I was going to post earlier this week about my resistant child and his resistance to going to a play today, but it's been a crazy week. He's never been to a play and this was supposed to be a good one, A Christmas Carol. Instead of giving him a choice, I decided to make the decision for him: he was going. He had some attitude--or expression of his discomfort of going--earlier this week and even this morning before we left. I didn't make a big deal of it, but when his attitude was starting to be directed at others, I told him he needed to change it. I didn't hear another complaint.
The play was FANTASTIC! He even complimented certain parts of it when we were done. I have not asked him how he liked it, simply shared with both of my kids what I liked about it. He has not said he didn't like it and given his interest during the play and comments after it, I know he enjoyed it. *sigh* All the fuss from him for 2.5 hours he enjoyed.
I'm trying hard to keep in mind Maria Montessori's idea of not leaving a child to himself, of the adult's responsibility to remove blocks. For whatever reason--genetic or not--he's got this resistance to new places, new people, new things. He invariably ends up enjoying himself, but the level of discomfort he feels before hand would have him not do anything new. He's always been like this. I still remember him not wanting to get into our new van when he was 3. After a week or so, he asked when we were going to get the red van, the old van, back. lol. Definite attachment to what he knows and sometimes, mama's just got to say, "I know what's better for you," and do it.
Do you have a resistant child? Any stories you care to share?
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