Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs Parenting’
A Letter to My Little Brother
Hey brother, I’m hoping that someday I can say this all to you. But there is a chance that I might never be able to…I’m hoping that when you are older you will read this and understand. I know I confuse you. I’m so loud. I flap my arms. I don’t notice toys. Or play sports. Or like to leave our house. I don’t have any friends. Or really pay any attention to you either. I just like mom and dad. I don’t play like you. I have never ridden…
Read MoreWhat We Won’t Do For Our Kids
When I have kids they will never… Remember those thoughts? From before you had children of your own? I had them for sure. My two favorites were…I will never have dirty car seats because my babies will never eat in my car. And my kids will never have snotty noses. Of course I didn’t have one kid, let alone three at that time. I laugh at that now as I hand food back to a screaming child and clean goldfish pieces from my floor mats. And as I use my…
Read MoreFathers and First-Borns
Jamie is often asked by dads of newly diagnosed boys…’was it hard not having the typical experiences with your first born?’ Jamie is so honest about it. So matter of fact with his answer. He doesn’t sugar coat it. Or dance around with his answers. He’ll talk about pitching baseballs with his own father. For hours and hours. Day after day. He will tell stories of jumping his bike, catching fish and camping. He will go on and on about his old man being his best friend for so many…
Read MoreWhen Vacationing Is “Brave”
‘You’re so brave for going on vacation without your kids. I could never do that as a mother.’ Hold up. Stop the train. What a thing to read at 3 am. That is what we call a backhanded compliment. I get them all the time. But this one, well, it struck a nerve. See, I did go on vacation. I abandoned my three sweet boys and husband to go to Disney for four blissful days. I pushed pause on my own work, canceled therapy appointments and organized what I could…
Read MoreSomedays, It’s Hard to Find the Joy
“I wish my son was happy all the time like Bubba.” As I read those words, my heart instantly began to race. My stomach started twisting in knots. I’ve heard these words before. And although well intended, I couldn’t help but think to myself…Is that how people think he is ALL the time? If so, then I’m doing something wrong. I’d be doing a disservice to you, my family and the autism community if all I talked about was the positive. I created this space, this community, to inspire others…
Read MoreAutism as a Full Time Single Mom
My five year old son has autism. I am currently a full time single mom, who used to be a part time dog mom, and that about sums up my little world. We are a little over two years into the diagnosis and up until seven months ago, my son was considered nonverbal. He has made huge strides in so many areas, mostly in speech, and I am so, so, so grateful for the therapy and resources we have used to get us to where we are today. I don’t…
Read MoreIf He Get’s Sick
Here in New Hampshire, we are on day 6,382,091 of quarantine. Okay, okay. I’m exaggerating. Its only day 5,847,235 of quarantine. Either way, it’s been a long time. Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids. I live in New Hampshire. Our state has been under a shelter-in-place since March 13th. We are tired of it. We are tired of ourselves, and our house, and our yard. We are tired of walking around the neighborhood. Our dog, Wolfie, is especially tired of walking around the neighborhood. He runs to…
Read MoreIt’s Not You Son, It’s Us
You’ve been walking quite a bit these days. You like walking; it calms you. You like to look at the birds, the sky. You open your mouth to take in the wind. Puddles are too good to pass by without engagement. You usually hold my hand. We talk about what we see. You repeat. You look, you smile, you laugh. Sometimes you point. But this day you let go of my hand. Unafraid and free. You needed to move at your pace, faster than me. You needed to feel the…
Read MoreThe Power of Words
“I like good strong words that mean something…” ― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women The quote above is from one of my favorite stories as a child. Little Women reminded me of my youth. I loved the story, and I still do. I think what I liked most about it was the way the story was told. The beautiful words and details that Louisa May Alcott chose to tell her story. I am infatuated with words. I love to write them and hear the intoxicating way they coalesce to form…
Read MoreFind Hope and Hold Onto it With All You Have
I wasn’t one of those mothers who saw it coming. I was blindsided when I heard the word autism. It hit my like a freight train and shattered my soul into a billion pieces instantly. That horrible feeling of not being able to breath, unwavering fear, fear of the unknowing, and worst of all, hopelessness, took over every inch of me. I thought at that moment I would never feel as horrible as I did then. As many of you know that would not be the case. That feeling would…
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