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Yes, You Could Do It
I cannot count how many times I’ve heard people say, “I could never do it,” when referring to raising children with disabilities. It’s funny, because they often say this when referencing my life, as if...
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Ten things I want my kids to remember
Much of what I do as a parent seems trivial: laundry, cooking, making beds. But when my children look back at this beautiful messy life, this is what I want my kids to remember. I love you. Not because...
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The last time
I walk across the brown hallway. The yellowish dim lights of the orphanage cast shades as I make my way through the door. On my hip, my new daughter rests awkwardly, we haven’t figured out how we fit...
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Thankfulness: The Special Needs Way
When my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I never imagined that someday I would be thankful for her diagnosis. At the time of her birth, our future seemed bleak and limited. But disability was so...
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Confessions of a Special Needs Parent: Please Don’t Praise Your Kid for...
It happens, a kid plays with a child with a disability and the parents are proud, they want to praise that friendship and you might hear statements like, “Oh honey, you are so wonderful!” “You are the...
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If time stopped
Too quickly you are shedding the words “little.” Loosing baby teeth, growing taller, sitting at the piano with great concentration. Sometimes I look at you and see the face of what you might look like...
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If You Only Know One Thing About Children With Disabilities, Know This
Sometimes I forget two of my children have disabilities. My youngest has Down syndrome and although it’s physically obvious, I don’t look at her and think, Down syndrome. I mean, I know she has Down...
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To Parents of Kids With Disabilities: Dream Big!
I did not dance a jig when my daughter’s birth confirmed her suspected diagnosis of Down syndrome. Dancing is for celebration, and I really do wish I had celebrated her birth but I did not know then...
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Motherhood Unexpected
Some women become mothers unexpectedly because motherhood was not part of their plan. But even when you plan to become a mother, once you actually hold that baby in your arms so much of motherhood is...
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Confessions of a special needs parent: I wish you could see what I see
It’s no secret my girls have special needs. You can easily see the facial characteristics of Down syndrome, or the walker, wheelchair, and poor gait that points to cerebral palsy. Delays, poor speech,...
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Dear Teacher, About My Typical Child…
Dear Teacher, On my daughter’s birthday a few weeks ago, our family sat on the living room floor before she opened her presents and we all shared one thing about her we appreciate. When it was my turn...
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You Are a Gift To Celebrate
Editor’s note: Today’s post is a personal letter for my daughter. It is her birthday, and every year on her birthday I think about the journey we have been on. When she was born eight years ago her...
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Growing Up With a Disability: The Preschool Years
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Tonia, a young woman who has cerebral palsy. Tonia and I met online, and we have had several conversations about disability and more specifically, disability in...
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Confessions of a Special Needs Parent: This Is Life
Sometimes as special needs parents, some of us feel like this: There is too much going on and we cannot focus. Parenting is hard. So hard. There is no manual and you just try to do the best you can....
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Please Don’t Praise Me for Loving My Child With a Disability
It happens to most of us as we parent kids with disabilities, we hear statements like, “You are amazing, I could never do it.” “It must be so hard.” Yes, it’s true, sometimes parenting kids with...
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What My Daughter Has To Say About Her Disability
My daughter will be 10 years old in just a couple of months. She has cerebral palsy (CP). Her CP mainly involves her legs, but spasticity can startle her at any time all over her body. Some days are...
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Ten things I want my kids to remember
Much of what we do as a parents seems trivial: laundry, cooking, making beds. But when our children look back at this beautiful messy life, this is what we will want our kids to remember. I love you....
View ArticleMy Life Is Different, But It Is Good
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Jenny Hill for a summer series highlighting great writers who focus on disability. I asked Ellen Stumbo if she could pose a question to me that I could mull over...
View ArticleWhy Are People With Down Syndrome Always Happy? (SET#3)
Editor’s note: I like to look at search engine terms (SETs) to see how people find my blog, since it is Down syndrome awareness month, I thought I would address some of those searches throughout the...
View ArticleThankfulness: The Special Needs Way
When my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I never imagined that someday I would be thankful for her diagnosis. At the time of her birth, our future seemed bleak and limited. But disability was so...
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