It's Not Just Your Kid. They All Do That





Recently, while having a conversation with my son's pediatrician, I expressed my concerns about the wild-child being so full of energy, and that I'm convinced I'll have a stress induced heart attack if he stays like that forever. Seriously, the kid NEVER stops!  If his feet aren't moving his mouth is. And, always, he's compiling evil plans to outsmart me, and or, up the danger factor of his next move.

His pediatrician told me in his many years of practice, it never failed the parents with wild children wish they would calm down. Parents with ultra calm children wish they would kick it up a few notches.

Then he said, the reality is that all children are both. Every child, from calm to crazy, has their beautiful moments and beyond frustrating moments. Most of the time, when parents are exhausted from the crazy side of their kid, it's a phase the child is going through testing their independence.

After a bit of thought, I realized, he is so right. When I think about it that way, I go from being positive my kid is going to set a new bar for ADHD, to accepting that he is just a very spirited toddler. And in a way, it's super-awesome.

My wild child has beautiful calm moments. He does slow down. There are beautiful moments, daily. I get to hold him without fail morning and night. Sometimes, even during the day, if only for a few minutes, sometimes longer.



My wild child is beyond sweet as pie and adorable in every way. Sure, he's a go-go-go give-mom-a-heart-attack kind of kid, but there is more to him. But at the same time, I love his energy. Most of the time.





Sure, there's no denying, some kids lean towards being super spirited and some very calm. One of my son's best friends is a super-duper chill calm kid. He is soft spoken and nowhere near as full of energy as Oliver. Still, they play really well together. Even when Ollie's driving full steam towards the playhouse with every intention of crawling over it. His best friend reassuring him, " YEAH!  You Can Do It!" (Not shown, dads running in to rescue the boys from the ensuing dumbassery.)




Still, both have their moments. Both use their manners, surprise us with their selfless acts of kindness and give the best cuddles. Both cross the line and give us hell. Both are individuals and five-years-old at the same time.   Both torture the dog, dig up worms, make us laugh, cry, feel love like no other and of course, embarrass the crap out of us in front of family, friends, and strangers, never missing the chance to run from us AT THE WORST FU*CKING TIME!

But one thing is for sure, both are perfect just the way they are.











April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com