The List

Some Positive Progression in A since starting the Program (things that may seem normal, but in most cases I have never seen him do before):

He gets dressed without me asking him to
He puts his pants back on after going to the bathroom (for years we have called him "the Flasher" because he was always naked after the bathroom)
He puts his shoes on by himself when I ask him to
He feels empathy for others
He is more calm
He plays with children in the neighborhood
He is active in play
He plays imaginatively
He sits in the back of the car on long car rides without bothering his brother (this is big, folks!)
He notices kind things that other people do for him
He is not bothered by the textures of clothing and blankets anymore
He has not had a total meltdown tantrum for weeks
He does not hit or bite as often
He stays at the dinner table for dinner
He follows directions that I give him
He is happy!
He has lost weight and fits clothes appropriate for his age (before he didn't fit any clothes and had to wear his older brother's clothing which looked odd...)
He doesn't jump on people as much
When visitors come to the door he does not get in their face as much
He is much stronger and able to play better at the park
His balance has dramatically improved and he is suddenly able to ride a bike well
He is more engaged in Primary
He does not bully the kids in the neighborhood or at the park
He does not bully his brothers
He has not been spanked or put in time out for weeks
He feels much more confident and content

The Brand-New Day

We are almost done with the first part of the Brain Balance program (the official portion that involves going to the center), and I can honestly say that we have seen dramatic improvement in A. Actually, I didn't even realize how much improvement we have seen and made as a family until I re-read some of my posts from January. Wow! I hate to throw around words like "dramatic" and "miracle" when talking about this because I don't want to give the wrong impression about his progression in the past months and I don't want to come across as melodramatic. However, looking back, it has truly been miraculous for us. We have seen changes and improvements in A that I was hoping to see and we have seen changes and improvements in A that I didn't even realize needed improving. Heck, we've seen changes in the entire family. 

To be totally honest with you, in the past I had personally characterized A negatively and authoritatively (as if this is just "how he is"). I had labeled him in my mind primarily as a "Lazy kid" or a "Bully" or just a smarty-pants that struggled with proper behavior simply because he wanted to. And I am realizing how unhealthy that was to think of him that way and treat him that way (and let others think of and treat him that way). Through doing this program I have seen so much goodness in A, so much intent to do good, so much determination and endurance, and so much charity. 

He is still himself--a firecracker funny and interesting child. Which is great! I was talking to a friend several weeks ago about some concerns she was seeing in her child and we talked a little about the Brain Balance program. She kind of recoiled and said that she wasn't concerned about "changing her child." And that caught me off guard. I hadn't realized that I had been talking all of this time in a way that made others feel like I wanted to "change" A. Or maybe I was just speaking of the program in terms of its abilities in "changing" a person. 

This is so unfortunate that I came across this way because the concepts taught in the Brain Balance program are applicable in every home. Really! I can now see clearly some of the implications of brain development (appropriate and/or delayed) in the children (and adults!) all around me. I have learned so much about children, about myself, about growing brains and bodies, about our abilities to overcome and progress,  and about giving grace to others on their personal journey through mortal life.

I don't believe that the Brain Balance program is a panacea (I don't think anything is). However I have found, through this process in the program, simple tools that have encouraged and produced a much happier and far more balanced son.