We sat in the car, inching forward in traffic that stretched miles ahead of us. My tween daughter turned on the radio. "Not that station!" I protested internally, but said nothing. She pulled out a granola bar and started eating (by which, I mean she ate 1/2 and ejected the crumbs from the rest around the seat). I looked over, tried to breathe away the annoyed reaction to her mess... Then I saw … [Read more...]
When You Realize You Need Closure
It's not been a typical elementary school era with my oldest. But then, you probably understand that. You're here. We braved kindergarten, making friends, navigating the cafeteria, and learning to read. We managed her first psychiatrist appointment, diagnosis of bipolar w/ADHD on top of her RAD, and discovered this thing called an IEP meeting. Since second grade we've requested, evaluated, and … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day: Special (Needs) Edition
It's Mother's Day. The kids run in to my room in the morning, holding treasures made from scratch, meticulously painted, and “wrapped” in a charming child-like way. I scoop them all up in to bed like a pile of puppies, and we snuggle and laugh together until my husband shoos them away and sets down breakfast, complete with bud vase, fresh coffee and my favorite cinnamon roll. Oh wait. That’s not … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Press Through Your Biggest Parenting Fear
True Confessions: I don't follow the news. Maybe it's because I get enough news from my daughters' teachers, doctors, and therapists. Maybe because I'd rather read a novel or stare at a wall with the 10 minutes of free time I have during the day. Or maybe it's because I know I'll find stories like the one last weekend. Ones that fracture the heart of a mom raising a child with mental … [Read more...]
“If you’d just try. . .” {And other comments that make us want to scream}
With 4 kids under 12 years old, who have companion terms like foster/adopt, bipolar, RAD, ODD, SPD, ADHD and GAD, we learned pretty early on that I’d need help around the house. Enter my sweet, committed house cleaner, Clara (not her real name). Every two weeks, we get ready for Clara’s team to deep clean our place. On top of the usual daily cleaning of dishes, washing soiled … [Read more...]
Asking For Help Doesn’t Have To Be A Pain In The Neck
Raise your hand if you've cared for your special kids to the point of not showering for days. Or you've prioritized their doctor and therapist appointments so often you're pretty sure it's been since your high school sports physical since you saw a doctor yourself. Yep. Me, too. The thing is, our kids have intense needs and there's only so much time in the day. I know I'm really good at … [Read more...]