I am fairly certain that our first born son Lucas is a spirited child..
There are days, today included, where both Chris and I are psychologically and emotionally exhausted. Don’t get me wrong as I absolutely adore Lucas, but I am glad to see the back of him when it comes to our bed time routine. Currently, we are going through a phase where he is so adamant on his decision that nothing you can do can change it. Plus now that he has entered the kindergarten age, we are having regular discussions with his teachers about his vivacious behavior.
So what is a spirited child? These are some words that best describe Lucas and his personality..
Active:
From the minute he wakes up in the morning to when he goes to bed at night, he is non stop. And I mean non stop! It takes me a couple of hours to function because of sleep deprivation caused by my early morning breastfeeding routine. However Lucas on the other hand can be up from bed at 5AM chasing our kitten around the house. There has been several discussions as to why Henry is terrified of him, and continues to run away when he senses his presence. And when it is bed time, he can still be stuffing around. Sometimes as late as 9pm which precedes even my own bed time. The one time, I remember falling asleep on the lounge and waking with that feeling of being watched. My son was creeping on me, and when asked what he was doing he simply didn’t know. I think the time was 10pm when he was swiftly walked back to his bed.
Intense:
Lucas doesn’t know much about body language and body awareness. He loves to be all up in your face and is excessively loud. His teacher even expressed concerns about his hearing as he was incredibly loud one day at school. I laughed as its nothing new to me.
Perceptive:
One thing that I can marvel about is his intelligence. Lucas picks things up easily, has fantastic diction, and can remember things that even I have trouble with. From when he first started school, his progress has been incredible. However the only downfall is that when he shows zero interest in something then he will refuse to listen. Chris recounted a conversation that he had with one of his teachers. He said that she looked at him with concern and said that Lucas doesn’t pay attention to things that he is not interested in. Chris laughed out loud at her.
Persistent:
Lucas wears me thin, often to the bone, but I can be my own worst enemy though. It’s incredibly hard when your kid is constantly and consistently harping at you for whatever he is wanting at the time. Some days I find it is easier to give in to his demands, so I can have a bit of sanity. But I know that I am trapping myself this way, and it practically backtracks all the hard work I have done to try and remain in control. Not too long ago I ran up the back of the car because he was nagging me for my drink, I took my eyes off the road when we came to a stop to tell him off but my foot wasn’t planted all the way down on the break. Thankfully no damage was caused, but I shed a few angry tears on the way home.
Uncomfortable with Change:
If I decide to change direction whilst driving the car, he becomes confused and irritable with my decision. He will argue that I am going the wrong way, and sometimes has a melt down whilst I am driving.
We recognize that Lucas is different from most children, so it can be tricky to find ways to engage with him that doesn’t involve us developing a helicopter parenting style. Disciplining him is the worst as nothing we have done has worked yet. Thankfully he is being assessed by a pediatrician later this month, so fingers crossed we can develop some strategies on how we can nurture his effervescent personality.
Do you have a spirited child? How have you coped?
Much love
Melanie xx