Why my Son Is Awesome.

Life with my son has been tough. His baby years were hell. There were days when the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was very dull indeed. He recently turned five, and I now realise we are well and truly in the light now, that awful tunnel of darkness at our backs. That's not to say life's easy for him, or subsequently us, but there are far more moments of joy than frustration for all concerned. And he is becoming quite the charismatic little guy, charming, funny and an apparent sturdy sense of himself. So I'd like to dedicate this post to Harri and why he's so awesome.

He's becoming increasingly socially aware and is incredibly open and trusting. The other day while walking in our local shopping precinct he approached a group of policemen and said "hello, what's your names"? At first they were taken aback by his boldness but soon after began smiling and chatting with him. A day later he asked for a ride on one of those shopping centre Thomas The Tank Engine things. During the ride he noticed a small girl watching, he shifted over in his seat and told her to hop on board next to him, which she delightedly did. Then yesterday at our local supermarket (geez I spend a lot of time shopping) he saw an elderly lady on a mobility scooter and within seconds of approaching her had convinced her to let him have a turn. And he has the most beautiful relationship with our elderly neighbour who is in the early stages of dementia. Their interactions bring an obvious pleasure to her. (pic below)

He adores music and I have him to thank for turning me onto classical. He also likes The Simpsons and what's not to love about that? He's made great friends with the cleaner at the kid's school. They bonded over her equipment cart with the fancy mop squeeze thingy.

And probably the thing I'm most proud of currently, he's managed survive an entire year at kindy. Despite the challenges involved, particularly socially, he's persisted in turning up each day with optimism. He has struggled with mat times, following instructions, craft activities, social back and forth interactions and all that other stuff kids on the spectrum find hard, yet he pushed through, in the process endearing himself to school staff even when he hasn't been easy to teach.

The point of this brag post is to reassure others who may be reading this in the early stages of their child's journey that it almost always gets easier. Much easier. Hang in there, get good support and advice. And over time you'll notice the light becoming brighter.