I spent a lovely day at school helping with reading and Forest School, its my “thing” I do to relax and I enjoy it very much! When I was leaving my little love said to me:

“Just sit on the sofa and wait for me to get home from the bus”

It made me smile and wonder if that’s what he actually thinks I do all day. Im sure other people think it too and I have had comments from people that work all day about how lovely it must be to stay at home. And Im not denying that it is. But as well as sitting down on the sofa I do a home study course, volunteer at the school, visit elderly people, help out on a website for people with Mental Health issues and being a parent as well as being one of Special Needs children I also do these things:

I wash bedding every day. I wont go into detail as to why but SN parents will know what im talking about. I clear up any mess that may have happened during the night as a result of a meltdown. Talking of during the night, I will probably have not been able to get to bed until about 2 because my lovelies find it hard to sleep and then after getting up during the night numerous times sometimes I will be up at about 5. I also put everything back in the house how it should be as anything not in the right place could cause huge problems if a child is having a particularly bad day anyway.

I often have a number of appointments, sometimes 30 miles away and I don’t drive! I have to check up on IEPs and make sure they are being carried out. I have reviews that last for hours, appointments about behaviour, speech, and now Jessie is getting ready to move to the next school, appointments and visits on how to make this easier and reminders to the school that we need to be doing this or emails or phonecalls to remind of things they will need to know or things that I need to know. I have care plans and Statements  and Targets and “All about me” books to think about at home and then attend the meeting about.

I have also been to classes to learn Makaton, PECS, behaviour strategies, how to deal with meltdowns(at times I feel theirs and mine! 🙂 )

I search online for clothes that wont irritate, have low collars, high collars, itchy material, tight armpits, irritable tags, just the right waist….they would much rather be naked which is also something we deal with!  And don’t even get me started on finding the right pair of shoes! If we are lucky,  I stock up for fear they may discontinue the item!! I make sure we have food in stock that they may actually all eat! And think of ways I may be able to brush hair without starting a small war!

I then think of new ways to help with their reading, spellings and homework. My son in particular finds it very hard to sit and do these. He is not being difficult, he just finds it difficult to do it in the regular way so I search for ideas to hold his attention. I also look for and read books or online articles about things that could make our lives easier or tips from other parents on how to cope and manage particular things we are going through at that time.

I often have numerous paperwork to fill out for applying for different things or to get ready to see a new specialist for example. I have to do this in the day as I would have little hands “helping” to write on the paper or children needing attention at that very moment.

There are more things I could add but Im sure its getting boring already! This isn’t a great piece of writing and probably not well put but its 1.36 am and it looks like another night that will result in me having company. I do also spend my days thinking how much joy my children bring me and how far we have come. Id like to tell parents of younger children how it does get easier or we get more used to it ( and I think that will be my next blog).

So, if you need me Ill be sitting here on the sofa 🙂