For the most part, anything with the word “new” in it does not go over well in my family. We are all creatures of habit, and it’s hard to say who the worst offender is.
My son is a junior high student and typically developing. He avoids new foods at all costs. Whenever we go out to a restaurant, he orders cheese pizza or a plain cheeseburger much to the dismay of my husband. I can hardly fault the boy for refusing anything new because I ordered chicken strips about 1,000 times as a child. My son also loves his routine. If I suggest that he change it up due to extra homework, he balks at the idea. He isn’t too keen on “new” unless it’s followed by Pokémon or video games.
My daughter is a teenager with a developmental disability. New foods do not bother her, but other things do. My daughter has a place for everything; if it’s moved an inch to a new spot, then there’s a problem. Her routine is also sacred to her, and it’s how she makes sense of her world. When she was younger and experienced a change in her routine, it was upsetting and confusing. She’s able to adjust better now, but for everyone’s sake, we try to keep things familiar. When she gets a favorite shirt, she will wear it as often as I wash it. A new shirt means nothing to her unless she absolutely loves it.
My husband is the most easy-going person in the house when it comes to new things. He loves trying new foods and going new places. He enjoys spontaneity unless it occurs during work hours. New is not necessarily a bad word for him.
Photo credit: Nick Fewings on Unsplash.com.
On the other hand, there’s me. I see behaviors in my children that reflect my personality traits. I too have certain spots for my purse and work papers. I have to fight the urge to move them when someone decides to place them in a new location. I don’t like going to new restaurants unless I can preview the menu first. New destinations or vacations require a great deal of online research for me. I tried going on vacation once without a solid plan and knowledge base; it’s not for me.
The word “new” may be exciting for many people. The majority of my household has a problem with that small but powerful word. New means different, unknown, scary, and unexpected. Old is familiar, predictable, safe, and comforting.
No matter how uncomfortable it is for us, January 1st brings a new year. There are days and months ahead that will bring new things for us. I am already aware of a few new things coming this year, like a new specialist for our daughter. There are plenty of new things that will assuredly happen unpredictably. The pandemic usually throws us a curveball, but how or when will remain a mystery.
I have to remind myself and my children that we need to embrace new things. Life is full of changes, and new things are bound to occur. With this in mind, I want to be excited about the new that 2022 will bring. I hope that this year, I can accept more spontaneous moments and be okay with “new." I want to truly have a happy new year. I pray this for all of you too!
Evana is a wife and mother of two children. She enjoys serving in her church’s special-needs ministry. Evana is also a pediatric speech-language pathologist and serves children with autism, feeding disorders, and other developmental delays. You can connect with Evana on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, A Special Purposed Life. You can also read more about her family’s story in her book, Badges of Motherhood: One Mother’s Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith.
