There were young kids, teens, young adults, even his best friend, all playing together, learning and laughing. But, there was no sign of my child. I searching the parking lot where everyone was talking and hanging out with their families; not there either. Here is where most people panic. But, deep down I knew; look with the younger kids. It was there I found him, rolling down the hill, filled with that bold childhood laughter, having the time of his life. No pressure here. No one asking him to make quick decisions he had to worry about in that football game. There was only freedom and joy. I want him to be something he isn’t sometimes, but I’m learning to start finding the thankful in disability.
How many of us counted the cost (both emotionally and financially) of what it would take to raise a child and/or care for an aging parent? Many are doing both…Because we love our child, we don’t often consider the cost because we simply do what is needed and want the best for them.
My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.
Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this?
We are living in an unprecedented time of history. COVID-19 is a silent, insidious enemy that lurks around every corner. How do we, as parents of children with disabilities, not only face but confront the fear all around us? Here are ten scriptural weapons we can use to defeat the enemy. We can, and must, teach at least some of them to our children, who are dealing with their own heightened anxiety.
For many special needs kids, they are more comfortable not socializing. I am concerned, as our social distancing and quarantine goes on for months, it will be difficult for many kids to transition back to socializing with more people, besides in the comfort of our own homes. Here are three things you can start now, to help your child not be too anxious or nervous to leave home, once we start getting back to ‘normal.’
It is week number whatever since COVID-19 began. The cutesy Facebook posts highlighting everyone’s Pinterest projects are starting to fade. The smiles are starting to looking more strained as parents are wondering how much longer they will have to be the counselors/craft room directors at “Camp Corona.” Are parents at risk of “burn out?”
The quarantine events in the past few weeks have presented new challenges. My daughter's health, which is usually the major trigger for me, was no longer the cause of my stress. Instead, life's drastic changes overwhelmed me. The sudden changes to my familiar routine put me in old battles with stress and eating.
We are all basically under quarantine until further notice. Life as we’ve known it has come to a screeching halt, and not just for some, but for everyone! You may be used to spinning a lot of plates all at once, and might even have a little anxiety wondering “what to do” with some of this free time. Here are six ideas that will create closer relationships in your family, whether or not you’re in the special needs community.
