My son went to bed pretty early last night and woke up this morning before I woke up . When I opened my eyes, I saw him walking into our room, totally awake & acting quite independent. He realized he had to use the restroom so all independently, he walked into our bathroom, did what he had to do, then washed his hands... and dried them! Before he went in, he said "don't worry about me mommy, I'm just going to use the restroom!" He then informed me that his tummy was "empty" (he was hungry) so I got up off the bed to prepare him breakfast. As I walked into our living room, I couldn't help but notice that he had made himself quite comfortable watching Netflix on the rocking chair while I was asleep. He had a blanket and everything!
Today was one of the first insights I got of how he's going to be when he gets a little older. His level of independence is increasing at an astonishing rate. He likes doing a lot of tasks himself & requests that I "give him a little bit of privacy" at various points in our day.
There was a point where I wondered if he would continue to ask me to do EVERYTHING for him even at an older age, but lately he's giving me peeks into the future that his constant need for help and assistance,even when fully capable, is normal and a necessary part of the growing up process. I found it amusing how he would always say "Hey mom, you can do it! Can you do it for me?" Even when I tried my best to encourage him, and show him he could do it too, he always insisted that I should do it for him. In the back of my mind, I did have high hopes that one day he would want to do it for himself. It seems like more times than not now, he wants to figure out how to do things himself. I am ecstatic about that! It is a huge milestone!!!
I am so proud of him. My instincts told me not to force independence on him. I held off from comparing him to other kids his age since his daily environment is different from many. He has the privilege of having his mommy around ALL the time. He gets to whine and complain and I tend to him. A lot of kids have to develop skills to cope with being away from their mommies and daddies and Addi hasn't had to do that. He is confident that we will be there to "rescue" him and I do not think there is anything wrong with that. As he continues to grow, we will be doing less and less "rescuing" because we will be aware that sometimes he will need to figure out a way to rescue himself when mommy & daddy isn't around (but that will be when he is a bit older and knows the difference between incapability and FEAR).
Right now, our main focus is to raise a happy, contented, independent child. We want him to take his time growing up and enjoy every bit of his childhood. Hopefully, we can continue to raise him with wisdom so that when he is older, he will be sure of who he is and what he's about and what his purpose is in this journey called life.
To Addi:
May God continue to bless you and protect you, my son. You have a heart filled with love and it's so inspiring to see how you care for others. Your joyous smile and infectious laugh make me the happiest mom in the world because you are MY son and I thank God for you! You have changed my life for the better and continue to teach me how to love more, and care more, and forgive more. You are a blessing and I pray you continue to bless others the way your life has always blessed mine. When it comes to life, always give your best. Try harder. Dont give up or lose hope - ever. Dont underestimate how quickly feelings and people can change. Give your all in everything you do & when you think you've failed, remember that failure does not define you - persistence, perseverance and faith defines you. You are a child of God. There is nothing that you will encounter in this world that God cannot fix. Trust in Him in all you do & pray about everything!!! I love you!
- Mommy <3
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