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From the outside, we cannot comprehend what a parent of a disabled child is going through. There’s the emotional side of the equation, but there’s also the cost of the medical bills and the impact on life in general. Being a parent of a disabled child is a unique challenge. If you are just going through this journey or someone you know is coming to terms with it, it’s important to bear some of the following in mind.
There is Always Help, So Use It
Being the parent of a disabled child can make us feel incredibly protective, and when the motherly instinct kicks in, it can be Overprotective Mother Version 2.0! When something has happened, especially if there have been complications during the birth, there is that drive to completely see this through ourselves.
The problem occurs when you don’t admit that you are human and that you need support. There is always help. This could be family members, but even in terms of the difficulties that can occur because of hospital mishaps, an experienced cerebral palsy attorney or attorney that deals with disabilities arising from medical malpractice will be able to ensure you can get the redemption you need.
We can all feel too proud to ask for help, but we have to remember that being the parent of a disabled child is something that will take over our entire lives, so we’ve got to get over ourselves and know we should ask for help when we need it.
Understand Your Weaknesses Now
We can feel that determination to do everything we can and there will be major pressures on every aspect of our lives. If you are raising an autistic child, sleep is very limited and there will be the likelihood that you are up a few times a night, or if you have a child with epilepsy, you are going to feel on edge if there is the potential for a seizure. This is why it’s not just about you ensuring your child is protected, but about making sure that you are.
We have to get ourselves into peak mental and physical condition, so if we can understand our weaknesses, this doesn’t just mean we can ask for help when we need it, but it also allows us to function better. Anybody that becomes a parent for the first time soon learns the hard way about lack of sleep and the alterations it makes to your life. For any parent of a disabled child, if you can fine-tune yourself so you can be a little bit fitter and healthier, you are going to not feel the strain so much.
It is a Journey You Should Enjoy
The hardest thing to come to terms with is that we have a child that is going to demand so much of us. The typical child grows up and there is that separation, but if you have someone who is going to rely on you for the rest of your life you can either be a glass-half-empty person or you can rise to the challenge and, more importantly, enjoy every single moment.
The day a non-verbal child subtly communicates or the moment a child with learning difficulties puts their socks on are all little things that should be celebrated, and it is these moments that are going to make you feel incredibly proud you are a part of.
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