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I used to live right near "Little Bit" - at least I think I did. Is that in Woodinville by the Tolt Pipeline Trail? From when Alex was born until he was 2 and a half, I used to walk that trail 4X a week at 6 or 7 am with him usually in a jog stroller. We'd walk from where I lived (the Crossings) up Bear Creek to the Tolt and then up to the top out past Lake of the Woods where I could see the Snoqualmie Valley. I never lost a bit of weight doing that, but I did have a lot more energy than I do now!
Alex is having more difficulties now than he did when he was younger. When he was little, he did not notice that he was different, and he was blind to the teasing. Now he notices both, and it is painful for him and for me. What is really sad is with his soccer team. He loves playing and he is good at it, so during games and practice the kids treat him just fine. But at the team party, most of the boys were trying to ditch him and they excluded him from activities. A few of the dads noticed, and they pulled their kids aside and scolded them, but this bothers Alex as well. He wants the boys to include him because they like him, not because they are told to do so. A few of the boys do make an honest effort to include him, and I was surprised by the very nice gifts some brought to him for his birthday party. He rarely is invited to parties that are not for other kids on the spectrum.
It's so hard to watch your children go through stuff like that. I wish parents would teach their children at a much younger age that kids that have a disability are not to be treated differently, that they are great kids, and to look past the "disability" to see the kind of person they are. My nephew is that kind of kid. He has given up his recesses most of the time to stay in with a kid in his class that doesn't go out. He reads to him or they draw and stuff like that. And since he has done that and he is somewhat popular, the other kids have followed his example. I am so proud of him. My DS has always had a hard time with friends his age. He is ADHD and sometimes his behavior can be annoying but he thinks it's funny. So he has been teased and made fun of harshly. He has a group of friends now and a girlfriend and he is friends with a few kids who have some form a disability. He knows what it is like to be left out and made fun of, so he tends to stick up for them and turns it back on the kid(s) who are doing the teasing. It does get harder when they get older and can see that they deal with and experience life differently than other kids. My DS is very smart and I suspect yours is too and they know, and in the end they will be stronger for it. But it is hard to watch when you know you can't fix it for them. Your a great mom who gives him every opportunity to be who he is and to learn to love himself for that. And I always tell my son that once he is out of highschool, the social aspect of life will most likely be easier. Most people become more accepting and not as critical. Teenagers and pre-teens are just plain mean!
I live about maybe 5 min or less, away from Little Bit. And yes, it is by the pipeline. They just bought or were donated, a piece of property in Redmond, just off of Avondale. They are going to split up the types of theraputic riding they have available. My stepson's mom works there. So I get to hear about all the stuff they are doing. Great program!
I used to live right near "Little Bit" - at least I think I did. Is that in Woodinville by the Tolt Pipeline Trail? From when Alex was born until he was 2 and a half, I used to walk that trail 4X a week at 6 or 7 am with him usually in a jog stroller. We'd walk from where I lived (the Crossings) up Bear Creek to the Tolt and then up to the top out past Lake of the Woods where I could see the Snoqualmie Valley. I never lost a bit of weight doing that, but I did have a lot more energy than I do now!
Alex is having more difficulties now than he did when he was younger. When he was little, he did not notice that he was different, and he was blind to the teasing. Now he notices both, and it is painful for him and for me. What is really sad is with his soccer team. He loves playing and he is good at it, so during games and practice the kids treat him just fine. But at the team party, most of the boys were trying to ditch him and they excluded him from activities. A few of the dads noticed, and they pulled their kids aside and scolded them, but this bothers Alex as well. He wants the boys to include him because they like him, not because they are told to do so. A few of the boys do make an honest effort to include him, and I was surprised by the very nice gifts some brought to him for his birthday party. He rarely is invited to parties that are not for other kids on the spectrum.
It's so hard to watch your children go through stuff like that. I wish parents would teach their children at a much younger age that kids that have a disability are not to be treated differently, that they are great kids, and to look past the "disability" to see the kind of person they are. My nephew is that kind of kid. He has given up his recesses most of the time to stay in with a kid in his class that doesn't go out. He reads to him or they draw and stuff like that. And since he has done that and he is somewhat popular, the other kids have followed his example. I am so proud of him. My DS has always had a hard time with friends his age. He is ADHD and sometimes his behavior can be annoying but he thinks it's funny. So he has been teased and made fun of harshly. He has a group of friends now and a girlfriend and he is friends with a few kids who have some form a disability. He knows what it is like to be left out and made fun of, so he tends to stick up for them and turns it back on the kid(s) who are doing the teasing. It does get harder when they get older and can see that they deal with and experience life differently than other kids. My DS is very smart and I suspect yours is too and they know, and in the end they will be stronger for it. But it is hard to watch when you know you can't fix it for them. Your a great mom who gives him every opportunity to be who he is and to learn to love himself for that. And I always tell my son that once he is out of highschool, the social aspect of life will most likely be easier. Most people become more accepting and not as critical. Teenagers and pre-teens are just plain mean!
I live about maybe 5 min or less, away from Little Bit. And yes, it is by the pipeline. They just bought or were donated, a piece of property in Redmond, just off of Avondale. They are going to split up the types of theraputic riding they have available. My stepson's mom works there. So I get to hear about all the stuff they are doing. Great program!
