Summer is difficult for my son. Despite the fact that he loves summer vacation, sometimes I honestly believe that he does, because he's been taught that he should.
For most people (students and children), summer is a time to relax, avoid schedules, break routine and live in the uncomplicated space that a lack of tasks or expectations provides. For my son, summer is downright stress-inducing. All the schedules and routines that he has struggled to discover and placed carefully around him to support him - disappear.
He is conflicted by his desire to create replacements and his interpretation that he shouldn't based on everyone else's delight in their evaporation. But it's so hard for him to be spontaneous - which is an underlying aspect of most people's ideal 'summer.'
To try and help him, I plan too. Sometimes too many things. I create schedules where none are necessary and help him find blocks of times and activities that resemble those that are comfortable to him. This year, we will spend August making plans for the new routines that will be required of him as he moves from Middle School to High School. He will need to practice them before they become part of his day.
It's a big step. But I think he's ready. He's been planning for years. As usual, I'm the one who needs to catch up.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
