Special needs parenting is lonely. Even when you're surrounded by people, it's as though you're all on your own if those people don't understand what you go through. Even throughout the good times, it's hard to get another parent as excited as you are over what might seem like a silly accomplishment to them but was the result of a lot of hard work for you. Your reality is different from the world that everyone else seems to live in and it feels as though you either live two lives - keeping up with the rest of the world whilst maintaining the one you really reside in, or you isolate yourself and only entertain anything that is relevant to you and your child. Both are exhausting. Both are lonely.
If you're the parent of a child with special needs, create a support network for yourself. There are millions of forums, groups and blogs online where you can converse with other parents in the same situation as you - even better, try and meet with a support group in your local area.
If you have a friend or family member with a child with special needs, ask questions. Do some research. Let them talk about their child, their life and their reality - not with your judgment or opinions, but with a genuine interest in what they have to say. Allow them to celebrate their child. We all want to share a part of ourselves and our world with the people around us, but we want the people around us to be interested and to care.
There are seven billion people in the world. Why should any of us ever feel lonely?
If you're the parent of a child with special needs, create a support network for yourself. There are millions of forums, groups and blogs online where you can converse with other parents in the same situation as you - even better, try and meet with a support group in your local area.
If you have a friend or family member with a child with special needs, ask questions. Do some research. Let them talk about their child, their life and their reality - not with your judgment or opinions, but with a genuine interest in what they have to say. Allow them to celebrate their child. We all want to share a part of ourselves and our world with the people around us, but we want the people around us to be interested and to care.
There are seven billion people in the world. Why should any of us ever feel lonely?