As Keisha has been getting closer & closer to puberty my worry has been increasing. How would the change in hormones effect her, subsequently all of us who live with her? How do I keep my dangerously niave, stunningly beautiful girl safe? What can I do as her mother to change the pattern of addiction & low standard of living that has ravages it's way through her birthfamily? Genetics, RAD & FASD make a difficult maze to navigate.
As she is my first teenage daughter this will be an adventure for both of us. Since she moved in at 3, I have been encouraging modesty. Which for most children is a natural awareness. Not for my girl. With the consistent help & support of our family& friends she seems to have some concept of physical boundaries now. This has taken a huge amount of repetition & consistency from everyone in her life. She is no longer wrapping herself around random strangers. However, her impulse to " hug-on" people has not mellowed at all. I don't suppose I'll ever truly let my guard down.
Over the last 6 or so months her body has started to change...puberty is here ! She's now needing to wear a bras with everything, deodorant is a must, she's asked me about shaving her legs & such and her cycle has started( without out any major side effects) !!! However, there have been some unexpected perk. The girl who has never slept well is finally sleeping. She's still taking melatonin and I've maintained her regular sleep routine. She's now falling asleep within an hour or so and staying asleep throughout the night. She hasn't been sleep walking/wondering during the night. And if that wasn't enough there hasn't been any food hoarding for months now. I'm crossing my fingers...here's hoping that this is not just another phase !!
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