For eight years, José María Giménez thought his son wasn’t listening to him.
“Hey, I’m talking to you—show me some respect”, he would say.
The 31-year-old Uruguayan center-back didn’t know it, but he was scolding a child who couldn’t help it. The reality, he said in an interview with the Mutual Uruguaya de Futbolistas, was different: that was how his son’s mind worked.
He found out recently. Josema was diagnosed with ADHD. So was his eight-year-old son, with the same diagnosis, at the same time. When they explained that the disorder is hereditary, he burst into tears. He cried over everything he hadn’t understood during those eight years.
He also came to understand his own childhood. He did well in school, but his behavior caused problems. “I feel sorry for the teachers who had to deal with me”, he said. He was a child whose mind raced a thousand miles an hour.
Then came the time to explain it to his son. There were no difficult words. He told him, “you’re special, just like Dad”.
Today, the two of them have the same routine: a pill every morning and the intention to focus and stay calm.
Sometimes the captain doesn’t lead with his voice. He leads by telling his son: you’re not alone; I’m like this too.