You baby her to much!

You baby her to much....Have you ever heard this?  Well, I have....all to many times.  Let's see what else have I heard....hmmm....

·                     Stop Being a Helicopter Mom

·                     You should let her cry it out

·                     Consequences, your child needs consequences

·                     She is not going to do it if you are constantly doing it for her

·                     She can do it, she is just being defiant

·                     Why can't she have candy/soda

·                     What do you mean you have to leave the party, it is only 7 pm

·                     Don't plan every second of her day, she won't learn how to amuse herself

I could go on and on but you know what...yeah, I do those things and you know what else....I do them because it is what is best for my child....my special needs child.  No "typical" parent understands what it is like to be us.  Their child can amuse themselves, mine can't.  Their child can wear jeans and button them by themselves, mine can't.   It is not my fault, it is not her fault...it just is.  It is that simple.  You know what else...it is OK!

My child is not afraid of anyone...she will go to strangers without question and you know what...that scares the heck out of me.  We don't take our eyes off of her for a second.  I would love to be that parent who can sit and relax at a play date at the playground but you know what...I can't.  My child has special needs...she may need me to help her navigate that rock wall because she has low muscle tone or she may need me to carry her across the monkey bars for the same reason.  I know what my child needs not you.  

If we are at a party and I need to leave by 7:00 pm to make sure that my child doesn't get to overstimulated, I am going to do it.  It is easier for me to deal with the wrath of family and friends then to deal with the wrath of my daughter the next day when she is overtired from not sleeping well the night before because we had her out to late.  Special needs parents do what they have to do to survive every day things.  It is not an excuse, it is a fact.  

Sometimes I feel like no one understands what it is like to be me.  I feel alone in my struggles but then I wake up and realize that I can pick up a phone and talk to someone who does understand...another parent of a special needs child.  They "get it".  They understand why I can't wait until 7 pm to go out to eat in a restaurant and wait for an hour to be sat,  they understand why I may need to leave their house during a birthday party because I am trying to avoid a meltdown.  They are not going to stare and make rude comments because my child is having a "moment".  

We are here to band together and give each other the support we all need.  If you have a special needs child, reach out, don't be ashamed, don't stay quiet about your child's disabilities.  Go to support group meetings and learn how to help both you and your child.  Remember, a happy parent is a happy child!

Until Next Time...

Jenn