Jonah does not like getting wet or being in the rain.
But he loves the swings more.
We would not have been at the park, but Jonny had a program going on at his school.
Jonah was required to sit still with us in the audience and had been working all day. Like ALL day. School, then his extended day program, straight home to ABA and it went right until we had to leave for Jonnys program in the gym at 6pm.
I was surprised. I had not expected this program to be a production. It was “multicultural night” and I thought it would be like a “bring a dish from your culture” low-key pot luck.
It wasn’t.
There were chairs set up for parents like a theater. The students expected to sit with their class on the sides. There would be performances. We would need to sit still….quietly… for an unknown amount of time.
We were simply not prepared.
Jonah lasted 5 minutes in the gym. Jonny had to sit with his class and Jonah wanted to play with his brother.
But it was not play time.
So Mama took Jonah outside to play on the playground at Jonnys school. I stayed back to watch Jonny. A couple minutes later, Jonah comes sprinting back into the gym across the “stage” in the middle of someone’s performance. He was not happy. I could tell. Mama didn’t want to also interrupt so she let him run.
Thankfully He came and stood next to me… for about 30 seconds.
He wanted me to come out too. But when I wanted to wait until the performance was done (so as to not be rude) he started walking toward the performers. And we couldn’t have that…
So off we went.
Apparently he had gone down the slide and had gotten his pants wet. He tried to strip right then and there but Mama had convinced him to keep his clothes on. Yay Mama!
So the three of us went back to the playground. It started dumping torrential amounts of rain. I thought that it would deter Jonah from being on the playground.
I was wrong.
Mama went home to get him a change of clothes because we forgot to bring any (rookie mistake) and typically he strips off his clothes if there is a hint of water on them.
But he played fully clothed in the rain…
When Jonah was done on the swings, we started walking back toward the gym. Toward the performances. Toward the parents and other kids sitting still and quietly enjoying the show.
And I decided we were done. I know my son and I know when he’s “done” with work. Sitting still. Being quiet. Not running around a gym with a huge space (for performers) to run around. He would be a disruption. And that’s not fair to the performers.
So I told Jonah we weren’t going back to the gym. I actually had to block him from the entrance…
And that’s when the meltdown started. Screaming, crying, hitting…
It didn’t last long (thank God) but eventually, Jonah just started walking to the car. He wanted to go home. And honestly, it was the best solution.
I told Mama to let us know and we’d pick them up when it was done.
We went home. Jonah was content the rest of the evening.
Mama never called us. She ended up walking home with Jonny. Apparently, Jonny thought it might have been more stressful to Jonah to go back to where we just came from and he might not even get in the car. He may have been right. Big brother…
So they walked home in the rain. (Only about half a mile)
Some days it’s “hit or miss.”
Jonny recently had a music performance at that school in that exact gym, and Jonah sat through the whole thing.
Today, not so much.
But I’ll take the victories where ever I can get them…. and even if it didn’t work out this time, hopefully we will do better next time.
We’ll keep trying.