One of the most haunting problems I feel as a parent is when people have spent "time" with Gavin and say he was a perfect angel. You're probably saying to yourself how could that be bad?
The truth is I hate to hear that from people. The reason being that it makes me feel like a failure. Gavin does so well for "them" it must be "me". It is so demoralizing. The reality is that most people see Gavin as this sweet innocent child. They see him this way because no one ever spends enough time with him to see everything. That's not meant to be a slam on anyone either, just a fact.
The problem lies in the fact that when he is "visiting" someone they tend to entertain him, which you would expect. As his parents we get the brunt of everything because we challenge him and he doesn't get away with anything. This is what he doesn't like. He hates to be challenged or caught lying.
The sooner people see Gavin for who he actually is the better his chances are in life. He needs the strict rules and structure or he will have no chance at any type of independence in the future. Treating him like a victim and getting sucked in by his masterful manipulation skills is a dis-service to him.
Lost and Tired
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Amen to that!
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