How you have grown

 You have grown. Not surprising really, given how long it has been since I last wrote to you, but a fact none the less. You are taller, as expected, but what I am really talking about is your maturity. At just 2 months past you 8th birthday I am seeing how you are learning to live in the emotional world. You recognise and articulate your impulses and urges. "I REALLY want to keep playing this video game!" when asked to finish and get ready to leave. "I just REALLY want to eat more of that!" when ask to choose a more healthy snack. However, now, instead of heading off into a tortured tantrum that descends into chaos, you step back, you calm yourself and you let reason have its say, "... but I'll turn it off". "... okay, I'll take the apple". 

You are also moving on with your academic challenges. You are still not, and may never be, well suited to learning by sitting down and repeating difficult tasks. Your brain (as does mine) will not let you focus on one mundane task, unless it excites you. The moment it becomes challenging and uncomfortable, you get distracted and look for something more rewarding to do with your time. Usually that means kicking some species of ball, indoors or out, or begging for screen time, TV or Nintendo. That is not to say that you do nothing that is hard. You are extremely able and can achieve a lot. You just lack a bit of patience with tasks you are not confident with. Maybe I can help you with that. There are two things I think you would benefit from learning right now, how to be bored and how to do things you don't want to do. Maybe, when reading this, we can check if we made any progress on these two?

You continue to show interest in sports, playing tennis, table tennis, rugby, football and anything else that comes along, to be honest. You just made the school team for a football match, under 10s, so playing against some bigger kids. You entered (and won) a tennis tournament and you got into the top ten for cross country trails in your year. Not only do you enjoy your sports, you have a lot of talent in it too. Hopefully we can expose you to as many sports as possible and you will find the ones that give you the most joy. 

As for me, I continue to grow and learn my role as your father. I make mistakes, quite often, but I am convinced I have your best at heart. They are honest mistakes, from a man who has little skill or expertise in dealing with the bundle of energy and emotion that you are. I try my hardest to remind you that I am just trying to guide your behaviour, not make you feel like you are not getting it right. I want you to love who you are, be aware of all the contradictions that a person is and know that my love for you is unconditional to who you decide to be. Again, we can check in on those goals when we read this. 

I look forward to seeing whats next for you and I am highly motivated to do my best for you. You are my son and I am proud of everything that you are x