The following is an excerpt from a blog post from an RDI mom and was originally published in 2013. Read the full article here that includes video footage.
Each time I reflect on our video footage I am always overwhelmed by what I see in front of me. This boy of mine has come so far and he continuously astounds me with his progress. It goes without saying that we have a fabulous team of people behind us and Nick’s growth is also attributable to their input . However, my RDI blog posts are all about my relationship with my son, how I am learning to guide him, how his development is moving forward and how he is beginning to engage with the world around him.
Nick knows that he can look to me for guidance and reassurance. He trusts me and is very aware that I am not going to push him too far past his comfort zone. I take him to his edge of competence and then a tiny bit more.
It is mind blowing that we as a family can now be spontaneous and go out for lunch at an unknown restaurant, or have a morning like we did yesterday…. we decided to go for a walk at our local Botanical Gardens, however, as we were walking and chatting, it started to rain and we had to make a mad dash for the car. Quick change of plan lead us to visiting a very busy and noisy coffee shop (note: I do have the iPad on hand for occasions like this just in case the sensory overload is too much). On the way home, we decided to pop into the store to pick up some ingredients for supper. No worries, Nick came with us and he took on the role of pushing the trolley and in fact, we also had a good laugh.
Related: Trust: The Secret Ingredient of the MindGuiding Relationship
The video clips show that he is feeling comfortable with what we are doing. For sure, there a few subtle signs of when he is feeling a little bit challenged BUT we ride through it because he wants to keep going. There is no pressure on him to perform and as his feelings of competence increase so does his desire to keep trying even when the challenge is a bit overwhelming. We don’t have meltdowns or hissy fits in our house, although I do admit to throwing my toys on occasion (but that is just me!).
The activities that we do together are not the reason behind our progress, they are just the props! The progress is due to our growing relationship, my guidance and Nick’s increasing confidence, flexibility and personal competence.
Our journey is about two people and how we relate to each other and also learn from each other. I am parenting the RDI way and it is working
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