Thankful

I don't always say thank you to my friends as much as I should but this is kind of a thank you post to one of them. I have a friend named Laura. Her son is on the spectrum. He's autistic. My friendship with Laura has opened my eyes to so many things, people , situations and has allowed me to understand things I had never encountered before. She helped me when we figured out that Kennady wasn't your typically developing child in terms of speech. Now on to why I felt like I needed to thank Laura......

A friend of mine posted a video of her child playing in a public place. Another child ran up and picked up the items / toys off the floor and started to play with them. He wasn't sharing in the video. So when the video was posted the comments were how the child was being "rude". I looked at the video and my first thought was maybe that little boy is on the spectrum, maybe he has sensory issues? Maybe he has social development issues? My first thought was not oh he's a rude kid. I thank Laura for that. Laura and her son have opened my eyes to so much. As have the parents and children in my daughter's classes and at her speech therapy facility. If you see a child not acting like a typically developing child stop and think that maybe they aren't. YES some kids are just acting a fool and haven't been taught any better by their parents but that's not always the case.

 It can be scary to take your non typically developing child out in public. For Kennady and I we normally go out early in the morning before too many kids are awake and out. Kennady doesn't talk so that means she just goes and does stuff. She wont say excuse me if she bumps into you. She may smile and rub the area she bumped. That's her way of saying she's sorry. I've had parents and other kids kinda freak out because she bumped into their kid and didn't say she was sorry and what kind of parent am I to not teach her to say she's sorry. There was one little girl who actually got into Kennady's face and screamed "YOU'RE A BAD BABY A BAD BAD BABY". When I said something to the little girl her mother snapped at ME.  I used to try to explain that she is delayed but when I'd do that I'd get the sad pitty looks which in all honesty are just as bad as being told you're a crap parent. PLEASE don't feel sorry for the parents of children with delays or other issues. We're just like you. We love our kids and want the best for them. So before you make a snap judgement about a child or their parent stop and think that there could be more going on than meets the eye. The little boy in the video my friend posted could have had a mother who was watching him play with those scarves and was feeling so excited and proud that her child wasn't having a melt down in a social situation. That could have been a great day for her and her son. Don't possibly turn it into something bad by posting her (or anyone else's kid) on the internet and calling them rude. Remember not all disabilities are visible.

If you see my little princess out in public and she's not acting "typical" please try to understand and be kind. She's not being rude or mean. She just doesn't talk yet.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
 to all the mamas, mamas to be and those who have taken on the 
amazing role of caregiver to a child or children. I hope your day was amazing!!!