It’s crazy to me all the different things and ways a child may feel safe. These things mean something big to your child or any child.
Today I realize a backpack made my child feel safe…I really think my son had a whole panic attack about his back pack. So it started with a busy morning going off to school as always I get distracted from the dog or cat and leave something at the house everyday… I promise it has been a long time since I didn’t forget at least one thing.
So today that thing happen to be my five year old back pack. I looked at it I planned to pick it up but I grab my lunch for work some mask my purse to set it in the car until the dog and cat ran back in the house. My oldest son got them both in he closed the door and the thought passed my mind to grab his backpack.
We arrive to school and once we get to school I do a checklist…everybody got mask?Everybody got lunches? Everybody got back pack? and today sky said no! “MOMMY MY BACKPACK WE LEFT MY BACKPACK WE HAVE TO GO GET IT!
Im honestly thinking its no big deal. so I began to tell him ill make sure to have it tomorrow. He began to cry as I was putting on his mask. He looks across the street to the other sidewalk and see the bigger kids with their backpacks and tell me “See mommy they have they backpacks!” I began to tell him ill go get it and bring it back or maybe we can just make sure we don’t forget tomorrow. My son don’t want hear it . He is calm but crying and don’t want to walk to the school…. I notice him pulling from me trying to stand still .He didn’t want to go into to school once I finally got him across the street.
He had his lunch box in one hand and his toy bandie in the other. I let him go and told him go head. He walked to the gate and Waites at the gate with his teacher as they wait for kids in his class to come to school. but today he walked half way in still crying he stopped looked at me with fear and said “I need my backpack.”
AT THAT MOMENT I REALIZE WHAT HIS BACKPACK WAS TO HIM. WHY HE NEEDED IT. IT WAS MY SON SHIELD. HIS PROTECTION. HIS WAY OF FEELING LIKE HE BELONG THERE. He stood in the middle of that path and looked so confused on what to do next… He looked up around …he just felt outta place and I could tell… I felt it … I understood he needed his backpack his BIG backpack on his back. He needed his backpack to be apart of that process in the morning where all the kids go to they cubby and put they bag on the hook…. see to us we think its not that deep… but to kids to kids that’s everything. In they small world those simple things means a lot. He carries his band toy everywhere. And half the time I can get him to do things because of his friend bandie.
Me as a parent I love to listen to my kids. My boys don’t get discipline much because I talk to them I sit and ask questions.I really be curious why they do things. what made them feel the way they felt to make them do that. I like to learn where they are .how they see the world. I feel like people don’t allow kids to grow they keep them simple minded…let your kids think ..let them feel. don’t tell them they wrong for crying over they backpack …try to understand why that backpack so important to them.
Three boys and me plus anxiety! 