My Poor Little Man.

[dodger_sister]

I don’t care how old The Nephew gets, he will always be my ‘little man’. Anyways, he’s having a rough 2016. I mean, he’s only ten, the ails of 2016 shouldn’t be affecting him - that’s how cursed this year is

Comments

[shirebound]

You're the bestest aunt, ever, you really are. ♥

[dodger_sister]

You're the bestest aunt, ever, you really are. ♥

/beams/ Thank you very much!

It seems The Nephew's grades have been slipping, odd for someone who tests out way above his grade level. I think between all of the family losses, his mother switching jobs (yet again, though this time for good as she got in with the state and state jobs are really well incentivized here), and the mid-winter blues, I think the kid is just tired I am having him in this weekend for movie-n-game night though!

[ceitfianna]

Oh poor guy, that's a lot of death from so many unexpected angles.

[dodger_sister]

Oh poor guy, that's a lot of death from so many unexpected angles.

It really was. His anxiety has been up, his grades down and overall I think the kid is just done with winter and being cooped up when his whole family is on edge from everything that has happened. Having him in this weekend to spend some time with me and then J is taking both the kids to Chicago over their spring break in April (the first time The Niece has gotten to go on the coveted Chicago-trip!), so hopefully those things will help him relax a bit. Everyone need a vacation now and then!

[lindahoyland]

That is so much loss for a child to bear.

[dodger_sister]

That is so much loss for a child to bear.

It is, indeed. The Nephew hasn't been handling it well, but has been refusing a counselor, so I make it a point to touch base with him on how things are going whenever I can. It certainly doesn't help that he is on the cusp of being a teenager - that makes all emotions seem so much worse!

[vikingprincess]

Man. Hugs to you and TN both, lady.

[dodger_sister]

Man. Hugs to you and TN both, lady.

Thanks, babe. It was a rough 6 months for everybody, but it seemed The Nephew took more losses than anyone. Don't know what to tell his parents about his anxiety issues, but I do hope he goes back to his horse-riding training this summer (a free program for kids with anxiety that he qualified for) because it really seemed to help last year. <3

[vikingprincess]

That would be awesome - if a kid can control and care for a big damned horse, he's going to feel more in control of his world in general, I would guess, which might translate to lower anxiety.

[dodger_sister]

That would be awesome - if a kid can control and care for a big damned horse, he's going to feel more in control of his world in general, I would guess, which might translate to lower anxiety.Okay so here's what is so great about his horse riding classes: They teach them calming techniques. Horses can tell when your anxiety is up and or you are on edge. And it will in turn affect the horses. So before they even start, they make them do a calming exercise, sorta centering themselves, make them zen, so they can approach their horses without making them nervous. Then they teach them how to calmly approach the horses, how to talk to them to keep them calm. Then while riding, if you start to let your mind wander to other stuff, they learn techniques to let go of that and clear their minds so as not to upset the horses. So they learn techniques to help their own anxiety through this. Plus it builds confidence. Plus they see other kids there with anxiety issues and know they are not alone. It's such a great program

[yeuxdebleu]

How terrible for a child to lose so many he was close to in such quick succession. I hope he isn't left with the fear that everyone he cares about is going to die and leave him. I hope Christmas will cheer him up.

[dodger_sister]

How terrible for a child to lose so many he was close to in such quick succession. I hope he isn't left with the fear that everyone he cares about is going to die and leave him.

He lost Papa (my grandpa, his great-grandpa) when he was eight, which I think was The Nephew's first moment of like, "Oh, this is death," kind of thing. So at least he had some experience to go on before he lost so many in a row like this. His behavior has not been well lately, but it's hard to tell if it's due to this or just mid-winter cabin-fever type thing. At any rate, he'll be here to hang out with me this weekend, so that'll put him in a better mood, I hope!

[yeuxdebleu]

...he'll be here to hang out with me this weekend, so that'll put him in a better mood, I hope!

I hope so, too. It's very hard sometimes to tell what a child is thinking about a loss.