Life with Will (or how we are raising a thug...)



Parenting Sophie has definitely kept Matt and I on our toes. She is bright, passionate and creative, but she also brings new meaning to the term "strong-willed." We knew parenting a little boy would be very different, and we sort of assumed that Will would be the "easier kid" - the laid-back guy that would follow Sophie's lead. We could not have been more wrong. 

Last month at Will's 18 month check up, our amazing pediatrician confirmed what we'd suspected for several months. In the strong will department, Will is a male version of our first born. Will is also a bright kid, and he uses his intelligence to try and gain total world domination. While he may not have achieved world domination just yet, there are days he has managed to dominate our household! Now one major difference our doctor mentioned (and another we've already noticed) is that while Sophie's will surfaced in emotional drama, Will's seems to surface with physical drama. Of course, Will's size makes this lots of fun!

So, Wild Will had his first day of school today. Though Sophie and I started several weeks ago, we delayed Will beginning school until he could go several weeks in a row without a break so we could maintain some consistency to help him adjust. Last night, we helped him practice lying on his nap mat. I am happy to report that napping on the mat went well today, though I'm
 pretty sure that is about all that went well. His teachers reported that he just didn't seem happy most of the day. Having been with Will when he "just didn't seem happy most of the day," I felt very sorry for his poor teachers. A grouchy thug is no fun! I am hoping and praying this is just a matter of adjustment.

Will seems to be going through a true thug stage, in which rather than talking to people or even smiling shyly, he snarls or growls at others. He has no trouble express his frustration, but does have some trouble doing so without screaming to the point that glass actually shatters. Sophie is looking forward to the day when Will doesn't ask her to move by grabbing her ponytail and moving her himself. Though these days are challenging with Will, they have been full of verbal leaps and bounds, and he truly adds words to his vocabulary each day. Now if we could just get him to use his words when he is upset! 


And while restaurants and car trips continue to be just shy of a nightmare, we are so very thankful for our large, thuggish, but amazingly sweet and precious little man. Will is truly a joy, and though the 18-month mark has brought with it new challenges, we are seeing more and more of the strong, intelligent leader that the Lord is growing Will to be. Matt and I have already embraced the responsibility of raising a strong-willed child, and we are committed to helping shape Will's "strong will." For now, however, we are committed to loving our little man through the tough stages and to keeping him out from behind bars as long as possible...

 

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