After starting his countdown right after Christmas, the big day is finally near.
T had a blast spending Christmas in New Brunswick with his cousin. When we got home, he asked how many more days till her visit this July.
During a recent bedtime, I told him that it was 45 days until she visited us in July. He got all excited and took a while to fall asleep.
He’s been counting down every day since.
As a parent of a child with FASD, I’ve learned that maintaining a positive mindset helps weather the disorienting storms and deflating setbacks.
As explained in this PhillyVoice article, creating things to look forward to helps provide positive mental and emotional boosts to motivate one through challenging times.
As an FASD parent, each day can have moments that go sideways and sometimes explode.
The power of anticipation helped us weather the two years of the pandemic by providing emotional buffer and motivation.
Whether it was scheduling self care days, our roadtrip during the first pandemic summer, or our recent Spring Break, it gave us something to look forward to away from the stress of simultaneous parenting, virtual schooling, working, and managing my Mom’s appointments.
There are also simple economical ways to build anticipation. For me, these include daily lunch hour walks during the work day with the hubby, Friday Netflix nights or a weekend hike with T.
In building moments of anticipation, it helps me reframe things in my life and take stock of how the blessings far outweigh the challenges.
The hubby and I started planning our summer back in the dreary days of winter and it helped the last few months fly by.
We’re looking forward to our first camping trip since the pandemic, the outdoor pools opening (next week!), and spending time in nature.
When I recently told T about our camping trip and how many more days until he visited his Grammy and Grandad, he lost it in the car.
“Today is going to be my last day on Earth,” he said.
“Oh, why is that?” I asked.
“I’m going to die tomorrow of happiness and excitement.”
You melted my heart by sharing T’s comment. That was so wonderful of him to say and so exciting he can’t wait. ❤️
Thanks Diane! It was a wonderful moment. Greetings from the woods! Having a bowl of cereal from under the forest canopy. 🙂
I love everything about this post on Anticipation and how it refreshes our lives with so much joy and positivity. T’s real time happiness is exactly living should be celebrated. “Today is going to be my last day on Earth,” he said.
“Oh, why is that?” I asked.
“I’m going to die tomorrow of happiness and excitement.” Have a great Summer and have a wonderful trip my Friend. These are the days adventures, fun and many family happy moments just overflows in abundance.
Thank you! I know you’d understand and relate to that feeling of anticipation and how it lifts us through the tougher times.
Only 7 more days of school until Summer. How very exciting indeed! I believe in the US, schools are done already? Hope your son has a wonderful summer ahead too!
Anticipation of something exciting is one of the things that can keep us going despite the challenges that come our way. Glad this works on T as well, so when he’s grown up he will know to create plans that excite him at the end of the road. That way no matter how bumpy the road can be, once he’s gone through it he will be happy. Happy belated Father’s Day to both you and your husband!
Thanks Bama! It’s a good skill to have for sure and helps us grown ups too! 😊 Hope you had a nice weekend as well!
That’s very sweet to hear that T is still counting down the days until his cousin visits. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy Father’s Day to you and the hubby. Hope you’re enjoying the beautiful weather.
Thank you, Linda! We are also counting down the number of school days left and to our first camping trip. Just a handful or so days away! 😊 Enjoy your weekend and nice weather too!
Woohoo!! It sounds like there’s a lot to look forward to this summer 🙂
OMG! I have never heard anything more joyous. Ever. Happy Father’s Day to you both!
Thank you! Have a wonderful Fathers Day weekend to you as well!
❤️
What a joyous thing that he is so so so happy!!! And a Happy Father’s Day to you and your hubby, Ab!
Thank you, Jill. We’re gonna enjoy this special day for sure.
Happy Father’s Day Ab❣
Thank you!
Reframing, anticipation and positivity, with a touch of hyperbole (from T 🙂 ) – this is a great post! Love it. Can’t wait to see the pictures and hear the stories for all the fun events ahead.
Thank you, Wynne. We’re really looking forward to a fun summer ahead. Just 9 more days of school to go!
Wuhoo!
I know some of us with an FASD struggle with time and space. I am cool now that I am older. I still dont.see time.passing like others though. Our family will talk about an event in the past, and I will be like oh yea last year this happened. Nooe. It happened 3 years ago…not sure if this way of thinking is a blessing or a curse lol. Does T struggle with patience?
Thanks Rebecca. T has some issues with body spatial awareness for sure. His teacher says he’s good with time related math exercises but I do notice yes, sometimes the concept of longer time seems lost on him.
He struggles with impulsivity for sure and I think that correlates with patience as well. We’ve learned to channel his anticipation for something into incentives to get stuff, like school work, done.
Love it!!!!! And so true about anticipation; it’s sometimes better than the event!
Sometimes it often is indeed! And sometimes there’s also the letdown but that’s another post! 😆