Mom’s of kids with special needs are worth getting to know. We’re tough. We’re supportive. We love our kids.
We know that we are often unique.
Sometimes we find ourselves lacing up our combat boots as we take on the system.
And we’ll never understand why even those in our own family can’t accept and love our kids the way we do. I mean we still love their kid even after they spilled red kool-aid all over our new carpet at the last family party.
But we are also a lot like YOU.
Some of us have written books. Really good ones, that you just might want to read. Books that might help you understand our children, and our lives better.
We celebrate our children’s accomplishments, just like you.
Just like you, we think ours is the cutest little kid ever.
And many of us home school our kids (Wanna swap ideas?)
Our kids are more like yours than they are different.
They love crafts. Even if we special needs Mama tend to use them as a sneaky way to work in therapy.
Your kid love ice cream on a hot summer day? Ours do too.
We even worry about what’s on our kid’s Facebook page. (Surprised?)
I think if you could ask a parent of a child with special needs what they would like others to know about their child, they would tell you that a child with special needs is first and foremost a child.
Just like any other child.
Just like your child.
Children with special needs have hopes and dreams, just like their typical peers.
They want to be invited and accepted, just like their typical peers.
And while they may do things a bit differently than your child, they still love the same kind of stuff as your kids do.
Building bridges between those with differing needs and those without is a learning experience.
On both sides.
But if we work together we can build not only bridges, but a new way of thinking.
Now that you have gotten to know us some, how about making our day?
How about letting us know how you advocate against the use of the ‘r-word’.
Or how your child is friends with a child who has a disability?
Or how you plan on inviting the kid in the wheelchair to your kid’s next birthday party.
Maybe you could let us know that the next time you see a child melt down in public and think ‘What a terrible parent!‘, you might instead think ‘Maybe this child is on the spectrum. I wonder what I can do to help this Mama out?.’
This is what my husband and I are trying to teach our children. I am so thankful for a post like this – thankful to you for sharing these thoughts with us.
Blessings from our family to yours!
Twitter: MommaHopeful
Aug 9, 10
Good girl. SMOOCH!
I was at an outdoor event last month and we sat across the aisle from a family who had a daughter who was obviously special needs. In addition to reading your blog and getting to know and love your sweet Parker over the past year, in March of 2009 we had a baby girl at 21 weeks gestation who only lived for 45 short minutes. While we were sitting across the aisle from that special needs little girl I couldn’t help thinking about Parker and also that if, by some miracle, our Bella had survived, she would have most certainly been special needs having been born so early. I couldn’t take my eyes off from this brown haired little girl with these thoughts swirling in my mind and I was so afraid the mom was going to think that I was staring because I thought something was wrong with her daughter and that I was rude, but in reality I was trying to get up the courage to tell her that her daughter was beautiful, because she was! I didn’t and I still regret it. I hope next time I will have more courage.
Twitter: sewingdivamom
Aug 9, 10
My Daughter and I follow Parkers story. Our local ice rink is sponsoring a special olympic event at the end of the month and they were looking for some skaters to help out and be skating buddies. When Sammy heard about it she was one of the first to volunteer. She proudly proclaimed that she is doing this for Parker! I am very proud of her because she sees no differences she just sees kids who want to learn to skate. We are looking forward to making lots of new buddies that day
love this post thanks for sharing!