And we’re off! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
September is like a fresh bowl of cereal when you are craving carbs. You pour the milk in anticipation, smiling and salivating a little as it dances on the flakes or “O’s” in the bowl. As you do this you are distracted: a door slams, or there is a child’s cry in the next room, or the dog pushes against your leg unexpectedly as he is licking the floor clean around your feet. You look away and the milk – previously choreographed – is now gushing and overflowing the bowl. The cereal is now overly saturated and has lost its appeal. September quickly gets out of hand.
It is the start of the second week of school. Technically it is only the fourth full day of school and today I wish the Force was with me. My son is a hyper-sensitive guy both physically and socially. If his socks aren’t on the right way he will stomach it and get to school and have his school day, but the moment he gets home all that bottled-up rage and frustration (mostly at not being able to fix the situation or know how to control it) erupts. Or if someone suggests something to him that he can’t understand, the idea that what he has done gets misinterpreted as being wrong and the suggestion becomes a punishment. Most of the time it’s not something I can logically explain or even understand. I am sensitive to noise and I’m easily overwhelmed, but we could all admit to this to some degree.
Today was such a day. It’s the little things that can sometimes set him off, but what the cause is can be inconsistent. Today I asked him to perhaps leave his lovely hand-written notes on the kitchen counter, instead of plastered to the front door. The front door is visible from the sidewalk as you walk by. It is also visible from the street and the bus route. When I drove home the sign made me smile, but I can’t trust everyone and can’t expect everyone will do good by my child. I made this suggestion out of safety, not that he had done anything ‘wrong.’
He erupted and it took me a good 1.5 hours to deal, defuse, overcome, silence, recover, and regain control of the situation. At the end of an already rough Monday (very little sleep, not ever enough coffee) this was my top out to my day.
Perhaps the fifth day of school will be better.
iRuniBreathe 
My expectations for September have been completely deflated. It’s the heat – 90+ degrees – in Minnesota! I need those cool temps in the fall to stay energized. Fortunately my daughter is the most well-adjusted member of the family and has had a good start to the school year. The rest of us – a bunch of whiners who need to hibernate!
Funny how sometimes kids ARE the ones who can just deal with whatever. I guess if I didn’t make such a fuss then things would be generally okay. But there are some rules I’d like followed – for the sanity and safety of us all.
Sometimes it’s things beyond our control that really can make everything a challenge. I empathize with you on the heat. That’s too warm!! I’m all for hibernation.
Hopefully, tomorrow your cereal will be perfect.
And your son’s too.
Thanks Guapo.
Today’s cereal had the right amount of crispiness. I even added raisins.
i hope that things begin to get easier and go better for you and your son, i know that must be exhausting in many ways. ) beth
Thanks Beth,
You know how some days are better than others? It’s the days that aren’t so good that take so long to get through.
Your support is appreciated!
This brings back memories. My son used to throw a fit before school when his socks would get bunched up in his shoes. I remember him screaming, in his cute little lisp, “It’th got bumpth!” We still tease him about it (he’s now 28), but I’m here to tell you it will pass. Your son will one day learn to navigate all of life’s small challenges and turn into a wonderful man.
Thanks Angela. Sometimes it’s hard to see out of the tunnel of the moment. Socks can be all-encompassing in our world, and then I get to work and think, “No one else has this problem? How can this be?”
Yeah, I never knew socks could be such a big deal in the life of a small boy. Who knew? But the funny thing is, he’s STILL very particular about the socks he wears. Some things really don’t change.
my good friend and i were just talking about her daughter, who makes mornings a bear because she is very sensitive about clothing–sensitivity to tags, seams in socks, etc. it is making her family late every morning and frustrating my friend to no end. anyway, hang in there…
Hey Yoona,
Thanks for your thoughts. Sometimes just knowing that someone else is in the same boat is a comfort. It doesn’t make our mornings any faster or easier but at least I know it’s not *just* us. I keep telling myself, “This too shall pass.”