My daughter was literally bouncing off the walls inter-utero. I have the ultrasound photos to prove it. Within a minute of being born the mid-wife declared, “She’s spunky.” Tonic is the word she used, as in tonic bubbly water. (Elle est tonique.) At 35 weeks lethargy is the norm, but what can I say, she’s always been precocious. First day of pre-school (maternelle), the teacher pulls me aside to inform me, “She’s spunky.” (Elle est tonique.) I shouldn’t be surprised that at 11 years old her camp counselors describe her as, “She’s spunky.” (Elle est tonique.)
But being spuky is not a malfunction. In fact it is what helped her survive her early birth.
The dysregulation results when exterior expectations are unrealistic for her. And in some cases this dysregulation can become hard-wired when it becomes the norm. I can also observe the effects COVID-19 confinement and restrictions had in re-wiring her brain to distrust, disengage academically, outburst, and panic. Like cart wheels following a rut on the road – it is taking us a long time to carve a new healthier path and we still fall into the rut from time to time that was carved by trauma response and still keeps some of my family members on high alert daily.