Working Hard

Gracie has been working hard. She goes to therapy each day, most of the time at 9:00. She wakes up happy each morning, realizing it's summer and that I'm staying home with her this summer. Then her attitude completely changes as we pull in the parking lot for therapy. She becomes tired and combative. I know this is best for her, but it's hard to watch your daughter struggle with something daily. Gracie loves her therapists, but she knows they require her to work hard, so she asks me daily when she'll be able to stop going to therapy. I'm sure her leg muscles are sore from the daily exercise. The therapists also push Gracie to do things she doesn't believe she can do yet, so she is fearful and frustrated. Currently, Gracie is practicing sitting to stand, standing alone (Her record is 20 seconds!), and taking steps with minimal assistance.
To try to cheer her up (as well as myself) after therapy, I try to do something with her that I know she enjoys. We joined the YMCA last week, primarily for the benefit of the pools. Gracie loves being in the water, so I've taken her there 3 days in the past week. We've also been to playgrounds and parks. I try to think of things she'll enjoy and that won't require too much work from her. Gracie's days really vary right now. She goes from being a strong, confident girl to a fearful, demanding brat. When the latter shows up I try to remember how hard this all must be on her. Thank God I have Doug- for a million reasons, but it especially helps right now to know that he will be home each night at dinnertime to help with Gracie. My daughter is a beautiful, brilliant, capable girl who deserves every ounce of my energy and patience. I'm happy that I remember this even on the hard days.