Thursday, June 9, 2011

The End of Sophomore Year

Well, it's done. Over. I always have mixed emotions. I realize that time is going by so quickly and that I will yearn for these days again. Glad to be rid of the 5:45 a.m. mornings and car ride in the dark. Also, the schedule of appointments and activities that follow the school year. Kay got straight "A"'s in all her classes. She did screw up the 10th grade writing assessment and only got a "2". This is the kid that has published two books and writes better than her brother who's a Junior in college. When I asked her about it, she told me that she didn't like the prompt so she wrote about something important to her---Civil Rights and the Disability Movement. I'm proud of her "2". She only gets one score versus "typical" kids get 2, one for content and another for conventions. Since she dictates to scribe she doesn't get a conventions grade. I hate standardized tests. Only 10 weeks until Junior year. I'm sleeping in tomorrow....at least until 7:00 a.m.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

What to Say....And Not Say

Someone asked me today about what to say to a friend whose child was born with a disability. I told her not to say any cliches. I remember how painful it was to hear, "These things happen for a reason," or "Only special parents are given special children, " or my favorite, "You only get what you can handle." I was oh so not handling things that it made me want to scream. I told her that I liked when someone would tell me how outrageously long and full her hair was (Kay got her first haircut at about 6 weeks old.) or how long her fingers were....."normal" stuff. As a parent with a child with a disability, I have the ability and credibility to tell other mothers in this situation, "It's going to be OK." You wouldn't believe the relief you feel when someone tells you that. More than anything, just listen. People process trauma by talking about it and a sympathetic listener is the best friend.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Time for Thank Yous....Make the Time

As the school year draws to a close, it's time to take a few minutes and thank some people at your child's school. Surely someone there has made the school year at least bearable. I've already picked up some 99 cent thank you cards at Walmart and will write a heartfelt thank you to each of her teachers. There are only 4 so I'm not killing myself here. If you don't want to be original, google famous quotes for teachers and just write the quote in the card and sign it sincerely. My gardenia bush is in bloom, if I really go crazy, I'll send in a blossom with the card. One of Kay's early teachers told me that she has saved my card all these years. Can't say that about the tacky coffee mug shaped like an apple!