How do you know what typical development is? Even though my daughter has Cerebral Palsy which is not necessarily behavioral she still exhibits some behavioral issues. She has trouble adjusting to change and can and does completely loose it when things change on her unexpectedly. That said she is seven years old and lost of…
Category Archives: Conditions and Diseases
Seasonal Parenting
As I am typing this Winter Solstice is winding down and I am rejoicing, not in the pagan holiday sense, but in the “Hooray! Days will start getting longer again,” sense. I have been considering the “seasons” that our family goes through each year. Of course we tread through the normal calendar with everyone else,…
Going to the Movies
Traditionally on extended holiday breaks, one (or both) of the grandmas suggest taking the kids to a movie. It is one of those activities that makes me cringe inside because I’m never quite sure how Will is going to behave once we get there. Sometimes I opt out all together or just send the girls….
The Most Frequently Asked Question…
…When Jillian was diagnosed at 13 months old with Cerebral Palsy was “Will she walk?” My answer was “well, we hope so, but we can’t guarantee it.” I allowed myself to be cautiously optimistic. I mean, don’t all parents hope their kid will walk?! We had an appointment at Holland Bloorview Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital on…
The Pity Party is Over
When Precious was born, she was extremely floppy and suffered from extreme hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice). The geneticists came by to check her out in the NICU and asked us all kinds of questions. Some of the least favourite questions they asked were whether or not I drank while I was pregnant (no), or if my husband…
Managing Expectations to Foster Acceptance
There’s this concept out hereĀ in special-needs-land that we parents have to mourn the loss of the typical child we were expecting before we can accept the child with special needs that we were gifted. Personally, I’m not sure I buy that! I didn’t mourn. I embraced instantaneously. And, I did so, I think, because so…
Our Bustenhalters
Did the title catch your eye? Ok well welcome, come in and lets talk šĀ I want to talk about support systems. Do you know who your is? Have you ever depended on them in a moments notice? I guess you don’t know who they are till you need them the most.Ā I’ve always been…
Maybe it’s Just Me
Maybe it’s just me, but I think sensory toys look a little too much like adult entertainment toys. If you know what I mean. And sometimes, your kid might find the spot where those things are hidden, a spot in the house you never dreamed he’d find, and play with the adult toys. Because they…
Future Rock Balancer?
A couple weeks ago, Peanut wanted to go outside to play. She had been recovering from a cold so her outdoor play had been limited, but the weather was nice that day and she was doing better so I bundled her up and sent her into the backyard. I asked Diva to go with her…
Report Card
For some students the words “report card” are stress inducing. I only remember being worried about my report card three times in my life: sixth gradeĀ (I was worried that I wouldn’t make the cut for middle school),Ā the year in high school that I took geometry (my lowest grade ever), and my first semester in…