A word I associate with parenting is…frustration. As a parent, I often find myself frustrated that my kids aren’t listening, taking advice, deciding to meltdown in the middle of a store, etc...The culprits vary and I’m constantly in a state of frustration! In my case, however, having a special needs child takes it to another level.
Being a parent does have joyous moments but not without some of the hardest, most challenging moments you’ve ever faced. I think of parenting as climbing Mt. Everest. Hear me out…I chose to climb this mountain knowing it would be challenging while also breathtaking. Yet, I never truly understood the highs and lows until I was on that mountain. There are moments of pure bliss, moments of complete fear and moments of frustration. People say it’s wonderful and hard all at the same time, but until you’re on that mountain…YOU HAVE NO IDEA!
For me, parenting is like climbing Mt. Everest EVERY DAY! Once I get them ALL to bed; I feel like I have conquered the climb and can finally take in the views/all the hard work it took to get them through the day and into bed!
With Addy it’s even more challenging. At this stage, she doesn’t communicate as well as a typical child her age and often gets fixated on the smallest things. I have to find ways to keep my frustration in check as my frustration is a trigger for Addy – the more frustrated I get, the worse the situation becomes. Yes, this is true with any child, but with Addy she senses feelings on a different level. If I seem frustrated with her, this can send her into either a love mode where she just wants to hug me or a complete meltdown. I try my best to parent her just as I parent my other children as I don’t want her to feel any different; but she is and that’s ok!
That’s where I go back to my mountain. Each day is different, the sun may be out and so bright that I can hardly see. It might be cloudy and icy with the rocks so slippery I have to watch every step. Or it could be just the perfect day to climb with the wind at my back. I can’t control any of those things. What I can control is how I react to the elements around me. No, I have never climbed Mt. Everest nor any mountain as I’m afraid of heights, but I chose to climb this mountain of parenting no matter the conditions. Remember, we may not be able to control the conditions, but we sure can control how we react to them.
Much love,
Raising Addy
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