Category Archives: Typical Siblings

Helping Siblings Handle Loss

Yesterday was a Labor Day my family won’t soon forget. It was the first weekend (and holiday) since one of our daughters was admitted to a residential treatment facility for mood and developmental issues. Sure, we did the usual Labor Day things: played games, bar-b-qued hot dogs and spent time with extended family. But it…

Continue Reading »

Would You Change the Birth Order of Your Children? Typical vs. Special

We’ve had the conversation a number of times…well, long ago. It comes up every now and again, when we reflect on where we are and from where we came…where it all began. The question is one I pose to you. Because I wonder if another has thought of this, if it matters in the end…not…

Continue Reading »

Raising Cheerleaders

I am about as introverted as people come. I am also chronically clumsy, and average looking at best. I was never cheerleader material. I wasn’t even interested. It never mattered until a couple of years ago when my husband and I were blessed to sit in on a behavior management class, which we desperately needed….

Continue Reading »

The Bright Spot

Yesterday was rough all over. I’m still recovering from our trip last week – behind on everything. My semi-chronic neck pain is back with a vengeance thanks to the long hours of driving. I barked at the kids about little stuff but didn’t have the energy to keep them occupied and out of trouble. I even…

Continue Reading »

Language is Amazing

For the most part the child’s language seems pretty typical now, but every once in a while something pops up that just highlights how differently she processes words. The exchange yesterday between the child (age 7) and her little sister (age 3) went something like this… 7 yo: “You Dare!” 3 yo: “I’m not a…

Continue Reading »

Lessen the Burden

As a special needs parent, we realize that one day we will be gone. More often than not, siblings of our special needs kids are called upon to assume a caretaker role. What can we do today to lessen the burden on them?

Continue Reading »

Complacent?

I scrambled up the hill to my daughter’s “old school” to pick up my son from his “new class.” My daughter attended this school from Early Intervention through Kindergarten before being moved to our neighborhood school for first grade. I know most of the Early Intervention staff pretty well, and I know the IEP process…

Continue Reading »

Neighborhood Friends

One of the things I love about our neighborhood is all the kids on the street. It’s reminiscent of when I was a kid and would run the neighborhood from morning till dusk, riding my bike or roller skating or playing a neighborhood game of hide and seek. True things are a little different now….

Continue Reading »

How far he’s come. How far we have to go.

She wailed that B had her popcorn. Popcorn being used loosely as the container that once held popcorn kernels, gladly accepted by her at its end as an addition to her kitchen belongings….this thing that B was handling in front of her (the nerve) with an item of his already stuffed inside. To keep my…

Continue Reading »

Eradicate the “disease”?

A while back there was an article about a new test that would identify if your child had Down syndrome earlier in the pregnancy in a less invasive way. Dr. Patsalis was excited about this new test because it could help the medical community “slowly eradicate the disease” that is Down syndrome.  I could go into…

Continue Reading »