Giving My Child the Gift of Time | Episode 28
Episode 28: From Autism Diagnosis to College Freshman
Giving my child the gift of time.
In Episode 28, we discuss one of the most valuable resources we can give children as they grow and develop:
Time.
I have never been in a rush with my son.
My background in early childhood and human development taught me that skills build upon skills. I understood that there were foundational skills he needed before he would be prepared to develop the next level of skills, and I wanted to give each stage of his development the time it required.
That belief was actually planted in me years before I became a mother.
When I was 26 years old and teaching in South Korea, a mother explained during a parent-teacher conference that she had given her daughter “the gift of time” by having her repeat a grade.
I would never have known.
The child I knew was an eager and successful second-grade student.
That mother’s decision stayed with me.
Years later, my own son was eligible to begin kindergarten at 4 years old, and I had a decision to make.
I gave him the gift of time.
We spent another year together at home, where I could continue serving as the primary guide of his academic and social-emotional development.
That year mattered.
It gave us time to further solidify his identity before he entered the K–12 school environment. It also gave me time to establish the life-skills curriculum that I would run concurrently with his academic education throughout his K–12 journey.
Fifteen years later, I can see what that gift of time helped make possible.
Today, as an Oak Tree, my son is a thriving college student who completed his first semester with a 4.0. He is also one of the most diligent people I know.
Through the lens of the Village Engagement Matrix™, every developmental stage matters because each stage helps establish the foundation for what comes next.
Sometimes moving a child forward means giving them more time exactly where they are.
The days are long.
But the years are oh soooo short.
And sometimes, one of the greatest gifts we can give a child is time.
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