Becoming my Dad
Posted by Troy | Filed under Self Project
You’ll be hard pressed to find a teenager who wants to become like his parents.
I wasn’t any different.
While my parents most lovely attributes glowed in my eyes as a kid, adolescence brought their most unfortunate struggles into focus.
So I’d swear up-and-down that I’d never be that way. (just as any self-respecting teenager would).
Tags: forgiveness, original illustration, Parenting
Chimney Rock and the Value of Risk
Posted by Troy | Filed under Parenting, Travel
We recently visited Chimney Rock State Park, just south of Ashville, NC.
It’s a really great destination for families since they’ve added steps, boardwalks and railings to make the hiking accessible to anyone.
We kept calling Exclamation Point “Explanation Point,” which doesn’t sound nearly so awe-inspiring… but it’s worth the extra 1,000 steps or so past Devil’s Head (above)… and the hike back to ground level is really cool, with rock outcroppings and alternate views of the Chimney Rock.
A few of us still had the energy to hike the mile or so out to the 400-ft. Hickory Nut Falls… we weren’t allowed nearly as close as we’d hoped, but maybe next trip there will be fewer park rangers around…
Actually, situations like that are kind of adjusting my parenting.
Those times when I know I would jump the barrier… but don’t want my kids to.
Tags: fear, kids, original photo, Parenting, Travel
The Truth about Autism
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism
A couple big news stories in the world of autism have parents frustrated once again.
First, the infamous Dr. Wakefield was stripped of his license by Britain’s medical council, and then later in the week Reuters published an article suggesting that early intervention may not really make a difference when treating children with autism.
Which is in direct contrast to the only one absolute we’ve ever had… that your best hope is to intervene early.
Early. Early. Early.
So parents everywhere are reacting in anger, throwing emotionally charged adjectives in support of their personal intervention strategies, and pediatricians everywhere can be a little more smug once again, repressing those feeling of guilt that had sneaked in after failing to diagnose so many children earlier than they did.
Here’s the thing… these studies must be done. Their results must be published.
Tags: Autism, original illustration, Parenting
First Day of School
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism, Parenting
Sometimes I’m surprised to hear parents excited to send their kids back to school… like having them around is a huge pain that they’d just as soon avoid.
I get that kids are a lot of work and they definitely have a way of wearing your nerves quite thin…
I’d still rather be around them most of the time than not…
My son went to his first day of kindergarten this past week.
It was tough enough with our oldest… we cried the whole walk home from dropping her off for the first time.
But this time is different.
Because he has autism, we have no idea what to expect.
Reassurance comes from friends in the form of “Oh, he’ll be OK… do great… etc.”
Which is more than likely true, but not really the issue.
We don’t want him to be OK.
We want him to get the most out of each day.
to excel…
to fly…
Will dropping him in the hands of an overloaded public school teacher give him that opportunity?
Would keeping him home with mom?
Nobody knows, and that’s just the thing… at some point you have to make a decision…
at some point you have to have faith.
Tags: Autism, Faith, original photo, Parenting, school
My first post is about Michael Jackson’s Socks?
Posted by Troy | Filed under Parenting
I’ve been planning this blog for a while, and never would have imagined my first post would be about Michael Jackson.
Michael hasn’t played a huge role in my life, but in light of recent events, he’s been pacing moonwalking back and forth in my mind.
Of course he’s always kind of been there…. Part of my soundtrack I guess, even though I’d probably never think to include him. He’s seemed to pop in and out of my life when I least expect it, and for some reason my memories of him are different than everyone else’s.
Sure, the historic Motown 25 moonwalk is etched in my mind just like everyone else, along with the entire Thriller video and less attractive visions of his trial, etc.
But I’ve always connected with different moments… things like my teenage obsession with the Jackson 5, his almost-totally-forgotten video for “Jam” (featuring Michael Jordan, Heavy D, and a brief but awesome cameo from Kriss Kross), or the Pepsi commercial with Carlton from Fresh Prince (if only Alfonso had gotten Michael to do the “Carlton” Dance)
One of my most vivid memories though… is his socks. Not the pair he happened to be wearing, but the replicas that I could be wearing…
I remember standing in the aisle in Sears looking up at them… like a beacon of shining light amidst a sea of Lee jeans.
But of course I was too embarrassed to admit to my parents my desire for such fancy footwear…. I’m not sure why, they probably would have considered it cute.
It makes me wonder… what parts of themselves might my own kids fear revealing to me?
They seem pretty honest and transparent… but perhaps there is more inside… perhaps they don’t know how anything they say or do or enjoy is fascinating and adorable to me…
Guess I’ll just keep my sensors on for any signals they might send… bracing myself for encouraging words post I-want-to-be-a-cheerleader revelation… or a request to turn on the country station (or pretty much any radio station)… or…
