An Early Meeting

I sat at the appointment, pretending to read a laminated list of thoughts regarding early childhood screening.  Tommy, a few feet away, squirmed and seemed to do everything he could to NOT answer the simple questions the evaluator posed.

I felt myself flush----not with anger, but with embarrassment.

Why does my kid try to do exactly the opposite of what adults want?  Why couldn't he answer the questions with enthusiasm and interest? 

Why can't he just do things my way?

The ten minutes it took for the evaluation seemed like an eternity to me.  Instead of standing still and raising one foot, Tommy had to attempt to hop around the room like a crazy man.  Instead of plainly listing the qualities of the red ball, he had to persistently bounce it practically in the face of the administrator. 

I was told to remain quiet, so as not to interfere with the testing.

Sometimes in the little and big moments of frustration, I forget that parenting Tommy is a joy overall.  Tommy's imagination and determination are gifts, but sometimes....like when I'm eager to get out the door and he is lost in space playing with lego men...I feel as if there must be no parent on earth with a child as resistant as mine.

I felt a little bit awful today because of the embarrassment that overcame me in that meeting.  How can I learn to embrace parenting my son, even when the job is so much more difficult than I'd imagined?

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