Jonny is growing up too fast. Sometimes I forget he’s almost 10.
He’s in about the 10th percentile for his height and weight and with Jonah being in about the 90th percentile it leaves only about 15lbs between the two of them.
But Jonny is beginning to show a maturity far beyond his age.
He is sympathetic when Jojo isn’t happy. He hates to hear him cry. Sometimes he will wear his brother’s ear defenders (that Jojo wont wear) so he can block the meltdown/tantrum out.
So we just got through a Jojo tantrum before bedtime.
Jojo wanted to throw all the mail and a stack of bills all over the house. I wouldn’t let him. Jojo went through the roof… hitting and screaming…throwing everything he could get his hands on around the house.
It took half an hour to redirect him, but it wasn’t fun, as I was trying to make Jonnys dinner at the same time.
Then Jojo calmed down, happy as a clam, climbed in his seat and started eating.
I was mentally and physically exhausted. I Still had to put the kids to bed and the house was (and still is) a mess…
Jonny, the natural peacemaker sensed my mood and came up to me.
“That’s the tough part of Jonah’s autism, eh?”
And then he gave me a big hug.
When you are growing up and learning about empathy, you rarely think to apply it to your parents.
They are the ones you manipulate to buy you stuff or get them to let you stay up late… the ones you whine at about having to eat vegetables and take vitamins.
They aren’t the ones you try to get to open up to you…
But that’s all it took. My son doing his best to make the most out of a tough situation and trying to cheer me up in the process.
Reminding me that we’re all in it together.
It brought me back…I cracked a smile, started putting the house back together and Jonny went and got himself ready for bed.
Sometimes I get so focused on parenting pressures, I forget that parenting is more than just feeding and clothing the kids, more than making it through the week, or through the day.
We invest ourselves daily into our kids. And that investment will return whatever we have been “sowing” into it.
It is truly amazing to see the little glimpses of the people our kids will grow to become.
Jonny is becoming an extraordinary, gifted young man who is beginning to discern more and more every day, and learning how to care for others, older and younger than him.
Jonny. I am so proud of you, buddy. Please don’t try to grow up too quickly.