It's BRAIN Damage!
Until this summer, I know that my two eldest children had fully functioning brains...or at least the signs were not as obvious that they were damaged. Let me explain with a few recent examples:
Isaac is a fairly-typical eldest child. There was a time that he could sit at our kitchen table on a Sunday evening, be told the schedule for the upcoming week, AND remember it through at least Thursday afternoon. Whether it is the hormone surges that have shut down the brain or simply that my voice has become too monotonous for his delicate ears, Isaac is no longer able to retain much of anything it seems.
This became crystal clear on a Monday afternoon when Isaac came storming into the house after walking home from school. Apparently, the run-down of the schedule (and his walking home from school verses walking) on Sunday evening, Monday morning and via text Monday afternoon did NOT clue him into the fact that I would not be picking him up from school. He was furious that I would leave him to just figure it out and starve.
Once we had a chance to debrief, Isaac was able to state quite clearly that I may have told him that he would be walking home. But, he quickly blamed his ears for not letting the information into his brain. Of course! Other parents, I must warn you. As you see the symptoms of brain damage in your own child, please know that frequently it is the ears that simply shut down. This cannot be helped by the child...who is clearly distracted by whatever other voices, thoughts and feelings that are racing around inside their heads. My voice cannot compete above that din...or the roar of a hungry stomach!
Additionally, for my fellow parents out there, I must note that the brain damage seems to be tied to Isaac's stomach. The stomach is continually empty...therefore requiring constant nourishment. Asking Isaac to walk all the way home without having something to eat beforehand really is equivalent to child abuse. Don't you think? Isaac does. Therefore, I find that if I feed the boy at least every hour...sometimes the ears will thank me by letting some useful information pass into the brain.
I have continued to collect evidence of my son's brain damage. Another example for the scientists would be a recent Tuesday afternoon. Isaac has been in soccer for the entire month of September and into October. He has had practices every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings at 6:00. Again, we went over the schedule of the calendar that HANGS ON THE KITCHEN WALL (please note, I do not hide his schedule from him...in case Isaac finds this a convenient excuse down the line....) on Sunday evening. Tuesday morning, I reminded him of his practice that evening and again after school. At 4:00, Isaac comes tearing up from the basement with half of his soccer uniform on his body and the other half in his hands. He hollers that he is headed out to the driveway to meet Brian so he won't be late for practice. I calmly remind him that his dad will be picking him up at 5:45 but he can wait in the driveway if he wants. After the appropriate eye-roll, Isaac returned to the basement until dinner. During dinner, Isaac was talking and slowly eating his dinner, I reminded him to hurry up because he needed to leave in about 5 minutes. Isaac looked at me, totally serious, and said, "But, soccer isn't until 8:00pm...right?"
You see, my friends?! Brain damage is slowly affecting the sanity of my entire household...because Emma is starting to show "the signs." Just this evening, I told her in the kitchen to take her pile of stuff off the stairs and into her room. After taking the 10 steps to the stairs, she managed to step OVER the pile and head to her room without a second thought. Emma entered the bathroom to brush her teeth before bed tonight. Left the bathroom without ever touching her toothbrush. Brain damage.
As a faithful social scientist, I will continue journaling my observations for future generations (as well as my own therapist). But, for now, I will simply strive to enjoy being redundant that comes for a parent at this stage of development for my pre-teens. I understand from my friends with teens that this is simply the appetizer for what lies ahead...oh, goody! More brain damage to come....
