He's My Son

The other day I went to work out and Grant wanted to go to the child care they had there. This immediately caused me anxiety. I did NOT like to do things like that when I was his age. I was scared of new places and people I didn't know. I reluctantly took him down the hall to this room that was filled with things for children. He walked in, introduced himself as Grant Matthias Ehret, 6 years old and was attending elementary school in the fall. I was speechless. He clearly had no anxiety at all. He hardly looked up when I left.

Then it hit me. This child was indeed mine, but he did NOT inherit my anxiety. I realized that I avoid situations that made me nervous as a child assuming he would feel the same way. I learned once again from him that my feeling are not his feelings. I was so proud of him and so disappointed in me. Lesson learned.

Fast forward to last night. It was the show and share dilemma once again. He finally decided on a batman car after the GI Joe (Yes, he made another appearance) comic book failed the YMCA standard of acceptable items.  He mentioned to me his homework wasn't right. I read through it and read the directions and it was indeed correct. He insisted it was not and it bugged him all night. This morning he woke up and the first words out of his mouth were, "I told you my homework is incorrect and now I won't get to do a show and share".

I thought and thought on this. I finally said, go sit down at the table and do what you feel needs to be done in order to make it right. So he did. He made one minor addition to something and that was all. He was back to the normal little Grant I know. It hit me that I used to be the same way, well , I still am. Perhaps he's more like me than I thought.