Another Battlefield

I mentioned before I made friends with a mom from church playgroup and she signed Chester up for trial class with another playgroup today with her and also another mom I know. We are like the three musketeers in Friendship Garden Playgroup. I am thankful for friends like her, who pushes me out of my comfort zone constantly to try more things with Chester.

When we prepared to head out, I am already feeling anxious because I was so certain that my son is going to put me through something. Traffic was bad and we were a little late. True enough, Chester started screaming when I got into the room filled with kids and their parents playing with handheld sleigh bells. It is actually great that the room was filled with noise so that made Chester screaming less disrupting.

Found a clock somewhere in the room, sang Hickory Dickory Dock and it helped calm him a little. I swear, I have never sing this much in my life until now, with my boy. He'd make me sing Hush Little Baby like eight times in a row, always saying "Again" after I finished the song like Teletubbies. You know, that song is SUPER LONG.

After about 15 minutes strapping on to me and watch other kids play, he decided to get down and enjoy himself. Well, also after head butting me like 4 or 5 times, scratching my face twice and my hands many times, he decided to join in the fun. 

And HE HAD SO MUCH FUN! Today's class was about recognizing colours. The teacher asked him colours of objects and he was able to answer them all. I believe that made him very proud of himself.  He had a great sense of achievement. When the teacher gave him a high five, he was able to give him a high five back too. At the end of the lesson, some kids were giving the teacher a hug. I asked Chester if he wanted to give the teacher a hug, he walked up and hugged the teacher. He also gave the teacher a peck on the cheek. 

Trial class? Not anymore. I just signed up for 5 classes starting next Monday morning (my mom is sponsoring them. Big thank you to her!). For those who know me, I am not a sucker for playgroups and I am very selective and thrifty about them. Some are just money and time wasters. The teacher suggested that I come in half an hour or 15 minutes earlier so that Chester can get familiar with the environment to avoid meltdowns. I ever did that with FGP playgroup and it didn't work too. Nevertheless, I will give it a try again. 

The lesson for me always is to let Chester stay and not walk out on something just because he isn't comfortable with it in the beginning. Through experience, I see him enjoying himself after struggling in the beginning. 

I remembered watching some TED talk by Angela Lee Duckworth about GRIT. 

So, GRIT is probably the first lesson my son is learning at this young age. Because I insist.

(Photo credit: Taken by Vivian, my friend)

From a bawling and violent kid to this. Can you imagine?

 Joker

 Baby Wolverine can seriously scratch

 A scratch on my nose

Playgroups are like battlefields to me. Often leaving me wounded with scratches and scars. But what is worse than getting hurt is to just sit at home and do nothing about my boy, hoping that he will grow up and grow out of it.

Sometimes, we all do need that little push.