I’ve never stayed long when I’ve joined a support group. I typically have found myself mentally drained after meetings, and conflicted about what has been accomplished. It wasn’t until I recently read a book on spiritual warfare that I figured out WHY, exactly, I don’t do well in a support group. You see, I have started to realize that support groups don’t work for me because they typically become a breeding ground for gossip and an unleashing of negativity. Don’t... Read more
This morning, as usual, we had to tread carefully and take our time navigating through the process of getting our youngest up and dressed for school. She works to her own timetable, her own plan. Some of that is very predictable, as parents we have gotten used to the routine we have to allow time for. The routines about the order of the morning, and the places different things happen in and who with. Daddy wakes her and takes her... Read more
The lessons from my kids just keep coming. My youngest turns 30 this year, and I am continually surprised and delighted by what they have to say and how they have improved upon what their dad and I taught them. This morning, I sat down and brainstormed a list of the wisdom and richness they’ve brought to my life. How to keep house in a tornado. Which was the general condition of our home when they were kids. Now that we... Read more
Nicolas, my 17 year old son with a genetic disorder, brought home a “Good Deed Tracker” from school and I knew it wasn’t his cup of tea. Although Nick is an exceptionally kind-hearted and generous person, I knew he would not be willing to perform any of the deeds specified on the list—they all had to do with giving. Among the deeds were: donate clothing that you no longer wear to charity, Donate unwanted toys to others, color/draw a picture... Read more
Parenting is hard work. As a parent of a child impacted by special needs, you will have to work even harder. Advice that you hear experts giving other parents often doesn’t work with your family. This makes one piece of expert advice even more critical—communicate. If you are married, the need for you to communicate with each other is key. It is easy to get discouraged, not know what to do, or not know what to say. It is imperative... Read more
Today I’m interviewing Courtney Westlake, author of A Different Beautiful: Discovering and Celebrating Beauty in Places You Never Expected and the newly released Celebrating Our Stories: Teaching Children about Differences and Kindness through Books (affiliate links). I hope our discussion encourages us all to take steps to each our children about differences and being kind. I got to know your family through your first book, A Different Beautiful: Discovering and Celebrating Beauty in Places You Never Expected. Can you introduce yourself and your family... Read more
Churches across the country hosted Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine prom event for people with disabilities. But this year I read more criticism than praise. In Why the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine Doesn’t Promote Inclusion by Sarah Kim, she writes that this event, “… is a huge step back on achieving the true meaning of integration. By having able-bodied volunteers serve the prom-goers with disabilities, it depicts befriending people with disabilities as charity work.” Her idea, “I challenge the foundation... Read more
Where do you turn on the hard days? When you are discouraged and distraught? When the grief won’t lift? Or when you just need to know someone can empathize with your situation? You can turn to Scripture and know that your Father sees and hears you and your family. You can look to these seven promises and have hope … You can trust that God’s work is on display in your family. The disciples asked Jesus why a man was... Read more
In fall of 2016, ABC debuted a new series about a special-needs family. 7.29 million people tuned in the first week to meet the DiMeo family—Maya (played by Minnie Driver) her husband Jimmy, and their kids JJ, Ray, and Dylan. Show creator Scott Silveri drew from his experiences growing up with an older brother with a disability, and the show was praised for casting an actor who has cerebral palsy, Micah Fowler, as the central character in the show. As... Read more
It’s IEP season for many of us. We prepare, we pray, and we walk through those school doors ready to get our kids everything they need to be as successful as possible. Sometimes they go well. Everyone is on the same page and you hear yes over and over. Sometimes they don’t go well. Your requests are met with silence as they look around the room, waiting for someone else to give you the bad news. Emotions can be high,... Read more
Not Alone: Special-Needs Parenting
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