Having kids is one of the scariest things you can do. Well, it has been for me anyway.

So much can go wrong, there are a million possibilities for harm on a daily basis, and my brain is generally in overdrive thinking ahead to make sure that safety comes first. Maybe it’s because parenting brings with it an awareness of the world that we don’t necessarily have until we are responsible for the well-being of another human being.

Our boy has been at preschool for 6 months – COVID interrupted his first year with a nice little 4 month holiday that almost drove a pregnant Mom to drink – and it’s been an incredible experience for him! He has flourished and grown into this engaging, bright spot of joyful energy! Not that he wasn’t a joy before, but something about school has opened him up and brought out aspects of his personality that we had only seen glimpses of before.

In our opinion he was so quick to learn, and he was learning new things DAILY that amazed us and made us so proud to have made him.

Then we got the request.

The one we hadn’t actually thought we would get because our boy is sharp and headed for great things. His teacher wanted to meet with us.

The sinking heart feeling is real. Either he’s misbehaving and it’s bad enough to warrant a teacher chat, or he’s having learning or developmental challenges that need to be addressed. That’s why parents get called in, isn’t it?

I can’t honestly say which was the lesser of the evils for me – in the moment both made me feel like a failure as a Mom. We were going to be those parents.

Thankfully the moment passed, plus I have an awesome ‘glass always full TO THE BRIM’ husband who dragged me out of anxiety-land and back to reality.

What do we know to be true about our boy?

1. He’s smart!
2. He’s loving
3. He learns quickly
4. He’s kind
5. He’s social
6. He’s full of life and energy
7. He’s joy

What do we know to be true about Little Heroes and his teacher?

1. They care about his future almost as much as we do
2. They love him and look for the gold
3. They are phenomenal at what they do
4. They want him to excel
5. They will work with him and support him through whatever it takes to make this happen

We had the ‘dreaded’ meeting that was WONDERFUL! Our boy’s teacher is just the kindest, most loving person who has a heart for him. We spent some time talking about all that’s amazing about him, and then we spoke about some potential challenges that may impact on his schooling journey longer term.

Was it hard hearing that he’s not 100% perfect? Yes. Was it hard hearing that his journey might not be easy and smooth sailing? Yes.

Was it exceptional hearing that he’s wired differently, that he’s unique, loving, sweet and intelligent, and that the potential challenges he might face in no way detract from the ENORMOUS purpose that God has for his life, and that we get to be spectators to the magnificent fireworks display that is his life? A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!

I’m so grateful that we got called in at this point and that Little Heroes cares enough about him to address this with us with great kindness and support.

We love him more knowing that there are vulnerabilities…