I'll have y'all know it's going much smoother. He loves it, it's encouraging, his teacher is incredible. The focus is not on how great you kick at for the Little Dragons, but instead they learn self defense techniques while practicing self control, answering up (yes sir), sportsmanship, and confidence.
This week Harry earned his 5th stripe (The parents have to fill out a form updating the teacher on behavior) and got his first patch for his uniform.
He was beside himself.
In the pic below you can see him fiddling with his belt. He was sitting and waiting on his turn to be called up and encouraged by his teacher for his helpfulness. Harrison didn't realize it was a patch week, but has been oh so happy to earn his little electrical tape stripes weekly.
Then Sensei gave him his fist patch for having five stripes. Y'all he was beaming. Beaming!
He isn't a child that everything comes easily to. Language acquisition was a struggle. He has some motor skill trouble he is working on with PT and OT at school. He is in speech (and making great growth). But some of the things that are easy breezy (as Harry says it) for others just don't fall that easy for him. But gosh he has such a heart.
He is kind and loving. He genuinely cares about others and is so happy to celebrate everything for everyone!
But he is all boy, 100% all boy on top of these things. Sitting still isn't on the menu. He has a thought and must say it now. He is active until he goes back to sleep.
So with all of that, karate is more and more making me feel like it's the way to go for him. And not just because it is something he wanted to do.
Throughout class I tried to catch his eye here and there to tap my hands on my lap to remind him to use self control. He needs those gentle reminders during class. Harrison wants to do exactly what he should, but the wiggles get the best of him. Considering he'd be heartbroken if he ever had more than one warning and would have to sit out, I try to silently remind him to reel it in. He's just so excited that sitting during class is tough work.
But after a class of sitting still as best he could, listening oh so very well, and then getting his first patch... I told him how proud his Daddy would be when we got home and showed him the patch.
He was beside himself with excitement. Daddy is the ultimate in people who he wants to please. We talked back and forth for five minutes about Daddy and it suddenly hit me.
I never said I was proud of him.
I clapped in class and told him he was doing great. I tried to talk up Jeremy since he isn't there with us.
But I never said I was proud.
So I said it.
Harrison's response, "Really Mama?" In his sweet little voice.
It was a bit of a knock on the side of my head. I encourage him and cheer him on, but he needs the words of affirmation from me as well. I am always trying to tell him how proud other people are and how great he does that I sometimes forget to include myself. He needs to hear that I am also proud of him.
Heck, my late talker has grown by leaps and bounds and his one big personality quality that is always talked about by his teachers is his kindness. I couldn't have asked God for more than kindness. Inherently kind people are hard to come by and I want so desperately to nurture that so that he holds onto it.
