Hmmm - lacking in resilience 🤔
My granddaughter (year 2) is also lacking in collagen. She's extremely hyper-mobile (her mum has EDS and we suspect she does). Her elbows and knees hyperextend so much it makes everyone cringe and recoil. She has proprioception issues. She has flat feet and wears deep, cupped inserts in all footwear. Her hips, knees and shins are constantly painful. Despite the orthotics, she still runs with a heavy, bent forwards gait. She's tall for her age, very skinny and unfortunately - very unco-ordinated. She can't ride a scooter. She can't ride a bicycle. She can't balance on a balance bike.
She came last in all five races last year - and by massive margins. Although the school staff were supportive and encouraging and enthusiastically cheered her on to keep going until she finished, others were not so 'nice' and were sniggering and rolling their eyes at the amount of time she took to get to the finish line.
She was in tears during the sack race - who in their right mind would put a child with suspected ASD, dyspraxia and dyslexia in a sack and make them jump? She fell many times along the way and was still made to finish the course - several minutes after everyone else had finished.
I can't tell you how this made me feel - watching her sob along track and being made to finish - because it builds resilience. I don't know about that, but she has nightmares about it. She's begging not to do sports day this year - again sobbing and shaking at the thought of it.
She's not sporty. She's not academic. When asked how she feels at school - she says 'lonely'.
I certainly don't want to watch her go through hell again this year. I've told mum that I can't bear to watch it all again but I feel I have to go or she'll notice and ask me why I didn't turn up.
Her physiotherapist goes into school regularly to see her - I'm thinking of asking her opinion about putting her through this ordeal again this year - I would love to hear that she didn't have to endure it.
I'm fully aware that someone has to come last in races, but finishing in 'the pack' shortly after the 'winner' and finishing several minutes after peers is a different kettle of fish.
She excels with regards to the Harry Potter books. She has encyclopaedic/photographic knowledge of all the books. She recites huge chunks of text. She answers questions with great detail - knows which book, chapter and page to find the correct information from. She's obsessed. No one can touch her Harry Potter collection. Her knowledge of this subject would make her appear to be a genius but her knowledge comes from a narrow field of not so well written literature.
I feel that no one can justify a competitive sports day in her instance - but let's forge ahead and build her 'resilience' - eh?
Here's to another sack race!