Having developed a special relationship with my special angel, I realized that parents and family play a pivotal role in the life, progress and success of the little one.
I welcome all parents, family and caregivers to this blog where I shall try to offer valuable insights on parenting our special kids, thereby developing a special bond and making it easier for the parents in bringing up their little one.
We as trained educators work hard to go that extra mile and get desired results through the much-needed cooperation and involvement of the parents. I would like to thank everyone who has been a partner on this journey, and would like to share some of my thoughts as under:
I am with you: Every child is different, and our special angels are unique in their own ways. It is not only difficult but impossible to find two kids with the same constellation of symptoms; but we as parents are all the same and have common feeling and emotions. All we need to do is to make wonderful friends who will help us understand things better. I am sure we can team up, share our experiences and challenges, learn from each other, measure and improve and count on each other in times of need.
You are my warriors: Though you may not be acting like a Spiderman or a Superman, you are doing a great job which I am sure others can’t even think of doing. You are fighting a daily battle where small wins bring big smiles. For me you are a therapist, nurse, doctor, and a friend. You are not a regular parent.
No one is perfect, and that is fine: We learn every day, and sometimes we may not make the right decision; it is because our journey is full of twists and turns.We cannot follow the standard parenting protocol and might make error in judgements, and while reacting in some situations. But it is okay to make mistakes. Stressing yourself up is not going to change the situation, so try not to get stuck up. Just get up and move on….
Make therapies fun: Learning becomes easy when it is fun. The kids enjoy it a lot and the parents also find the therapy session as a stress buster. I have been personally involved in giving therapy sessions for kids, and have engaged parentsas well so that they can do it on their own. At times it is bit frustrating for theparents and they may feel depressed but try to make therapy sessions fun. Enjoy them as each one of us have a child inside us.
You are doing your best: You will have to make painful decisions that are in the best interest of the kids, and these decisions are never easy; they leave you anxious and make you feel guilty. But always remember, you are doing your best for your child which no one else can do.
Love yourself: Sometimes, despite the very best of intentions, you will not be happy with yourself. These are times when you need to take good care of yourself, emotionally, physical and mentally. Do not challenge yourself to the limits, but do not self-torture as it is not going to change anything. So please loveyourself, which will make you strong and make the journey more comfortable.
Parenting is sturdy and most robust for us: Efforts when rewarded bring the best out of us. All of us need that pat on the back, a hug, those soft words of appreciation and a smile. We need to know that our efforts are not going wasteand we keep rewarding ourselves and keep ourselves happy. Do not wait forsome for someone else to bring you happiness or reward. Sometimes small littlethings around fill us with joy, and I am sure you will find them.
Keep your sense of humor alive: It is easier said than done, and of course this is very important. Try to keep your sense of humor ON and don’t let your emotions overpower you. No one is happy listening to our sorrow stories; and jokes are always welcome….so don’t let your friends loose. Call them and find topics that make you laugh and forget everything.
Celebrate every success: Our kids grow with their clock. Their learning may not be perfect, but the silver lining is that they are on the right track. So, enjoy and celebrate the small achievement of your child without waiting for major breakthroughs. Reward them and reward yourself.
Comparison hurts: The grass on the other side is always green, so let that greener side be ours. Don’t envy with the progress of a healthy child as we don’t know their pain and story. No parenting is cake walk.
Count me available as a co-passenger in this journey of yours.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference” Robert Frost,1916.
Alpana Jain