Let’s face it – Change is scary. Especially if you’re a kid.
From the time they are babies, children like things to be predictable. Regular feedings, regular bedtimes, consistent rituals — all of these things help a child feel safe, secure and loved.
So when I had to talk to my 8-year-old son this weekend about the changes that are about to take place in his routine I wasn’t looking forward to his reaction.
I knew he wouldn’t be happy about the new visitation schedule that is being put into place this week. Frankly, I’m not that happy about it either but it is what it is and it was what needed to be done to end a very stressful and drawn out custody battle.
Of course there was a part of me that wanted my ex to have to break the news to our son – after all, he was the one that started this fight so shouldn’t he be responsible for dealing with our son’s tears? But I knew in my heart I was the only one that could have this conversation in a way that wouldn’t freak our son out.
I thought long and hard about what I would say to him. I wanted to make sure I approached the change in a positive way so he had less anxiety about it. I also wanted to highlight the things that were going to stay the same so he knew that his world was not completely flipping upside down.
While I got through the conversation, it wasn’t an easy one. It hurt my heart when he began to cry and discuss his fears about the situation.
“I don’t like this change,” he repeated over and over again, all weekend long.
I wanted so badly to explain to him that I did the best I could – that if he only knew how hard I fought for his happiness over the last six months he might understand this small change was really to protect him from something that could’ve been so much worse.
Of course I couldn’t, so instead I wrapped my arms around him, reassured him all would be ok, told him to trust me, and explained that while change is sometimes scary it often turns into something fun.
When I put him to bed after our conversation I was drained. I needed an escape from the heaviness of what had just happened.
I’d put on my big girl pants and now I was ready to rip them off. After I poured myself a drink, I sat down on my couch and started flipping through my DVR for something funny to lighten my mood. It was then I remembered I’d started watching a show on Amazon Prime earlier in the week, but never finished it.
Someone had suggested to me how hilarious this Amazon pilot was and from the ten minutes I’d seen already it seemed they were right. Seriously, The Rebels had me snort-laughing from the opening scene.
Now was the perfect time to push play again – I needed a laugh!
It’s funny because as I watched, I not only laughed but I also realized I had more in common with the main character of this comedy than I thought I would.
Julie is facing some major changes when her husband suddenly dies and leaves her as sole owner of his pro-football team, The LA Rebels. I don’t want to give too much away, but this former cheerleader turned “Real Housewife” shouldn’t be mistaken for a ditz – she’s got some lady-balls and knows how to use them under pressure.
Definitely check out this tv show if you need several giggles, or a reminder that while change is scary it often becomes less so when you laugh and treat it like an adventure.
Hello, that’s my motto!
The Rebels pilot is free to watch with Amazon Prime and if you don’t have Amazon Prime, there is a free 30 day trial. If you love the episode as much as I did, make sure you rate it 5 stars – your vote decides whether or not the show will get picked up for tv – and damn it, I’d like it to get picked up so I have another episode in my arsenal next time I need to laugh my single mom stress away!
