"My oldest son was nine years old - but acted 35 - when I became a single mom. "Wise beyond his years" was the way he was described by every adult who knew him. When I told him and his little brother that we were separating, that we were moving two hours away and they would be starting school in a new town, he watched me with his serious eyes. He watched to see how I was feeling before he reacted."
"So careful, my little boy, so aware of who he might upset or what might be needed of him. This is the moment that I made a pact with myself and to him that I would not let him grow up too fast because of me. He had an innate need to be the man of the house, even before my ex and I separated."
A nine-year-old son demonstrated unusually mature, protective behavior, monitoring adults' emotions and responding with care. He became deeply involved in caregiving for his newborn sibling, seeking to soothe and stay close. The child took on household responsibilities such as reminding the family about mealtimes, offering homework help, and wanting to walk siblings to school. The parent made a deliberate pact to prevent the child from growing up too quickly and to avoid turning him into a co-parent. Persistent tension developed as the child's inclination to lead and protect continued to challenge boundaries and parental intentions.
Read at Scary Mommy
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