Being a big brother is tough. Having to set examples, having to make the right choices, and having to watch what a younger sibling is doing just to name a few. However, I have never met a child who has waited so long for a baby sister or brother as Wayne has, and who truly embraces the responsibility.
With most older siblings, you have had to worry about jealousy and regression/ rebellion. With Wayne and knowing what I have learned about autistic siblings, I had to worry about other reactions. Wayne has always been a gentle spirit, would it really change with a baby in the house? Actually it did! Wayne wanted to wrestle and rough house a lot. When the baby came, he started to be more gentle with it. He also blossomed. The baby would be doing something soon that he was scared to do. With a little sister, Wayne has jumped off heights, worried about hurting her, and made a true friend.
Now, we are expecting baby #3, and with this expectation, Wayne is being pushed into yet another dimension. At 11, and developmentally ready, he is learning self motivation (yes, it can be taught, I need a teacher) and how to be a team player in the house. These new skills will be put to the test when this next little one comes into our life. However, with him still being a novice, I pray for patience, and guiding words to help help him solve his problems both which I lack some times.
There are just 11 more days of Autism Awareness Month, and through this journey of focusing on Wayne in blogs, I have learned, that I as a parent still have a lot more to learn about my child and his "Waynisms." Autism is not a curse or a disease or a disability in our house. It is the explanation for all the "Waynisms" that occur.
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