He was all smiles at his graduation ceremony, which was held three days before the actual end of school.
But on the last day of school, a day intended to be full of fun activities, Kai got upset. My understanding is that he got mad when his team lost in some sports competition.
As has happened so many times before, he took his anger out on the shirt he was wearing, ripping it completely in half.
That he did this during his last moments at the school seems fitting, as it was typical of the challenges we've endured the past 5 1/2 years.
In many ways, Kai has made a lot of progress and is a completely different child than when he first started at the school. But I think the end result of all of the ups and downs for me is that I am less optimistic now than ever before that Kai will be capable of leading any semblance of a "normal" life. The anger issues don't seem to go away. Academically, he seems to have made almost no progress in math in the past three years, going from a second grader who held his own in the 5th grade classroom for math to a 5th grader who struggles with math problems that are the least bit challenging.
The goal has always been that he go to college, get some type of job, and be able to live independently. I think I've started to lose hope of that over the past year especially.
So now he is on to middle school. His teacher and therapist there say that they've seen kids make remarkable progress when they go through middle school. I can only hope that Kai will be one of those kids.
And an Angry Birds t-shirt at that! It just appropriate somehow. ha. :)
ReplyDeleteAw...I'm so sorry it ended on a bad note. But don't loose all hope...miracles can happen. I will say that going through puberty was the worst for my boys, especially Alex who had terrible anger issues during that time, so hold your breath during the next couple of years and know that it doesn't last forever and you WILL survive!
Yes, the Angry Birds/Bears t-shirt was very appropriate!
DeleteSo, you're saying it's going to get worse? I'll have to mentally prepare myself. :)
Well, maybe. At least those years were the worst for us. But our years before were good, so who knows. Fingers crossed Kai will only improve!
DeleteJust as a champ always gets back up after receiving punishing blows...
ReplyDeleteI am sure you shall always get back up.
It is this perseverance that will teach Kai to also never give up.
With such a good role model...Kai cannot help but continue to grow.
There will be more punishing blows to come...but just as his father will never give up...neither will he. Kai's eventual victory is in his future...and when it comes...it will be all the more sweet because of what he will have overcome.
You are right, of course, about having perseverance. I think part of that perseverance, though, may be to find new approaches.
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