Challenges

I could relax a little more with a few less of these!  Top of the list is my middle man--as in, he's between being keen and completely flipped off.

Speaking of flipped--that's how my lid went today.  Patient, patient, feeling a little worn, feeling more worn...etc...then before I know it, I'm taking a walk to blow off steam and find another approach.

He was contrary, I'm talking, like worse than Mary, Mary of nursery rhyme fame!

Walked myself out of the adrenalin zone where child might have gained first hand knowledge of moon had I stayed... went to the park playset, did a few leg raises while hanging from the monkey bars, tried a few pull-ups-but they felt more like arm removers so I let that be what it was...

Then, thinking was possible again, and I thought of a few things I could do differently-and hopefully not get to that state of upset again:

??? Perhaps if I left the room after one of his “contrary” or “poor me” statements, I could take away the audience, and he’d be less inclined to continue…

??? Perhaps if I gave him the assignment and moved away, there’d be less opportunity to chat for distraction….

??? Perhaps if I stayed and found the “good thing” he did, he’d be on more inclined to stay on the job…

??? Perhaps if I took a mind reading course, I’d be better equipped to—oops, got into dreamland again-got that play out of his book.

??? Perhaps he might perceive one-word reminders as being less directive, because he’d be busier filling in the rest of it…and wouldn’t have time to formulate his semi-automatic counter-play…

I need to inoculate myself against his statements of “never getting to pick what he does”… whilst he works on the project from the book he chose, with the pictures he picked, from the topics he helped create and then chose from!  I need to keep remembering to say less, do more, and follow through-like now for example, when he's he's doing the "Spanish Spin" which is riding the spin bike as fast as he can while watching a Spanish cartoon for 20 mins instead of a half hour because he wasted so much time...and I'll have to keep making sure that I'm worthy of the respect that I am requiring from him!

And, lastly, in case it doesn't go without saying...I am actually happy to be doing this--happy in the very large abstract meaning of the word.  I think it's the right thing to do, and though it's intense, I feel it's worthwhile.  If only biting one's tongue and adjusting one's attitude could simultaneously tone one's muscles...I'd be in such great shape!

Cheers and chao!