This is Max at 18 months with my sister, Judy. Ever since he was born, she and my mom have been Max’s biggest fans—they think he is THE most handsome, cute little boy ever. I can’t argue with them. Whenever they come to visit, I know that Max is in the best of hands. They’ve also been my saviors. When I was feeling low on and off that first year after Max was born, they were there to take care of me.
The other person I completely trust with Max is Linnette, the nanny he’s had since he was born (I work fulltime). We hired her a few weeks before I gave birth to Max, before I knew that I was going to have a child with disabilities. She has stuck with us through everything; she is your basic saint. You could say she has a masters in Max—she knows his challenges and moods inside out. She also gets just as excited about his achievements as my husband and I do (and my mom and Aunt Judy).
We have two other babysitters we occasionally use on Saturday nights, but otherwise, there’s nobody I trust with Max. I’d never be able to just hire a neighborhood teen to watch him. Although he is on anti-seizure medication, the risk is there and so I feel like he can only ever have adults helping him. Just not my MIL, who is your basic ditz, though a nice person.
So, who do you trust to take care of your child?
Ellen blogs daily over at To The Max.