These drawings from her series of flowers, trees, and cacti are from the fall and winter of last year . . .
We're not art therapists, but it looked to Fathersvox and I that she was, bit by bit, feeling settled. Between September and January the image of the solitary flower gave way to the image of field of blossoms, and even the cactus in the beating sun could send down roots in search of nourishment.
With her medication changed, and the help of her amazing one-on-one, Sweet M was feeling connected. Disrupting that would have been foolish, though allowing the school to eliminate the services of her one-on-one seems to have been almost as disruptive.
Last week Sweet M brought home this image she'd drawn . . .
A single flower blossoming under a delicious yellow sun, but singular once again.
2 comments:
When my daughter was Sweet M.'s age, she used to "anthropomorphize" animals -- particularly wolves -- and analyze their social relationships and draw them endlessly. I found many of "Sweet R."'s drawings where she had clearly identified herself as the little wolf who had been "left out of the pack". It's very common for kids this age to feel alienated and adrift, even kids who appear "popular" and claim that they have "lots of friends". And the dislike of school and its onerous routine is universal! This is the age when they realize that school, and life, can be "no fun". But I realize that, in Sweet M.'s case, for her to disengage can have serious consequences, so your concern is particularly acute. I just wanted to let you know that some of this angst is universal for this age group. Hang in there!
Thanks so much for that Monica. I so often think that she's the only one struggling, but of course they all are. It's the painful process of regimentation that school entails for everyone.
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