Brownies

My daughter started brownies three years ago. Her first year I stayed at the meetings. I missed out when I was a kid. I quit brownies because most of the night we sat and nothing. Well wouldn't you know the old junior leader wanted to retire and I was asked to lead their troop. Here i am my second year. I am still learning. I created my own web site for parents to make scouts more modern. Check my site out at troop571.pbwiki.com . I'm hoping to get parents involved and adding comments. Som people might be wondering what this has to do with selective mutism. I find that the more involved my daughter is with afterschool activities the less anxious she is. The nights are smoother and she isn't as frustrated. For anyone who is struggling being on the same page with your school helps tremendously. There has been zero back to school anxiety this year. That's a first!!! No bathroom issues either. My daughter doesn;t beeline for the bathroom right after she gets off the bus. The small things really do matter. Anyway Mom's and Dad's sign your kids up for scouts. It helps build character and get them ready for the "real world."

My daughter's uncle

My daughter loves her uncle. She has a teddy bear that he gave her. It was his when he was little. She also has a stuffed dog he gave her when she was born. He came to our house a lot when he was still living in our area. He helped us build some shelves in my mom's room. She gets excited going to visit him too. I don't think she realizes he used to be little. Her mom did too. She doesn't have any siblings yet. She was excited to see her new cousin for the first time. She couldn't see her because she was a premie and was still in the hospital when we visited. They don't let children in to visit.
Check out my flick account at www.flickr.com/photos/smforeva to see my brother as a young child and as an adult. P.S. ladies he is taken and he is bald now. :)

Cracked Windshield

I was taking my daughter to a girlscout event. Normal night driving down route 12 towards Waterville. When.............SMACK! A rock hits my windshield. It was either thrown or flung from the side of the road by the car that WIZZED by. They didn't even slow down. It was rather obvious what happened. It flew from the left of their car to the front of mine. It was one of those moments when you truly are blessed. My daughter and I would be in the hospital if it had hit just a smidge harder. It's a nice crack. WELL, we are okay, I didn't freak out. My daughter and I both were thankful for the Lord watching over us. I got to teach my daughter about forgiveness. I could have made a big fuss and gotten upset. However my main concern was we were both okay and she could still get to here event, which by the way was swimming and playing in a gym. What 8 year old doesn't want to swim. My "shy" daughter was more outgoing than a lot of girls there. I was concerned by the number of girls who were upset because of the physical demands. When WE signed up it said swim and gym. We need to get our children more fit for these activities. I remember playing outside all day. Didn't we have fun as kids. Why are we short changing ours. On another note: does anyone have this problem? Sunday night my daughter won't go to bed. Monday thru Friday she tells me she's tired. Saturday she can stay up a little late. What is it about Sunday?

The Grocery Store

My daughter doesn't speak at school. She won't speak to anyone but her mom, dad, two cousins, grandma, and two friends from school. When we go to the store she's a whole different person. She talks, screams, and has temper tantrums just like any eight year old would. She has no issues with the bathrooms either. This is such a vast difference from her behavior at school. At school her father and I have to go in and help the teacher do testing. She has a comfortable pattern for using the toilet now. However she started the year holding it all day. Then went from that to going with a friend. Now she can go alone just down the hall form her class. My daughter will talk to me right in front of people now. A short while ago she would tug on me so she could whisper in my ear. She is making positive strides towards speaking freely. Her biggest hurdle is talking in school. If school were the grocery store where no one judged you and your peers didn't treat you differently she would speak. The biggest problem she has is when people baby her.

Excessive moodiness

When my daughter holds in all her frustration from her day at school, she explodes. If then she hasn't eaten on a regular schedule that day she becomes physically agressive. This is hard to handle. It's hard on her grandmother. I wasn't the same as a child and it baffles grandma quite a lot. Asking my daughter to hang up her coat becomes a struggle on these days which lead to temper tantrums and ultimately my frustration. At these times I try to keep calm. Most of the time I can, however when you are being hit it's hard to be neutral. I tell her how her actions affect me and then we discuss the day. We ask for God's guidance and I pray for patience. This is what helps us at the end of these days.