It happened. The day that I knew was coming, and have been dreading since the day our sweet little boy with special needs was born, happened. Two boys were laughing at our angel. And at church, no less. It’s the kind of thing that you replay over and over in your mind, trying to make … More Beauty for Ashes
October is Down syndrome awareness month. For those of you who want to be more aware of things that those in the special needs community would like you to know, here are a few helpful tips. Person-First Language. A person with Down syndrome is not “Downs.” You do not have a “Downs friend.” Down syndrome … More Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Cutting your child’s nails doesn’t have to be a fight. Try these tips to cut the stress out of cutting your child’s nails. Buy a good pair of clippers/scissors so that you can get the job done faster and easier. Dull tools will only make your job harder. See suggested products below. If your child is a … More Cutting the Stress Out of Cutting Your Child’s Nails
If you or your child have a disability, you can visit America’s national parks for free. With an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, a person with a permanent disability and up to three other adults (or a car load, if entrance fees are charged by the car load) can get … More Free National Parks Access Pass
We’ve all heard it before from expectant mothers: “I don’t care if my baby is a boy or a girl, just as long as my baby is healthy.” And I get it. I really do. We all want our kids to be healthy. It’s just easier that way. But I’m here to tell you, my … More Just As Long As My Baby Is Healthy
I love my son. More than words can say. More than my own life, even. He is my very beating heart, and all my joy and happiness wrapped up in one sweet, perfect, little boy. And yet there are days. Days when the grief of a diagnosis comes flooding back. Days when I don’t feel … More There Are Days
*Dedicated to all the super hero mothers caring for children with special needs* There are super heroes among us. They’re all around us, hidden in plain sight. But if you look close, you’ll see them. Their dedication and service protecting some of the most vulnerable among us, goes on quietly yet powerfully, day in and … More Sometimes Super Heroes Don’t Wear Capes
“You’re retarded.” It’s a phrase I hear at the park, standing in line at the grocery store, written on Facebook posts, and out of the mouths of children and adults alike. Though there I stand with my child with special needs, this black smut spews forth. And I wish it didn’t. Maybe you meant … More The R-Word
If the thought of giving your child a haircut fills you with immense dread and loathing, then this post is for you. And you’re not alone. Pulling off a haircut that doesn’t end up looking like a lawn mower attacked, while wrestling a screaming child who is resisting your every effort with herculean strength, is … More The Dreaded Haircut
On a particularly difficult day with my son with Down syndrome, I had cause to ask myself, why I, a perfectionist, had been given such an imperfect child. The reply came swiftly to my heart and has never left: he is not the imperfect one. The longer I am on this journey with a child … More Imperfect Perfection
