Watching Them Grow

The soccer season has just started and my daughter who has Aspergers is really holding her own on the field. She no longer has a fear of the ball and she is in there taking headers with the best of them. I have always been proud of her because I know it has not been easy for her. She still has to get the coach to help her figure out which is left and which is right but that has not kept her from always giving her best. I have also noted that the girls she plays with have been very supportive with their comments, even the ones that she isn't familiar with. My husband seems to think that we should talk to the coach and explain that our daughter has Asperger's and he may need to be a bit more patient with her at times while she figures things out. At first I thought it was a good idea, but watching her play on Saturday I have come to the realization, that she is doing just fine on her own. She is almost sixteen-years-old and maybe now is the time for her to start being an advocate for herself, as I am not always going to be there to explain things.

It is difficult for me as her Mother not to take over when she is struggling with the hairbrush and she gets very upset with me when I hover around her when she wants to cook something on the stove. She lets me know in no uncertain terms that the kids her age are cooking for themselves and so should she!! I know that she needs to do more for herself and I need to let her, but my first instinct has always been to protect her from getting hurt physically as well as emotionally. As I watched her play so well on Saturday, I came to the realization that she is growing up right before my eyes and I need to let her test her wings a bit more, so that one day she will be able to fend for herself. Not an easy thing for me to accept, but the most loving thing to do for her nonetheless.

Happy Parenting

Monicka