Bittersweetbyte.com

I don’t know about you. But for me to find out how Athena interact with other kids around her age is a thrill. Will she able to make a new friend? Will she be ignored? Will she be mean to other kids or will she be bullied? and 1001 question popped in my head every time I brought her to places with lots of kids.

Why I am so worry about this, is because, she is pretty much an only child at home with no cousins at her age to play with. No neighbor kids for her to play around and we seldom go out from the house. She learned most of the things from me and my husband and yes kids’ show on Youtube.

You always think you know your child. But you will know better by watching them with other kids at her age, actually. Is your child gentle with others, is your child can tolerate well with other kids’s behavior and strong enough not to cry when other kids push her to fall.

Athena is doing well with older kids and adults. That’s because, she is surrounded by them in the family. Aunties and uncles, and much older cousins. But that’s not solid indication that she will do ok with kids at her age. Older kids and adults already mastering the social skills and they are the one who came up to her and break the ice.

I know, it would be easier if I send her to a day care or kindergarten. But that’s not what I want. I want to see her on her own ability to interact and socialized the way a cave man did. Raw. If she can make it alone, I believed that she can do it fine if she finally go to pre school.

So, public park and playground is the best to see how well she do. Still, it’s a thrill for me to watch everything from a distance. Where most of the kids at playground came with their siblings, cousins, kids of their parents’ friends or kids that they knew that live next door.

I watched Athena from distance, but not too distance so that I can catch her if she about to fall or get hurt. She make a lot of eye contact with other kids that are busy running around and screaming. But she left ignored. Other kids walking and running around holding hands and play together and here is my child, Athena, went up to them saying hello and hi while waving her little hand at them. They stopped for a while, looked at her and continue with whatever they were doing.

My heart sunk.

But my little Athena keeps running besides them and sometimes behind them with a little scream like she is enjoying their presence, even her presence is ignored. At the same time she keeps on saying hello and hi, waving her hands along with smile. Other parents noticing that and they tried to help by telling their kids that Athena wants to be friends. Let’s play with her too. But what do they know, they are little kids too. Lost in the excitement running and screaming up and down the slides and ladders. Why Athena, my little girl is important for that matter.

After hundreds hellos and hi and hand waves, finally my Athena able to break in. These two kids were pretty tight and they were holding hands most of the time. And I am so proud that my Athena able to be apart of them. Three wheeler much? Haha. Well, three isn’t a crowd in a toddler’s world. The more the merrier. But. the fact that she made it is such a relief to me. Make friends or go home. And she made it.

Those two are in 3 years old and can speak full sentences. While Athena is the youngest, introducing her self as “I baby” to them. They started running around together, playing under the bridge and share a twig. By this, it brings me and those kids’ parent into little conversations.

I just came to know, they boy never had any friends. They are from California and move to Sparks, NV (I guess, but his dad mentioned they are from California) and his son never had friends and ALWAYS being ignored by other kids since he was little. And due to that, he keeps isolate himself from other kids and never tried to make friends. (This is what I’m afraid of. Traumatic experience lead to self esteem) And he said he is very glad that his son able to make friends today.

Then I’ve spoken to the girl’s mom. She told us that her daughter AFRAID of boys. She was surprised that today, her daughter able to make friends with a boy, holding hands even. She had to take a picture of the scene to show her husband back home that her daughter is no longer afraid of boys.

Today, I came to know that every parents has their own worry and history of their kids AND hoping that someday their child can overcome it sooner. And three of us witnessing our little darling breakthrough here, with our own eyes at this beautiful playground.

The boy’s dad brought a little table crackers with him, ended up our kids having a little picnic.

And for the first time, my Athena willing to leave playground with no fuss and ready to go home, like an angel, after seeing both of her new friends waving goodbyes.

As a mother, today’s event lifts a tad of my worries among millions that I have towards my daughter.

“She is doing fine. And will be fine”. I said to myself.

Comments

comments