My son gets right up ON the TV to watch it, and has since he was pretty young. Recently, though, I've noticed that one of his eyes will kinda "wander" when he's focusing. It really freaks me out! Anyway, his preschool did two routine eye exams this year, and he failed them both! After taking him to the eye doctor, we discovered that he is extremely far-sighted.
I feel so bad! I'm his mom! I should have taken him to the eye doctor long before he started looking cock-eyed! This whole time my baby boy has been unable to see two feet in front of him! When the doctor put the right lenses over his eyes, he said, "Wow, daddy! I can see really, really good now!" My husband felt like a loser and wanted to cry. How could we deprive our little boy by hindering his ability to really see Diego and baby Jaguar. :-(
So now my baby needs glasses... We picked some out together, and he got a cute little soccer carrying case. He was excited! Me?? Not so much. I don't want my little baby to wear glasses. I have this bad feeling about the reactions of the kids at school.
It may seem petty and ridiculous, but I don't want my kid to be a geek! I don't want other boys to call him "four eyes." I'll be mortified if some girl calls him ugly because of those glasses. It's superficial, I know, but kids ARE SUPERFICIAL!
I think my little boy is the cutest thing on earth - even with his very stylish and totally adorable glasses. In addition, he is so loving and tender-hearted. I just cannot imagine him taking such criticism without having his feelings crushed. My daughter would respond with a vicious beat down, but I don't know about E.
Now I know that looks don't matter, blah, blah, blah... Yea, well try telling that to a morbidly obese 15-year-old with braces and severe acne! Sadly, looks seem to be ALL that matters for the first 18+ years of a person's life.
I once saw a 20/20 segment where they sent two people for a job. One fat, ugly person with wonderful credentials and one good-looking person with okay credentials. Guess who got the job??? I'll give you a hint; it wasn't the one with the best resume.
I don't make this stuff up! It happens every day. Anyone have an ugly friend in medical sales? Have you ever noticed a drug rep in your doctor's office? It's usually someone young, cute, and nicely dressed. In fact, that is exactly what those companies look for when recruiting college grads. Of course, that's not part of the job description because that would be wrong (and a lawsuit in the makings). But let's face it - eye candy makes the world more bearable.
Back to E... I know he'll be fine, but I still get this knot in the pit of my stomach just thinking about the possibility of him being an outcast. Heck, I pray that neither of my kids are outcasts. God knows, anything that makes a kid "different" in any way can have a potentially devasting effect. Different + Quiet = FREAK! in any school.
I feel so bad! I'm his mom! I should have taken him to the eye doctor long before he started looking cock-eyed! This whole time my baby boy has been unable to see two feet in front of him! When the doctor put the right lenses over his eyes, he said, "Wow, daddy! I can see really, really good now!" My husband felt like a loser and wanted to cry. How could we deprive our little boy by hindering his ability to really see Diego and baby Jaguar. :-(
So now my baby needs glasses... We picked some out together, and he got a cute little soccer carrying case. He was excited! Me?? Not so much. I don't want my little baby to wear glasses. I have this bad feeling about the reactions of the kids at school.
It may seem petty and ridiculous, but I don't want my kid to be a geek! I don't want other boys to call him "four eyes." I'll be mortified if some girl calls him ugly because of those glasses. It's superficial, I know, but kids ARE SUPERFICIAL!
I think my little boy is the cutest thing on earth - even with his very stylish and totally adorable glasses. In addition, he is so loving and tender-hearted. I just cannot imagine him taking such criticism without having his feelings crushed. My daughter would respond with a vicious beat down, but I don't know about E.
Now I know that looks don't matter, blah, blah, blah... Yea, well try telling that to a morbidly obese 15-year-old with braces and severe acne! Sadly, looks seem to be ALL that matters for the first 18+ years of a person's life.
I once saw a 20/20 segment where they sent two people for a job. One fat, ugly person with wonderful credentials and one good-looking person with okay credentials. Guess who got the job??? I'll give you a hint; it wasn't the one with the best resume.
I don't make this stuff up! It happens every day. Anyone have an ugly friend in medical sales? Have you ever noticed a drug rep in your doctor's office? It's usually someone young, cute, and nicely dressed. In fact, that is exactly what those companies look for when recruiting college grads. Of course, that's not part of the job description because that would be wrong (and a lawsuit in the makings). But let's face it - eye candy makes the world more bearable.
Back to E... I know he'll be fine, but I still get this knot in the pit of my stomach just thinking about the possibility of him being an outcast. Heck, I pray that neither of my kids are outcasts. God knows, anything that makes a kid "different" in any way can have a potentially devasting effect. Different + Quiet = FREAK! in any school.
Gosh, being a parent is so hard! My instincts want me to protect them from everything painful or uncomfortable. And when you can't do so, you feel so helpless! All I can do is maintain a healthy, loving relationship with my kids, though. I have to fight the urge! I will not try to resuce them from all that ills them. I'll allow them to experience the unfairness of the world on their own. Of course, I will be here to lick their wounds and wipe their tears, but I can't fight all their battles.
I know it is clique, but I honestly believe that adversity DOES build character. People who live in perfect "bubbles" tend to be the frailest and most ill-prepared when faced with life's challenges. (WARNING: This next part is a downer!) My dearly departed childhood friend is proof of that. Her parents protected and provided for her for 39 years. When it was no longer possible to do so, she crumbled and took her own life. I know it's a sad, extreme example, but it's reality.
I'm just going to encourage E, and give him lots of hugs while he (and everyone else) gets used to his new set of eyes. He's just glad to finally be able to see! And when the first person ridicules E for wearing glasses, I'm going to resist the urge to whip that kid's a$$. I won't call his parents either. I'll comfort E's beautiful, happy soul instead...
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