In Search of Friends

Yesterday in my day job I met a 9 year old boy and his mom.  I had a fun conversation with him and learned he loved Math and Science but his favorite was Science. He hated writing, obviously. When he said "obviously" I laughed because my kiddo often tells me the same thing with the same tone of "duh, mom, you're an idiot." I shook my head in amusement as he told me his name, same as my kiddo, and went to tell me what services he has, what he likes, what he doesn't like, how he wants friends. . .Great kid.  Involved mom. He's doing well.  But he wants friends.

My kiddo wants friends.  Lots of my friend's kids need friends too.  I hear it over and over again.  I don't know the solution. I wish I could make it better, I wish I had the solution. I wish I could shake kindness and acceptance from other parents so those parents can teach the same warmth in their kids hearts. Social skills in school are often in a structured environment. And yet our kids, those who struggle with the social nuances, need the help in the unstructured environments the most- at lunch, at recess, in the playgrounds, in after school clubs, in sports, in any of those moments where rules aren't set in stone and vary. Teaching that skill is hard!

Meanwhile I'll just keep growing our local autism parenting club and increase our social events, i.e. Lego club, we're starting up a Family Game night club and a pre-school playdate club because I can control that.  I'll keep doing speaking engagements where I speak to other families who are starting in this journey or where I speak to education majors who need to learn the family's perspective. We'll increase social skills therapy and a friendship table program at school. Meanwhile I'll pray and hope that my son meets a kindred spirit, a true friend. Because we all want friends. True friends who get us and accept us just as we are.