My boys went to camp for a week, they had fun, they came home dirty, tired and full of stories. One of them was happy to come home, missed us and plugged right back into his life, he is my son who is attached and who understands that no matter we are here for him.
My other son, the one who still struggles with his place in the family is finding it all rather difficult.He is in a word, a disaster. His emotions are all over the map, he is overwhelmed, frustrated and ready to burst if someone looks at him sideways. I say he is ready to burst but really he is bursting, he is so full of emotion that it bursts out throughout the day and we are all working on taking a step back when it happens.
It sounds as though he had fun at camp but struggled to get along with other kids. He has told me stories of some older boys who were there who reside in a foster home, he seems to think that their lives sound pretty cool. He has talked about fights with other kids and the wonders of mastering some paddling strokes all in the same breath which it makes so rt of hard to read how he is feeling about the experience.
I think he is struggling with his desire to have a life other than the one he is living. I think that he is wondering if life would not be more exciting if he were part of a different family. I think that he is doing that thing kids do when anything life would be better than the one they have.... I think I need to remember that I sometimes felt that way as a kid too. Perhaps tomorrow can be for normalizing those feelings for him because today I did not do such a good job of making him feel as though it was ok to wish that you were somewhere else.
Luckily for us tomorrow is a new day and we can try again.
J is a Mom to 3 kids who walked in her front door at 6, 6 and 8,( currently 6, 10 and 12) they keep her on her toes with their antics but she would do it again if she ever had the chance. She blogs at Stellar Parenting 101 where she makes an appearance at least once a week, or at least she tries to.
Sounds like the dynamics in our family.
ReplyDeleteAt 12 you were actively campaigning for a new family, even with your brother at boarding school.
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