One thing I learned is that you shouldn't hold a child back. I tried to. DD asked me to teacher her to read before she turned 3. I said no, not old enough. She persisted and showed me what she could read, and finally after 6 months I let her read. That's NUTS! Each time I thought I was giving in to dd and "letting" her progress, I found out that really I was slowly accepting her true self, and just when I'd be proud of myself for not holding her back, I'd realize that once again, my preconceived notions were holding her back yet again.
I have learned that her development is NOT UNDER MY CONTROL. I can try to convince myself that I could hold her back, and delay things, and make her more normal, but the truth is that she is what she is, and I had better accept it. The better I accept her, the better she is at accepting herself.
Her skills are no reflection on me. I hadn't a thing to do with it. But, if I screw her up by making her ashamed of herself, that's is a reflection on me.
I could have written this!!!
and this... practically every week I feel this way ...
and just when I'd be proud of myself for not holding her back, I'd realize that once again, my preconceived notions were holding her back yet again
