She grabbed the rock above her and pulled herself up. The water rushed cool and quick over our soaked shoes. Steadying herself, my 5 year old reached for the next rock a few feet above her. In the high altitude, we both breathed hard, but her determination pushed us farther as we climbed the waterfall…
Tag Archive: parenting
Strange Milestones We Have Met
Something strange has happened to my perception of childhood milestones. Perhaps because it took my daughter a little longer to meet many of them, I’ve sort of made up my own list along the way. It’s not that I’ve given up watching for the standard markers, it’s more that I appreciate events that other parents…
Leaping Past the Labels
Monkey is 8 years old and does back handsprings in my living room. Not my favorite place for that, admittedly, but considering as a toddler in foster care she was Failure to Thrive, and that she has Bipolar and Anxiety… I’m just happy she’s doing any leaping at all! Gymnastics and dance get her through…
Our Bipolar Happy Hour
It’s always the same. Like Bill Murray’s movie, Groundhog Day. It’s the same in our home every single day, no matter what we do, what medications we try, what therapies we employ. My 9 year old just lives on the relentless Bipolar mood roller coaster. Every. single. day. Every day: …I wake her gently, quietly……
Social Inclusion for Children with Developmental Disabilities
This week, I received a notice, asking me if I would participate in a research study being done by a local university on the social inclusion of children with developmental disabilities. It states that the university is: looking for participants (parents & guardians) to complete an online study about the social inclusion of preschool and…
Friendship Road
Since we’re walking through another season of learning curve, this time related to my mother-in-law’s needs, I have been realizing again the importance of friends…and not just any friends, but friends who really know what you are going through. For us, this is not just people who have taken care of an aging parent, but…
A lesson in strengthening a marriage
I think about the changes in our marriage. How I personally viewed it, treated it…not as I do now. Time has given me new perspective. The challenges we’ve faced have forced the change to be. There were times I thought he was just too crabby. Not having a good outlook, too negative, refusing to see…
Respite
Last weekend being the long Easter weekend, my sister-in-law had invited me to go shopping in the States. The exchange rate is in our favour right now (I’m in Canada) and the prices at the outlet mall we were planning to hit are always good. My son who turns 9 today started going on a…
How to Handle a Fluke…
I arrived a few minutes before the bell that ends the school day. I realized that one of my friends was trying to get my attention and directing my gaze down the outdoor corridor outside my daughter’s classroom. I saw my daughter walking toward me with another friend of mine – fortunately one that has…
What are your favorite parenting books?
My friends and I get together twice a month to just be. Be ourselves and not always mom or caregiver or advocate. Just us. Recently we were all talking about books and resources we’ve found helpful as parents. Some of us have kids with tough behaviors. My own kids have bipolar and struggle with behaviors…