Mr. B
This year, my youngest child Mr. B started kindergarten! Like typical 5-year-olds, he was nervous and excited all at the same time. He wondered if he would get to sit with his best friend on the bus or if he would see his big sister around the school building. And as his mother, while I had the same worries – these concerns were a world away from when my husband Greg and I took him to preschool on the first day two years ago. On that day, Mr. B froze at the door overwhelmed, only running to hide in his cubby and cry . Once we were able to sneak away, he tucked himself under the art easel and called for his mommy and daddy overcome by his big emotions. Prior to this day, new and/or sensory experiences were always difficult. The sound of the hair clippers at at the barber shop or a trip to the dentist for an annual checkup would have sent Mr. B into a tailspin. I felt terrible and I would try to comfort as best I could. People would stare. People would judge. I would just want to escape and protect. Fast forward to today, after being accepted to Special Education services in our home school district and through the loving care of an excellent Early Childhood Special Education teacher Ms. Sherri, Mr. B has found his groove. He has learned to enjoy the school environment and the chances it brought for him to expand his experiences and routines. He is able to now sit through a haircut without tears!!! And even enagage in lots of conversation! Before school was set to begin this year, I took him apprehensively to the dentist. Anticipating a meltdown, we watched videos of other kids and their experiences. He ended up charming everyone in the office! Even after filling one cavity. 🙂 As I mentioned before, Mr. B is my youngest child. Greg and I have a daughter who is eight and a grown son who is twenty-one, so these experiences weren’t necessarily new to us but significantly different from before. My background in special education prepared me somewhat but it has definitely given me a new perspective of what parents go through on the other side when their children need something more than they may not be able to provide. In November, he was dismissed from SPED services on the recommendation of the school district in which we live and while I, as a educator, were excited that they felt he was ready to branch out on his own, I as a mother, were nervous that he would immediately return to habits that brought him comfort but were not socially acceptable. Now as I see my baby boy socialize with his sister and his peers, the child I attempted to protect and remove is now flourishing. 🙂
