My Mother Never Told Me That My Child Wouldn’t Be Exactly Like me — Accepting Your Child’s Differences

This week, the Dallas Moms Blog contributors have come together to create a series of posts inspired by so many moms who feel alone or lost in this unique role. We recognize that motherhood isn’t easy, but as we get ready to celebrate Mother’s Day, we embrace this incredible, rewarding journey that even our own moms couldn’t have prepared us for!  Join us for this Mother’s Day Series :: “Things My Mom Never Told Me About Being a Mother”

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It’s Friday morning and I’m dressing my three-year-old son for soccer practice. His body goes limp, he falls to the floor, and the tantrum starts… “I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SOCCER! …I want to build habitats for my animals!” As a former Division I athlete, these are not the words I expect from my son’s mouth. I always figured my son would be just like me: competitive, athletic, active and always outdoors. How could he not be? My mother never told me any different…

We get to soccer practice, and my son has transformed.  He is apparently no longer a little boy, but in fact an aardvark, running on all fours pretending to eat ants.  His coach isn’t quite sure how to handle him. Frustrated, I embarrassingly accept compliments from other mothers: “oh, isn’t he creative” and “how unique!”  I ask myself: “Why can’t he just play soccer?!”

Back at home, my son is in his comfort zone.  Instead of watching cartoons on the weekend he requests Planet Earth or Nat Geo Wild.  Instead of playing with trucks, he builds zoos full of figurines or circus trains to carry them to town. We go to the Dallas Zoo and Gentle Zoo in Forney weekly, and even his room is decorated with an animal theme.

For his birthday, he didn’t want a football, but rather a 400 page Encyclopedia of Animals that he has practically memorized. In fact, did you know that a Saiga is a type of antelope from Kazakhstan with a very funny looking nose that helps it filter out dust kicked up from the herd? Well, he does and now so do I!

At times, it is difficult to accept his lack of interest in being active.  But wouldn’t it be much more difficult to accept a lack of passion for life? My son has such personality, such excitement for life, incredible creativity, and a sense of joy in the things he does. While I might pick different things to do myself, I’m proud that he is making choices and I love seeing the pleasure in his face. He is young and I still have time to fulfill my hidden agenda: we go to baseball games, root for our college football team, and I put a lacrosse stick in his hand when I can.  But I’ve come to terms with our differences and I’m proud of who he is becoming.

In front of our favorite college football stadium – Geaux Tigers!

Someone recently said to me: “The world has enough jocks…it needs more scientists.” And I think she was right! I thought my son would be just like me…a “jock”. But, maybe my son will be a veterinarian or zoologist or design something fascinating that changes the world…and I think that’s pretty cool!