The Scary Reality of Forever as a Special Needs Parent
The idea of forever is very different when you have a child with special needs. Will my child ever living on their own? Will they have self care? There are times when I will look at my son and think, ‘this might be okay.’ He might learn to understand safety. He might learn to communicate his wants and needs. He might, maybe someday, be able to stay home alone. But in all honesty, the future is unknown. I don’t know if these things will ever happen. And as parents we try to be hopeful while planning for the future.
The idea of forever has been a topic in our home for the past couple of weeks. We’ve been talking about wills, trusts, retirement and housing. Cooper and his care is a factor in all of that. Not to mention ALL of the emotions that go into it as well. Most parents plan to care for their children for 18 years. We are looking at forever.
We know that he will most likely live with us forever. We know that we will most likely care for him forever. What we don’t know is the level of that care. Will we be parents? Or will we be caregivers? Or a combination of both?
Parenting a child is one thing. Caregiving is another. They are very different. And we are just realizing the forever of that.
Take a listen as I discuss the idea of forever.
https://youtu.be/nMnc_9UHHRc
Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
