The following was written by a Head Start & ECEAP staff member.
Last year in class, I had a boy named Evan. He is the only child of a woman who never really desired having children. Mom is a very caring woman and has embraced motherhood as best as she can.
Evan, at the age of four, weighed 89 pounds. Due to some lack of confidence associated with weight, he was standoffish and did not socialize with his peers. By November’s Parent/Teacher conference, mom was beginning to question where her son was socially and emotionally in comparison to the rest of the kids in his age group. In class, we had been discussing “just for fun food” vs. healthy options. During our conference, mom and I discussed serving size and body mass index.
By January, Even was making statements along the line, “I think my stomach is comfortable” and “I think I’ll let my body rest and think about what it wants.” By the end of February, Evan was running and playing with the other children. By March, Evan had developed four close friendships. He was sharing his skills with confidence and his peers adored him for it.
During our last conference with mom, she stated that she was amazed at all of Evan’s growth and how far he had come out of his shell. With all of the work my family support staff did with his mom, she was able to connect on a deeper level with her child and we could see changes in her, as well.
From Hope, To Change
-Kent Youth and Family Services
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