Today's win did not look like a win to anyone else but us.
Today’s win was not that the grocery store trip went perfectly. The win was that, in the middle of a really hard moment, my kiddo let us support him and we did not have to go home early.
Choices can be overwhelming for him, and when he was asked which apples he wanted, it became too much. He got upset, laid down in the aisle, and vocalized loudly enough to draw a lot of attention.
What made me so proud was how he worked through those big feelings. He used some of his words, accepted co-regulation and support from us, and stayed connected. A year ago, he likely would have pushed us away. Today, he let us in.
I was also grateful for the people around us. They gave us space, tried not to stare, and did not step in or make the situation harder. That kindness mattered more than…


