Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Mommy Temper Tantrum

I wanted to throw a temper tantrum at work the other day. A project was dumped on me with little warning, and I had no idea how to complete it. Being given a huge list of requirements without the technical knowledge to complete the project was very upsetting. My boss happened to be out on vacation, so I had no immediate support. Yes, throwing something seemed like a great idea at the time.

The next morning I really didn't want to go into the office. I hadn't slept well, and my stomach was in a knot. I had no idea how I was going to pull this project off, but knew that I didn't have any choice. I was not in a good mood.

As I drove into work I realized that I was going through what Michael faces almost daily. His teacher occasionally sends home classwork that he doesn't manage to complete in school for him to do at home. Sometimes, it's pretty easy to see where he gets lost and needs help getting started, sometimes it's not so obvious. But, I can imagine him sitting down with a new activity and just being scared and overwhelmed.

I am going to try and take the lessons I learned from my project at work and see if I can help Michael map out a strategy for dealing with project anxiety. As I calmed down and tried to approach the project step by step, things got easier and much less scary. I would love to see him develop the skills to take things slowly, one at a time. I certainly don't want to condone having a temper tantrum in school, but this week, I'm a little more understanding!

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