly we have an incentive program for accomplishing school work as he wants to acquire more cards.
There was spontaneous showering and laundry washing by children who used to not care nor change clothes ever.
High school girl is managing school without meltdowns and has been actively engaged with all of her classes.
Twenty year old made an appointment to go play racketball with someone who does not live in our house. He’s going to get to go out and do a social thing.
Twenty year old has also identified an educational program that may enable him to reach for his long-term goals. We’re touring the facility next Tuesday.
College girl has been sailing through her last semester and has taken on a leadership role among her peers in a studio class. She’s working hard, but enjoying the effort.
None of the kids are where we hope they will end up. (Though college girl is closest, only lacking an independent income.) I would like for never-leave-the-house boy to be able to speak to people at school and engage with his classes and peers. I’d like for high school girl to find some regular social activities that connect her with people and some ways to serve that help her have meaning in her days. I’d like for twenty year old to learn enough of the small adulting skills that he can live independently. We can’t do these things yet, and that is discouraging. But we spent several years where I watched them all get smaller and smaller. Where everything was getting worse and getting harder. Now we have hard days, but I can tell that the shape of the difficulty is about growing. Growth is rarely comfortable. After a day with crying, it is nice to have a day with hope.