Independent soul

Will came to Marshall's preschool class today. He showed pictures of animals he took on his trips to Africa. I think he was overwhelmed by the crazy two year old energy in the room. It did not help that today it is raining and so outside play was not possible.

He also got to see Marshall in action in a large group of kids for the first time. Marshall is definitely not one of those kids who will sit nicely in the circle and listen to the teacher. He is not a big fan of following group directions. This worried Will a little. Inevitably whenever parents see their child in a group of peers, they are going to start comparing and wondering, "Are we doing a good job? Is he where he is supposed to be?" It worried me a lot at the beginning of preschool too. Marshall is definitely a force to be reckoned with at preschool. He makes his desires known. :) However, he does have his moments of sweetness and sharing. Although he can be aggressive, he is getting much better and really loves to play with the other kids. He's just still figuring out how to do that.

As a parent, it's taken me a bit to come to the point where I accept Marshall just as he is. I am a pleaser. In my head, I always envisioned my child sitting and listening in a group, participating as he is supposed to, and being that "perfect" kid. But that's not who he is. He's an independent guy. He has big ideas and isn't easily swayed. He isn't effected by peer pressure at all. And frankly, I really like that about him. I wish I had a little bit more of that in me. Sometimes it's difficult to parent an independent child, but it's always absolutely fascinating and completely rewarding. I just have to remember to step back and appreciate the positive and not focus on the negative. He is so creative it astounds me. He creates elaborate stories and loves to act scenes out with anything. This morning, he was playing "trains" with the three pieces of his banana peel. He is continually creating conversations with his toys and I think he is talking to me. He is also incredibly observant. He makes me stop everyday to look around and take in everything around me. I learn from Marshall everyday and, while it might be a little less exhausting having a child that followed directions and went along with a group, I wouldn't have it any other way.