One of the best things for me since stumbling into the world of social media and blogging is the people I have “met”. I was very lucky to get talking to Wendy, a fab Mum of 4 whose own blog is about her family, and in particular about her two children with Autism/Special Needs and how the family copes with the daily challenges and celebrates the successes. Wendy hopes that her blog will help others in her position and raise awareness, and I’m sure it will.
In my “previous life” I worked for the National Autistic Society so have an insight into some of the difficulties Wendy faces, but now as a Mum, I have a fresh respect and admiration for her and the family as I know that being a Mum can be challenging at the best of times, but with something else thrown into the mix, it can be much more than that!
Whilst many of us were stressed, worried and anxious standing at the school gates recently, Wendy had additional worries and asked me to share this piece she has written. This is just one of Wendy’s fab pieces, and in itself it actually the second part of a blog, so please leave Wendy a comment after reading, and do have a look at the rest of her blog. It makes inspiring and humbling reading.
Nicki x
Pinkie’s first day at school was so full of a mixture of emotions for both us. My main concern was Pinkie going to fit in with the other children or would she been seen as different and become an outsider. I was hoping that the other children would just accept to for who she is.
We walked into the school full of anticipation, I was more nervous than Pinkie, I felt like it was my first day, you know how you feel that everyone is staring at you. You sit there waiting for your name to be called out as everyone is weighing everyone else up, you get the picture. Eventually Pinkie’s class was called and it seemed to be a free for all scramble to the classroom and that was just the parents, what did they hope to achieve??????? . Pinkie got to the class and looked so scared and bewildered. The teacher just took her by the hand to go and they went off to play in the sandpit while I quietly slipped away.
So the first day was a complete success, the second day well that’s another story.
I should have guessed everything would go to pot when the taxi was late picking up Perkie for school. Oh what a performance we looked like a scene from comedy of errors. I was trying to run with the pram, with Pinkie in tow, in the pouring rain. We got to school and guess what we was late. Not a good start !!!!!
“Oh I can’t do this”, was all I could hear in my head. As we stood in the playground waiting for our darlings to come out. I felt everyone was talking about me as I heard pinkie’s name mentioned a few times. It was all to do with Pinkie getting a bit more attention from the teachers than the other children. I really wanted to say something but you know it’s not worth it. I will have to see these people daily so didn’t really fancy upsetting them
So it looks like for the next 3 years we are going to be isolated yet again in the school playground. When will people see that children that are slightly different from the “normal” children have so much to offer. Oh well here we go again, somehow I will have to learn how to cope with it again
So it looks like for the next 3 years we are going to be isolated yet again in the school playground. When will people see that children that are slightly different from the “normal” children have so much to offer. Oh well here we go again, somehow I will have to learn how to cope with it again