Читать книгу Just Breathe - Honey Perkel - Страница 19

Fearing Brian was getting too attached to me, Bob and I decided to enroll him in the play group at our synagogue. As expected, he loved it. He’d always enjoyed playing with other children.

Though Brian cried, even screamed when I said good-bye, in time he realized I would be back for him. The separation proved to be good for both of us. Brian was learning to become more social, and I had three mornings a week to myself.

* * *

Even at two and a half, if Brian didn’t like what I gave him for lunch or simply didn’t want to eat it, he’d sling his plastic Sesame Street plate across the table and onto the floor. I tried time out. I tried skipping his favorite cookie after his meal. I tried giving him more things he liked to eat. He wasn’t a picky eater. It almost seemed as though he wanted to act out simply to frustrate me, to see me squirm. He was much too young to figure all that out. Or was he? Sometimes I wasn’t quite sure.

It was always about making a decision. To act out or not on his part. To come up with a solution or a punishment on my part. It would’ve been so much easier if he was a little angel, but kids weren’t wired like that. Brian wasn’t.

I could tell there were differences between Brian and the other children. At birthday parties, at preschool, when playing with other kids, he stood out somehow. Brian was always the loud one. The more active and daring one. He was unafraid of consequences. Strong-willed and gutsy. A look at things to come.