Mr Greyson...sweet mamma's boy

Today was a snow day at school so I let Greyson have the day to do whatever he chose. We watched movies, The Incredibles and Bolt and then he played some on wii and on his computer. He is sooo funny to me. He couldn't wait to spend the day with me so I stayed on the sofa with him watching movies etc. Then just before momom got home he had a mini meltdown saying he didn't get to watch enough movies with me. He so wants to do his own thing but then once he chooses to do his thing he panics that he made the wrong choice and gets upset that he didn't spend more time with me or whatever. Poor guy....he just can't always make up his mind and it torments him to no end. I have been reading a new book about Aspergers that has been helpful and interesting to me. It talks about the one thing that has seemed most prevalent to me with him lately. The fact that emotionally these children are at minimum approx 3 years behind their peers. I totally see that. His biggest struggles lately at school involve that. He can't handle certain situations as well as his peers. He will hide in the closet and cry over the least little thing or run down to my class upset. It could be as simple as someone sitting where he wanted to sit. I worry because he makes statements saying he is a 5 year old. Ironically that's about right as far as how he handles any adversity or change. I think he is becoming increasingly more aware of his differences and I worry that it may take a toll as he becomes older. Thank goodness we do have a wonderful therapist that we see every other week for just these moments. He seems so vulnerable to me at times but I do not want to hinder him learning how to function in the real world in any way. He has to learn to adapt to our world and at times it is painful to us both. That's the only way he will be able to be self sufficient once he grows up though. He claims his friends think he acts like a baby, he sometimes says he doesn't have any friends and given the situation, I am sure he doesn't have alot. It's not like they know about him or could even understand if they did. The few that do know still don't always understand why their friend is acting strangely or different than them. Each year will bring new challenges but we are up for it. We love him dearly and hope we are up for the challenge of assisting him in his growth. Protecting him from things isn't always the best way to show him love. I hope we can recognize clearly the moments that we need to just let it be, let him learn, and let him grow. I miss the little boy that I could protect and keep from harms way. With each year there is a little more letting go. All parents deal with it but when you add a special needs in the mix it ups the stakes. It's a test for you and a test for them. It's about growth and unconditional love. It's about listening, learning, growing, and remaining steadfast. Be the change because nothing will mirror you better than your child. At times, it's not pretty but it's always a beautiful thing if you are striving to be the best you that you can be.