From the EYES of a BOY....

So today was project delivery day and desk organization time.  I am often perplexed when attempting to analyze or figure out my son and his actions.  My mother continues to remind me that he is all “me”.  She reminds me of my desk organizational skills during school and that it is enhanced by him being a “boy”.

When we arrived at the classroom, I was surprised to see the papers flowing out of his desk.  I immediately started pulling everything out.  As I pulled out the mismatched papers, I found completed assignments, drawings of battling army men, crinkled up clean paper, broken pencils, and empty folders.

So my immediate focus was on the empty folders.  Each folder was nicely labeled as Social Studies, Reading, Science, Spelling, etc.  However, to my surprise all the folders were completely empty.  I soon found that all documents were crammed into the Homework folder.  UGH!

As my son sat and watched I pulled out the folders and explained the folders and their use.  I explained that organization does not come natural in our family and he has to work hard to figure out the best process for him.  As I finished my sentence, he responds with “can I go to morning recess”. All I can say is that at this point, I was struggling with control but calmly said “no”.

I hustled to finish and had him sitting reading his book and finishing some incomplete work (as I pulled it out of his desk).  I was then out the door and off to work.  However, as I drove; I continued to feel that feeling deep in my gut that I have lost my click with my son.  I truly feel that I am not in “the know”.  Is it normal to feel this way or is it just me?  Is it because I am female and no matter how hard I try…I cannot see life “from the eyes of a boy” even if he is my son?

I found myself driving my hour drive to work with no radio interference and no phone conversations. I found myself trying to work through what has happened in the last two weeks.  I have completely removed video games (seems to be his life focus) and still he continues to seem withdrawn.  Friends have noticed his distance and commented.  I have tried to single him out for alone time and he refused the opportunity.  I am at a complete loss…

Just as I reached my place of work, I finally figured out how to reach him.  I need to get into his world.  So in Keeping it REAL, tonight is a night of video games.  That is right.  The person that hates video games more than having blood work is going to endure 1 hour of Xbox!  It will be his opportunity to “teach” me how to see “from the eyes of a boy”.  It may not be the Barbie reenactments that I remember as a kid, but it is a start. Wish me luck as I attempt to conquer the “grind”, “heelflip”, and “nosegrind” on a virtual skateboard.  I am sure it will be an adventure…an adventure that will draw us back together and rebuild the communication that we have lost in the last several weeks….  My advice today… Don’t give up!  Sometimes, you have to play their “games” in order to “win”!