Categories: uncategorized
Date: 21 April 2007 20:23:27
conclusion: goodness, Smudgie, you're good at this predicting lark.
One son strode off, declaring that it couldn't be done except using metal and the people who set the challenge were stupid. He proceeded to play alone, loudly, in front of us, changing activity every three minutes as nothing seemed to satisfy.
One son persevered, determined to work it out, and came fairly close although still not quite moving the one notch forward in his thinking that would enable him to solve the problem successfully. This son plans to continue tomorrow, having slept on it and thought it through.
No prizes for guessing which was which.
Meanwhile I am re-reading "Next Steps in Parenting the Child who Hurts" which is a fabulous book. Today's stuff is just typical teenage stuff and live-with-able, but it's nice to read this book and find that for the other stuff I'm mostly doing the right thing, and it acknowledges that often doing the right thing just isn't enough. It acknowledges the feelings of guilt and talks you through them, which is also good, especially after someone at church who was really well meaning showed intense lack of understanding of the situation by saying, as is so often said, "Oh, he's a teenage boy... they're all the same.. I've had boys too but they've grown up now and I've got grandchildren too. It's no different". It's also good to read something which explains why children with attachment disorder behave the way they do and realise that neither he nor I are to blame... and it was particularly good to discover that considering residential school is in fact a GOOD THING TO DO!!!
Your continued prayers for a place at this school would be wonderful. This morning I caught myself, like Arti, thinking "And God, please make it soon!"
(Since I typed that my old son has come back - he apologised to me and to his brother and has been delightful all evening)