This morning I got something every caregiver needs once in a while: proof. I’ve been feeling like mornings are smoother lately, but part of me didn’t fully trust it. Was it real progress? Or just a good week? Then my son’s OT pulled up her notes from a year ago. The difference was clear. More regulation. Smoother transitions. Better mood. And yes, I’m calmer too. Sometimes you’re so deep in the work that you can’t see how far you’ve come. 💛 What’s one area where you might be making more progress than you’re giving yourself credit for?
I moved my son's occupational therapy to this morning. Mornings are smoother. He's handling transitions so much better. It's documented progress. So if you're in the middle of something hard right now, don't forget that progress can be real.
Got home from a business trip last night, and all I wanted this morning was mine and my kiddo's version of normal. You know, shower, hopefully a couple of pieces of toast, mild to meaning, amount of teenage grumbling, you know, and a school departure without a lot of drama. But today we did something different. I moved his occupational therapy to this morning because we couldn't make it yesterday. And we used to do mornings way back in the day. And let me tell you, morning OT used to mean teenager energy means zero.
Sleep meets chaos. So I was bracing, but instead, he was awake. Chill. Started his routine without any dramatic flare. I'm proud of him. And while I was talking to his ot, she asked how mornings have been going since we switched to afternoons. And I started listing little wins. And even as I was saying them, I caught myself thinking, is that actually true, or am I just being hopeful? And then she pulled out her notes from a year ago. So she had data from receipts, evidence. And suddenly it wasn't just my tired mom anecdotal optimism.
It was documented progress. He is more regulated. Mornings are smoother. He's handling transitions so much better. And honestly, so am I. Because sometimes you're so deep in the work that you don't trust what you're seeing. You don't trust yourself. You don't trust the process. You just keep going, and then someone hands you proof. That's a relief. I could feel it in my shoulders. So if you're in the middle of something hard right now, don't forget that progress can be real, even when it's slow and quiet.
So what's one small thing that you've noticed lately that you haven't really given yourself credit for?
