confidence
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Kenny is slowly becoming more confident with things around him. For instance; the stairs. If he's got the assistance of a helping hand, he'll easily take the stairs one at a time, and if he's feeling up to it he'll step from one to the other with exaggerated strides that span the stairs. I'm sure he'll be running up them and falling down them in no time.
And then there's water. For a kid who only a couple of weeks ago refused to get wet by the ocean, he has made great progress. His teachers report that when they introduced the kids to the small wading pool on the property (up from the tiny plastic inflatable one they'd been using indoors), Kenny was the one most at home in the water, lounging around on his belly or splashing about "as if pretending to be a crocodile".
With people, too, he's becoming more certain. He's never been one to panic around strangers, but he's always been a bit hesitant. Recently, that's all vanished, and he has no qualms about approaching people. Especially if they have food. He's also keeping up with the push-and-shove among his classmates. While not a rough kid, from what I've seen he certainly doesn't resort overmuch to tantrums or manipulation to get his way. He just tries to take the things that have his attention. He gets upset, of course, but he doesn't sit around passively whining or looking to an adult to set things right.
And then there are the little activities he's learned. He knows, for instance, where to put his laundry when he's done with it. No one explicitly showed him how to do this, he just figured it out and started doing it. He can fetch his shoes, put away his toys, and even hand over items that are connected to activities he wants to do (recently for instance he handed me my hat when he wanted to go outside).
It really is amazing to watch it all come about.