• I have moments of absolutely insane worry that include things like, “If terrorists blow up our state, where am I going to get seizure medication?”
• I sneak omega-3 oil into Max’s Wheatina and wheat germ into his chocolate pudding and when he looks suspicious I make it like everything is OK.
• I cannot stand it when I say, “He has cerebral palsy” and the other mom tilts her head and goes “Awwwww.”
• I turn into the most obnoxiously pushy person on the entire planet when it comes to getting stuff Max needs, like appointments with busy doctors. Once, a lab messed up a blood draw and I called the office to complain and made them send a nurse to the house to redo it.
• I have been given several good memoirs having to do with kids who have disabilities and I never feel like reading them in my spare time because, well, that’s my real life and I’m all about escapism.
• Sometimes I get resentful that I’m the one who deals with the doctors and therapists, never my husband, until I get a grip and realize how hands-on he is with the kids in other ways.
• I do more stuff for Max than I probably should and really need to step back and let him gain independence.
• I get a kick out of it when Max does naughty stuff, like when he purposefully pushed over a bottle of hot sauce the other night at dinner, because it’s such an every-kid thing to do.
Ellen blogs daily at To The Max.
I occasionally think of my special needs 5 year old as a baby, but I rationalize that he would get treated like the baby anyway because he’s the youngest of 6.
I hear ya. Love your honesty. I too get pushy..and umm people have tattled on me. Whenever I advocate for Joe..they say i’m rude, and sarcastic..(well ya…when you mix up pull ups for little swimmers ..and you supposedly have been running a camp for children with special needs some of whom are NOT toilet trained..you think would know the difference) I have had to be told in meetings that I am difficult.
I think all my years as a workaholic witch prepared me for all the times I wont take NO as an answer, and I have to knock on car windows to kick lazy yoga moms out of my handicapped spot at school drop off- of course, i also think its ok to drive with hot rollers in my hair ( to be removed before we arrive at school) because after all I have to get two of us completely ready for school each day, and supervise a typical 9 yo! L.O.L ! Suzanne
Love your honesty!
I totally get the escapism. When I first started in the blogospere, I avoided all special needs blogs, and sometimes I’ll take a multi-day vacation from them to read stuff that has nothing to do with me.
And the terrorist thing, me too. I learned that if there’s a disaster, you’re supposed to write your kid’s most important info on their back with permanent marker because it won’t get lost that way.
Finally, I think the pushy thing has actually been good for me. I was never that assertive (outside my family), and now my pushy-muscles are all developed for when I need them.
” I do more stuff for Max than I probably should and really need to step back and let him gain independence.”
Yup — I totally do this too with my son. It’s good for me to watch how other people interact with him. It usually helps me re-evaluate what to expect from him, and strategize how to motivate him to stretch a bit more.
Great stuff…you make me chuckle because I can sooo relate!
Yeah, I was known as pushy long before Jack came along. I’d like to think I’m pushy with a little more grace these days!
I’m an escaper too… why read a book about something I’m living through? I’d rather read something fluffy that allows me to ignore my life for just a little while. Is that so bad?
We all need a break some time. But it is amazing the skills we learn or sharpen because of these wonderful children. What a better person I am for having mine.
[...] “You know, just in case you hadn’t gotten enough confessions the last time. [...]