When we blame parents of children with special needs, we lose sight of what parenting is like for all of us. We do the best we can. Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes we don’t, special needs or not. Since the day my first baby was born, I have felt responsible for my children’s differences….
Before you judge a special needs parent, please consider the other 23 hours of the day you are not seeing. I stood in line, worried about my youngest’s increasing irritability, hoping we could just buy the frame and get out of the store. Normally, I would never (and I repeat, never) bring both of my…
I have been asked it more times than I can count. Does my child need these interventions? A couple of years ago, I shared that we were getting a psychiatric service dog for my then 11-year-old son. I have openly shared the different therapies and interventions we employ for both my sweet boys. For six years,…
It may seem obvious, but I am learning that special needs interventions and treatments don’t happen in a vacuum. We went on a road trip for the first time in years, last week. It was only one night and only a four-hour drive. We had all the things packed to make it a bit easier…
Finding school options for children with special needs is an almost constant struggle for many families. “Your son is very sweet,” the other mom said gently to me, nodding at him as he walked away. My son was heading back for his therapy appointment. Her son was already in his, so the two of us…
I am asked this question all the time. “My husband doesn’t believe my child’s diagnosis is real. What do I do?” I have been thinking about writing this post for years. I am asked this question several times a month and see it in the search history reports showing what brings women to my site….
I can’t tell you how many times I have been accused of spoiling my child with special needs, both online and in person. My baby was four weeks old. He hadn’t slept for more than a 45 minute stretch in his short lifetime. I was bleary eyed, depressed, and terrified. I knew, deep down inside,…
Last week, I shared my experience with behavior charts. The shame, the anxiety and perhaps, most frustrating of all, the fact that they really don’t work. Time and time again, it has been shown that children having the most issues will not only not be helped by a behavior chart, it often actually causes an increase…
I stumbled across an old journal last week. It was for the year 2010 when my oldest son was six and my youngest, three. I read through it and smiled at all the cute sayings and sweet moments, grateful I had taken the time to record them. (I had completely forgotten that my little guy…
It’s been a while since I have shared anything about my family’s experience with church. It’s been a while because we are still in a season of trying to figure it all out. Right now, we do what we can. We go when and where we can. We do the best we can. I know…
I drove up the freeway, listening to a podcast and not really paying much attention to my surroundings. All of a sudden, I started to panic. Nothing changed. I was just suddenly gripped by an almost crippling anxiety. I felt like my chest was constricting. I could barely breathe. I pulled over and started to…
“Where do all these diagnoses come from? Are your children adopted?” I hung up the phone with the doctor a few minutes later and thought, “Well, add that to the list of awkward moments as a mom of children with special needs.” There have been so many questions and comments over the years that have…
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