Pizza

In this edition of Flash Forward Friday, I share a recent trip Mikey and I had to his favorite local grocery store, Stew Leonard’s.  He likes to get a slice of pizza each time we go to the store and although he has a weight problem now, I still let him get one every time we’re there.

I know this is controversial and I know that he would have a longer and healthier life if I restricted his food more. That said, he takes great joy from his food and I do try to limit portions or the number of meals and snacks in a given day.  Within that framework, he may choose what he wants to eat.

My Thinking

Mikey is not able to get his driver’s license. He can’t go out with pals on a Friday night. He doesn’t have any secrets from his mom. Mikey is not hyper-aware of these differences between himself and typical teenagers, but as his mom, I grieve those losses for him.

He goes to school (an incredibly wonderful, supportive school) that works tirelessly to help him live the best life possible, but there is ALWAYS an adult by his side. At home, he might watch TV in a room by himself or walk around our backyard with the dog, but other than that, he is constantly supervised. If Dave or I need to go out, Will stays with him. He does not have any of the independence that the teen years usually provide.

Think about your life if you had people with you every waking hour making decisions for you. It literally makes me itchy thinking about it.

So, if he wants to choose the food he puts in his mouth, I try to give him a lot of leeway in that area.  I try to let him choose his schedule on off-days. If he’d like to go see the train or sit outside for a while or watch a particular TV show, I try to do him a solid and make it happen. 

If I were an adult and needed care (take note, Will – you might be in charge in my geriatric years), I would very much like for my caregivers to give me some pizza if I really want some.  So, we do the same for Mikey.