My growing 11-year-old. If you have been on my Instagram, you will see I don't post about my son that much. The reason is that social media can be cruel sometimes, especially to people. But I have learned that what you say does not define me as a mom or my child. Plus, he doesn't want to take pictures most of the time, but he's coming around to it.

1. Child's Safety

Not Knowing if our child is around safe people. That unknown is scary, especially for me, because of my son's communication. I struggled with a lot of things dealing with his safety. I almost felt like I couldn't work because it was like, who could I trust with my child. Kids with autism have the most challenging time communicating what they feel, what they want, and what they need sometimes. Sometimes they are unaware of the situation and don't know how to express themselves.

So when it comes to my child's safety I get very afraid and like most parent something happens to my child I don't know what I would do.

2. Being Independent

Learning that my child had autism when he was three years old, especially with me being a young parent, scared me because I wanted to make sure my son could have a life of his own. I want my son to go about his life freely without feeling lost or confused about what's going on in the world or like he can't get through his own life without help. Everyday trying to making sure my son is able to have is own life is stressful in away because you worry that as a parent are doing things the right way.

3. Growth

Every day I question myself as a parent and wonder if my child's development will be okay. My son is smart as a whip and also a little sneaky (lol). I'm focusing on my son's growth because I don't want him to get far behind. I don't want him to feel like I can't do this or I can't do that. That's a hard pill to swallow, knowing your child may feel this way or have these emotions. But I want my son to feel like he's on track with his life, like every other kid. That is what most of us want as parents.

4. Nutrition

Getting my son to eat the right foods was a real struggle for me as a parent. When he first started eating regular food, I had him eating all kinds of food. But once he was diagnosed with autism, it was like his eating habits changed. Then came my frustration because I wanted my child to eat properly and I wanted to make sure he got proper nutrition. But he became such a picky eater, and it literally drove me crazy trying to get him to eat better. But today he eats a whole lot better.

5. Making New Friends

When it comes to my son making new friends it made me a little bit fearful because i feel like kids wouldn't understand what s truly going on with I'm or why he talks differently. This is still a working progress because he has made some but i want to make sure my son is happy and grows up with a rememberable child hood.