Sunday, January 16, 2011

"Mommy, I just hit you!"

One of the challenges of raising a special needs child is the delays in which they decide to do typical child behavior, with a twist. Marissa is about two years behind. Not all behavior is delayed, just the "best" ones. Like hitting.

The thing about hitting is that it should or could be controlled, but not when you have a Rissa. We have tried just about everything including bribery, but still the hitting continues. The positive in this is that she doesn't hit other children. Some days her hitting is so bad that when she goes to hug me I have put up my arm to block the hit. Only for her to wrap her arms around me and say "I love you mommy". Its an interesting world in which I live. One in which the hardest moments often become the sweetest.

My most recent decision to try and stop the hitting is to ignore her when she does it. So she will hit and hit. Then she looks at me with that precious big eyed look and says, "Mommy, I am hitting you". Like, "hello, lady- I'm hitting you what are you doing!". This seems to get her for a period of time but then the saga still continues and I am still getting hit.

As in everything else, I hold true to know that "this to shall pass".