Your First Stumbling Blocks

Stumbling blocks get in the way of your success. They sound like something you would not want to have. Actually, you are supposed to run into stumbling blocks. If you don’t run into any stumbling blocks, then you and your child are not learning. Stumbling blocks are a signal that true learning is about to occur. Here are some examples of how stumbling blocks are likely to show up:

• Confusion. You might not know which Goal, Objective, or Jump Starter to choose. There may be too many choices. Or, you’ve chosen a first step, but you don’t know what it should look like. Or, you started to be successful, and then you got stuck.

• Anxiety or fear. You might be avoiding that first step because you want to avoid the feeling of failure. You might be avoiding the next step, even if you started out being successful, because this next step seems too hard. Maybe you are afraid of doing this work on your own. Maybe you are afraid that your child won’t love you.

• Resistance or anger. You might be avoiding a first step or the next step because you did not realize how much work is involved and feel that you have too much to do already. Maybe you are angry with your child, your child’s other parent, or yourself for making this so hard.

• Misperception. You might think that being a parent was just not supposed to be this hard. Maybe you wonder if you were given the wrong child. If your child has a disability, you might think that professionals are supposed to change your child, not you.

Stumbling blocks are part of the process of becoming your child’s best teacher. They are part of what it takes to make your child into the best version of themselves. They are also part of what allows you to become your best version of you. Plan on running into Stumbling Blocks. Have a strategy for noticing them. Have a strategy for discovering them and addressing them. Welcome them. Once you figure out why you are feeling anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed, it won’t feel like the Stumbling Block is so big any more. You’ll learn how to work around them or overcome them.