Give Yourself Props!

Nick and Matt watching the Christmas
boats in Lake Washington.

Christmas was great.  But it is over.

Which always has me recounting the year, and I know that is what New Year's is for, but it is that week between Christmas and New Year's that gets my brain (and mommy guilt) working on overdrive.

It is like Christmas is the party that the year culminates in, and New Year's is the last hoo-rah before it is really over.  By New Year's, I will have had 6 straight days of mentally recapping my year.  This year, I plan to only focus on the positives. 

Usually, I would say, "This year has been OK, but what really matters is that we are moving forward with XYZ therapy, strategy, new medication, and Plan."  This year, I don't want to spend those 6 days focusing on what I haven't finished, didn't do well or could do better. 

That's right.  NO New Year's Resolution for me.  Nope.  Not gonna do it.

Why?

Because parenting kids like mine - living the life we are all living - never allows us to step back and say, "You know what?  I did a damn good job in 2010."

Yes, there are new therapies on the horizon for my boys (iLS and CBT) and you all know that I am making plans for just about everything next year - from Kindergarten in the fall for Matt to whether or not Nick will make it into Highly Capable Program (you know that like 33% of gifted kids have sensory issues?) and the constant dance that is managing Gabriel's complicated regimen of meds, which for the third year in a row, I am thinking this will be the year we get it right....  So, yes, I am thinking of all the things I have to do....

Yet, I am forcing myself to do an all positive 6-Day-Mental-Recap this week.  And I am encouraging all of you to do the same.

Give yourself props!  What have you done well?  What did you do for your kids?  For yourself?  Are you managing a new diagnosis?  Dealing with meds and/or therapy?  Did you join a support group?  Or maybe you just SURVIVED?

You have the rest of the year - no less than 359 days - to beat yourself up about what more you could be doing for your kiddo, but not this week.  This week is all about what you did well.

Not sure you can do it?  Let me help...
I'll start: 

"2010 was a great year!"  My family went on a super-awesome-and-relaxing vacation to Mexico and a hysterical trip to Canada, I had the privilege of launching my book, and adding insanely talented contributors to my blog.  I also changed Gabe's school allowing him to make friends which is a true accomplishment!  I had a ridiculously great time at the SPD Symposium where I spent the first night away from my family in YEARS, hosted a rockin' Parent Dinner (complete with kick-ass giveaways) with Carrie Fannin, and we managed to launch the first ever SPD Awareness Calendar.  I finally got Matt's Asperger's diagnosis and Nick's attended his first NFL football game.  Oh, and I hosted an insanely fun and successful 30 SPD Stories in 30 Days! 

That my friends is what I call an AWESOME year. 

Now it is your turn:  Leave me a comment and tell me what GREAT thing(s) you did in 2010 - big or small, it doesn't matter - so long as you take this time to give yourself the credit you deserve!