Back in June, I wrote about getting other kids to play with your child, an issue that a lot of parents of kids with special needs grapple with. It is still plaguing me, and it’s stressful. Max is a superfriendly, curious kid. But he scares other kids. Yesterday, two neighborhood kids came over to the…
Category Archives: Conditions and Diseases
The joy
The thing about having a kid with special needs is, the sorrows are intense. But so are the joys. When Max does anything for the first time, I could practically do a cartwheel. When he brings home an art project, I’m in awe. When he attempts to say words, I’m gleeful. When he dances, my…
My son’s happiness vs. our family’s happiness
This weekend, we decided to go out for Italian food at a new restaurant. It was dinnertime, it was going to be crowded, we should have known better. Max gets wiggy in unfamiliar environments, and he can’t stand noise. But we wanted to try. You can guess what happened. We got there, they seated us,…
No H1N1 vaccine for us, thanks
A few weeks back my mom asked if I was going to get the “swine flu shot” for Bear. My answer: “NO!” She looked at me like I am nuts (a look I get from her and others all.the.time.) and I proceeded to ramble off my reasons for choosing to not get this new vaccine….
Forget the kids—let’s talk about US!
Me: I remember her fondly. That is, the me who used to spend Sunday afternoons reading. The me who used to go out dancing on Saturday night with girlfriends, and end up grooving with some cute guy on the dance floor. The me who used to love planning exotic vacations just as much as going…
it will never all make sense
That’s my mantra. My concrete brain wants to connect all the dots to my daughters. I have a control-freak hiding deep inside that whispers, if you know why, then you’ll know how to make her all better. Then I open the fridge to make breakfast and see this: My kids don’t make any more sense…
Those flashes of sadness
I was at a local event over the weekend and spotted Ethan, a kid who’s the same age as Max, six. They were born days apart. Back when they were babies, his mom and I chipped in to hire an expert to teach us baby massage. She came to our house and we placed the babies on the…
To have a third child or not?
My sister’s due date is next week. My good friend Lyla is having a baby next month. I am so, so excited for both of them. I am also a little melancholy. Anytime anyone close to me is having their first kid, I can’t help but flash back to my pregnancy with Max. When I…
Yet more special-needs-Mommy confessions
What, you thought I was done after last week’s round of confessions? Oh, no. There’s plenty more where that came from: • I hate it when others make like I’m a saint because I’m bringing up a kid with special needs. I didn’t have a choice, people! (Though yes, I am doing my best.) •…
First attempts at socialization
One of the things that we are starting to feel is necessary is for Hannah to start socializing with other children around her age. We don’t have any friends with young infants, so the only real experience she has had are friends of her brother and sister, who are obviously older than she is. We…