CJ Has a Friend!!

This is a really big deal for us, although it seems like just a typical day for any other parent of a seven year old little boy. Other parents aren't raising my seven year old little boy, so I don't expect them to fully understand.

CJ has always played very well with children younger than him. He loves playing with Rachel's friends best. He also really enjoys older people and adults. It's impossible to forget that his very favorite person on the planet is a cowboy who could be his grandpa. For whatever reason, his comfort zone has always been with people who aren't his age.

Part of CJ's biggest problem is that he struggles with relating to peers his age. Socially, he has always been just a little bit behind other kids his age. He doesn't tend to understand how to play with them or make-believe like they do. His interests are just different. Partly, it's because he isn't as confident in his gross motor skills. Playing running or jumping games is hard for him. Bike riding is next to impossible. This all goes back to his issues with a damaged vestibular system making it difficult for him to know where he is in space. Some of it is because he can't hear their voices or understand their speech as well as he understands adult speech. Adults recognize his hearing loss and are able slow down and articulate better for him.

It's been a long road for CJ when it comes to friendshipping. Finally, I'm really excited to report that we're making enormous progress. Our new neighborhood is full of children, some from church and some his own age. There are two little boys in particular. G is the younger brother of T, a friend of Aiden's. G is a year younger than CJ and likes to play with Rachel, but also is learning to get along well with CJ. Then there is L. L is the same age as CJ and in the same grade. He has twin sisters that are in kindergarten and love to play with Rachel. L comes over frequently to play Toy Story 3 or jump in the bounce house with CJ. He cries when his mom tells him it's time to go home.

Did I make that clear? Another child the same age as CJ wants to play with him and cries when it's time to go home. This is no small miracle for us. We are so delighted to see him laughing, playing, learning, and enjoying being around other children the same age as him. He finally knows what it feels like to have a friend that wants to play with him. That's a gift no child should ever live without.