He Wins

I've been debating what to do about Little G and his obsession with math. Right now, he is a Kindergarten student, technically, but he is taking 1st grade math and language arts. He was taking 1st grade phonics as well, but he completed it. If I let him work at his own pace, he would have finished 1st grade math as well. Part of me thinks just letting him finish and move up to the next grade level in math would be better for him. Originally, I felt this would place undue burden on him and stress him out. But, as it turns out, he's a lot like his mama - if his mind doesn't have something to work on all the time, he gets moody and his mind finds things to work on.

The little dude has always loved numbers and math. He could add and subtract by preschool, and by the start of Kindergarten he was begging to do multiplication flashcards all the time. He loves chess and card games, can kick my butt at Sudoku, and is at his happiest when he is challenged. (But he hates to lose and has no tolerance for anything less than perfection from himself, which means meltdowns and tantrums...)

I'm at a point with him where I feel like pacing him with the rest of the 1st grade students in math is unfair to him. During math lessons, G is typically lying on the floor, answering questions I ask aloud, rolling his eyes and saying, "I know this already, mom. It's like preschool baby stuff." And I tell him, "Yes, G, but you have to demonstrate that you know this, so we have to at least do the assessments." His reward for getting through it is always something he enjoys that is also math-related (Sudoku puzzles, a website that has flashcard games, or workbooks, usually). I keep some grades 2 and 3 math workbooks on hand, hidden as a special treat; but he found and finished the remaining half of a 250-pager the other day when I thought he was coloring. It took him an hour. So, I think we'll start letting him do as much as he wants, and see where this leads.

In other G-related news, my little boy is growing up and developing a mind (and attitude!) of his own. I'm sad, nostalgic, and somewhat uncomfortable with his growing independence, and yet I am also proud of his developments. The fact that he has been so dependent on me for so long makes the transition difficult for me, I'll be honest. Heh, I know, I know, that's the selfish, but-he's-my-baby! part of me talking. He still has many needs (basics, like dressing, brushing his teeth, washing his hands) where he needs much more assistance than his age-matched peers, but intellectually he is light years ahead of the game. He gets so frustrated, knowing what he wants or needs to do, and having the hypotonia and motor issues that make his body a bit slow to catch up. We're doing a lot of sensory diet and OT activities, which change frequently to meet his ever-changing needs, and the results are coming quicker these days.

People always say that kids grow up so fast. It's amazing, though, as a parent. It all seems to happen in fast-forward, and I've come to a point where I try to savor the little moments because I know, before I know it, I will be thinking about how ages 8 and 6 were really so little.