I was sifting through my pile of papers this evening in preparation for our IEP meeting next week. It’s been a while since I’ve really taken the time to go through everything and get organized. We’ve had a relatively easy stretch for the last year or so, and I admit I have let things slide quite a bit. Well, we had a little reality check last week when the child had an hour long meltdown with a babysitter present. Time to gear up again.
I think I know why I deferred looking at all of these forms and reports. Reading through all of the paperwork brings back memories of the really scary times parenting this child. The times when I was trying my hardest but still failing to crack the code. You know – the secret code to helping her be happy and learning. There are memories of inexplicable aggression, marathon IEP meetings, behavior support plans, and many tears. I do not want to go back there…not even to the edges of it.
I’m making myself focus on what I already know to do for her:
- Praise
- Calm environment
- Meaningful engagement
- Calm mama
Those memories can’t haunt me if I also remember what I learned from them. I want to make some more good memories.