Separation Anxiety??
As evidenced by my slightly melodramatic post earlier in the week, it's been a challenging path for me lately.
The last few months BigBoy #1 has been gradually regressing into a separation anxiety state.
It started in December with a sudden decision that he didn't like sleep-overs, even at Papa and Nannie's.
New Years he didn't want to stay at G'pa Lee and G'ma Kerri's or his cousins' house.
January began a trend of not walking into school alone.
February reached a climax with a kicking, screaming, crying, hanging-on-for-dear-life 60 lb 6 year old this week at school drop off.
Uffda.
We have spent the week probing events and thoughts and feelings, desperate to find an answer to this newfound anxiety (both his and ours).
Maybe it was that time I left him in the van too long while I did a return...
Could it be from the fire drills and 911 practice calls...?
I wonder if someone is bullying him at school...
Is it getting too hard having Bri work evenings and only see Sam on weekends...?
How did I fail him that could have resulted in this drastic change of behavior???
As we have spent the last week working with the guidance counselor we have discovered a few truths:
He does well within a few minutes of drop off.
He has a very physical reaction to those few minutes (pounding heart, sweating) of difficulty.
He wishes school wasn't so long.
He wants to be in preschool again so he wouldn't have to go every day.
He feels nervous going into school in the morning.
Through intentional prayer and consistent, gentle questioning we are finding that the answer is multi-faceted and yet undefined.
But the fact of the matter is that BigBoy #1 is going to be alright.
With some help of those who know and love him, he will go to school without tears again one day.
If there is a bigger issue we are trusting God to reveal it.
And if it's just as simple as wishing he could stay home and feeling nervous here and there, then we just pray and talk him through it.
We are trying to keep the big picture in mind.
Trying on phrases like the following does yield a laugh:
Remember the time Sam had to be drug out of the van by the principal to go to school when he was 6? (didn't happen...yet...but one can never be too mentally prepared!)
It brings us back to the realization that if this is our most pressing problem, we are SO blessed.
It has brought Bri and I together in prayer in a way we haven't been in some time.
It has helped us refocus on being intentional about family time, making some sleep sacrifices and recommitting to consistency.
As we continue to seek wisom on this we would welcome any thoughts or similar experiences!
Sometimes it is just nice to know you're not alone and this too shall pass...
The last few months BigBoy #1 has been gradually regressing into a separation anxiety state.
It started in December with a sudden decision that he didn't like sleep-overs, even at Papa and Nannie's.
New Years he didn't want to stay at G'pa Lee and G'ma Kerri's or his cousins' house.
January began a trend of not walking into school alone.
February reached a climax with a kicking, screaming, crying, hanging-on-for-dear-life 60 lb 6 year old this week at school drop off.
Uffda.
We have spent the week probing events and thoughts and feelings, desperate to find an answer to this newfound anxiety (both his and ours).
Maybe it was that time I left him in the van too long while I did a return...
Could it be from the fire drills and 911 practice calls...?
I wonder if someone is bullying him at school...
Is it getting too hard having Bri work evenings and only see Sam on weekends...?
How did I fail him that could have resulted in this drastic change of behavior???
As we have spent the last week working with the guidance counselor we have discovered a few truths:
He does well within a few minutes of drop off.
He has a very physical reaction to those few minutes (pounding heart, sweating) of difficulty.
He wishes school wasn't so long.
He wants to be in preschool again so he wouldn't have to go every day.
He feels nervous going into school in the morning.
Through intentional prayer and consistent, gentle questioning we are finding that the answer is multi-faceted and yet undefined.
But the fact of the matter is that BigBoy #1 is going to be alright.
With some help of those who know and love him, he will go to school without tears again one day.
If there is a bigger issue we are trusting God to reveal it.
And if it's just as simple as wishing he could stay home and feeling nervous here and there, then we just pray and talk him through it.
We are trying to keep the big picture in mind.
Trying on phrases like the following does yield a laugh:
Remember the time Sam had to be drug out of the van by the principal to go to school when he was 6? (didn't happen...yet...but one can never be too mentally prepared!)
It brings us back to the realization that if this is our most pressing problem, we are SO blessed.
It has brought Bri and I together in prayer in a way we haven't been in some time.
It has helped us refocus on being intentional about family time, making some sleep sacrifices and recommitting to consistency.
As we continue to seek wisom on this we would welcome any thoughts or similar experiences!
Sometimes it is just nice to know you're not alone and this too shall pass...
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