Show Notes
For parents of disabled children, the holiday season can be a tricky time of the year to navigate. We are often faced with managing extra schedules, taking on the mental load of making sure everyone has everything they need, and feeling a certain way when doing our holiday shopping knowing a toy isn't exactly "age appropriate" for our disabled children. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we discuss how all these things can leave us feeling drained, and how shifting our perspective can change the extra grief we feel during this season. It's important to not fit our children into the idea of who they would be were they not disabled, and sometimes that means making new traditions that differ from the ones we had when we were children ourselves. It's OK to start new traditions and to make life easier on yourself - even if that means saying "no" to family. Sometimes hosting is easier so that you don't have to bring 18 pieces of medical equipment, feeds, medications, etc, to someone else's house!
More from B*tching and Bolusing
On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we explore the concept of presuming competence in individuals with disabilities while challenging societal assumptions and biases. By embracing this mindset, we are able to foster inclusion, autonomy, and empowerment while transforming the perception of how society views intellectual disability.
Back to school season is here, and for many of our children who use wheelchairs - they'll be transported to school on a bus. But so many of these children are transported unsafely, and without proper restraints! On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down and talk about proper restraint and transportation for wheelchair users!
Self care...if you're a parent you know the typical narrative: "take care of yourself, take time for yourself, if mom (or dad) isnt ok, no one is ok" but it feels like an an impossible goal to obtain. One where the goal post is constantly being moved. "No, a shower doesn't count, that is a human need, no you can't do self care in the house, you need to leave and spend time away from your kids. A haircut is nice, but what about an entire day at the spa, or a weekend trip?". On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down to discuss how we can reframe self care in a way that doesn't set us up for failure. So grab your face mask, or glass (bottle) of wine, and let's get to bitching!
Most parents feel as though accessible travel may be off-limits when they receive their child's diagnosis, especially when mobility aids are involved. While, for some, not traveling is the safest option, for others travel can still be obtainable with a little bit of extra planning. While we may not be experts on traveling, we've had our share of going out-and-about with our interabled children. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down and talk about our own experiences with traveling both in and out of the country!
There's no hood quite like siblinghood! As parents of interabled children, watching our children grown and learn side by side is a beautiful thing - even if they're doing it at difference paces. There is a natural routine that falls into place between the siblings, and oftentimes the non-disabled child is happy to offer support to their disabled brother or sister. Many parents choose to use terms like "supersib" to describe this relationship simply because the non-disabled sibling is helping out. But what happens when we begin to use language that "others" someone within the family? On this episode we take a deep-dive into the potential effects that can come from the phenomenon of labeling a non-disabled sibling, and what we can do to make ensure equity between our children.