Today is one of those days when I wish I had that "mothering a child with cp manual" that never came in the mail. For starters, I need to start brushing Sophie's teeth sooner rather than later. I know that some parents do this really early, but I didn't feel the need to brush teeth with my first child until he was about 18 months, and I honestly have been dragging on the thought of brushing teeth with Sophie for a few months now. I remember and even have a video recording of the first time that Gregory brushed his teeth, right at 18 months old. He was wearing the cutest monkey overalls paired with a green onesie. He was stading on his Elmo stool, his grandma had given him for Christmas. He brushed for a whole thirty seconds all by himself. Now Sophie is 20 months old, 17 months adjusted (for prematurity). How do I brush her teeth? She is not standing independently so, do I hold her against the sink with my left hand while I attempt to brush with my right? She will not do it on her own at first because her hand movements are not very precise. She is very sensory around her mouth, so the task will probably be difficult to do without a distraction. Do I try to stand her on a stool and hold her close to my body with my legs while I use both hands to brush? Really, how do I do this? The terrible twos have also arrived with an extra dose of terrible. I have a super smart toddler who wants to be everywhere at the same time, that knows what her body is capable of doing but does not realize that it takes just a little more time and effort for her to get to point A to point B. She hates that she is dependent on me to mobilize her everywhere she wants to go, and I find that she is getting frustrated often because of this. How do I makeup for everything that she is missing? , like opening the cupboards, running like a chicken crossing the street, climbing like a monkey, sitting here and there playing with every toy all over and even things that aren't even toys. How do I do this with her so that she doesn't miss out? Do I become a toddler in her terrible twos and have her with me like a shadow? I tried this but it is not enough, she wants more.
So tell me, if you know...How do I?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Awereness becomes me!
I wrote this a few days after receiving the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy for Sophie and after talking to the advocacy group at my local UCP.
Everything happens for a reason?
When bad things happen, your life doesn't go as planned or something that you thought possible becomes impossible, it is hard to understand why it happened to YOU. You hear people say it all the time: Everything happens for a reason! Yet, you can't find a good enough reason to explain why this is happening to you.
Today, I feel like I am entering a world that I never knew existed. I mean, I knew that there were kids with Autism, kids with disabilities, kids with behavioral challenges, yet I always looked, saw, heard through awareness programs and kept on going. I went on with my life... I didn't feel like I was ignoring it, I just thought "Oh, ok, I am aware that they exist" but I didn't open my life to their world. To the world that is "different" to the world of people with disabilities. In fact, before having the excuse of having a kid in a stroller I often used the "big" bathroom (the one with the sidebars, lower sink, and lower toilet you know the one meant to be used by people in wheelchairs) because it was just more comfortable for "me". I never stopped to think what if while I was in there someone in a wheelchair really needed to use "that" stall. In fact even worse, I though about it but quickly ignored it because it was gonna be just right quick. Now I think what if that person was my daughter who really had to go and can't hold it any longer?
Yes, awareness is being thrown right at my face nowdays. Furthermore, after two days of long hours of coversations with moms who have kids with Autism I am finally becoming Aware! I was brave enough to ask questions and learn more so that I can do more. The ads on tv, the highway billboards, the bumper stickers didn't do it for me.... It was my own child's condition (which is not even Autism) that made me "aware".
I know that it is far too early to say that I learned everything that this situation was meant to teach me. It is far too early to say that I am fully aware of everything there is to know to care enough, and be concious, helpful, and understanding about all people with any type of disability... I am even scared to used the words disabled or disability when talking about my own child, but now I sort of understand where this is going... I am starting to see (from my standpoint) why this is happening to "me". Because it has opened a door to a world that I had ignored all my life, a door to a path that will make me a better person.
Everything happens for a reason?
When bad things happen, your life doesn't go as planned or something that you thought possible becomes impossible, it is hard to understand why it happened to YOU. You hear people say it all the time: Everything happens for a reason! Yet, you can't find a good enough reason to explain why this is happening to you.
Today, I feel like I am entering a world that I never knew existed. I mean, I knew that there were kids with Autism, kids with disabilities, kids with behavioral challenges, yet I always looked, saw, heard through awareness programs and kept on going. I went on with my life... I didn't feel like I was ignoring it, I just thought "Oh, ok, I am aware that they exist" but I didn't open my life to their world. To the world that is "different" to the world of people with disabilities. In fact, before having the excuse of having a kid in a stroller I often used the "big" bathroom (the one with the sidebars, lower sink, and lower toilet you know the one meant to be used by people in wheelchairs) because it was just more comfortable for "me". I never stopped to think what if while I was in there someone in a wheelchair really needed to use "that" stall. In fact even worse, I though about it but quickly ignored it because it was gonna be just right quick. Now I think what if that person was my daughter who really had to go and can't hold it any longer?
Yes, awareness is being thrown right at my face nowdays. Furthermore, after two days of long hours of coversations with moms who have kids with Autism I am finally becoming Aware! I was brave enough to ask questions and learn more so that I can do more. The ads on tv, the highway billboards, the bumper stickers didn't do it for me.... It was my own child's condition (which is not even Autism) that made me "aware".
I know that it is far too early to say that I learned everything that this situation was meant to teach me. It is far too early to say that I am fully aware of everything there is to know to care enough, and be concious, helpful, and understanding about all people with any type of disability... I am even scared to used the words disabled or disability when talking about my own child, but now I sort of understand where this is going... I am starting to see (from my standpoint) why this is happening to "me". Because it has opened a door to a world that I had ignored all my life, a door to a path that will make me a better person.
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