Back in November I blogged about our challenges with gym class. I wrote a post called, “Where does physical education class fit in your child’s curriculum?” Back then we were at a very tumultuous point in our daughters’ school life. What to others seems like no big deal for her is a matter of coping without crumbling. Hey, I kind of like that analogy “Coping without crumbling!”. It really is a matter of being in the moment without the moment overwhelming you to the point of debilitating your life’s’ experiences. As we’ve learned in the past in order to move through these moments we need to understand the strategies that she needs to cope. So here’s what we decided:

• She has a timer that she sets for 10 minutes.
• She starts the timer and keeps it with her as a visual reminder of the time remaining.
• For that 10 minutes it is expected that she sit in her squad and then begin to participate.
• Once the 10 minutes is finish she makes the choice: if she’s feeling okay and safe to stay she will remain in the gym. If she’s feeling overwhelmed or anxious she goes up to the special resources room and spends the remainder of class with an Education Assistant exploring the theme that they are working in gym class.
• The key here is that the choice is up to her.

We’ve had this in place now for a few weeks and almost immediately it was met with success; in that she would make the choice and sometimes sit at the sidelines and watch and others she’d choose to go upstairs. Either way she was in control.

Yesterday was her gym day and she came home absolutely over the moon with pride about her accomplishment in gym.  She did her 10 minutes and went over to the teacher and asked what she should do now? The teacher reassured her of her choices and she asked if she could stay and play. So without a second thought she grabbed a badminton racket and a ball and found her spot with a friend just like everyone else and played.

How magical is that?

When she came home she couldn’t even speak fast enough to tell me what happened and I thought to myself, “Here’s my greatest Christmas gift”.

I hope this post leaves you inspired that there is a bright future for all children we just need to help them along by believing in them, encouraging them, reassuring them and letting them find their place by giving the tools to help them take control of their lives.

“Christmas gifts don’t lie underneath the tree. They lie within our hearts, through our actions and in the accomplishments of loved ones. Embracing every moment let’s us see all the magic that warms our hearts on a cold winters day.” Quote by Darlene Wierski-Devoe

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