It's okay to ask for help!
I believe that one of my biggest accomplishments was learning to ask for help when I needed to. This really hit me with the birth of my first child. It was one thing to be independent and determined to take care of myself, but now here’s a little person dependent on me! All of a sudden, I knew it was now a smart thing to ask for help when I needed it.
As my children grew older, I had very trying times with my kids and have had to find assistance to cope. For many years I was too fearful to call for help because I believe that my children may be taken from me based on the fact that I had a disability. With the assistance of a Social Worker placed right at school, by coming to her BEFORE things escalated, I ended up establishing relationships with those who I was fearful of.
When my oldest boy turned 13, it was like flipping a switch and he was suddenly much more than my husband and I could handle. My home-school coordinator referred me to Mountain View Prevention Services to speak to a Parent Advocate. The home-school coordinator knew that my children were in no danger, but that I needed to talk to someone who could help me deal with my children’s behavior issues. The Parent Advocate is a retired Middle School principle and he was able to help me see that some behaviors are typical and he suggested simple strategies to help me deal with situations at home. I talk to him whenever I feel too stress and he has even come to the house to visit us as a family unit.
Learning to ask for help has also opened so many doors for me. Now I am an advocate for others with disabilities. I want to help educate both parents and professionals about the ways that we can provide support to parents with disabilities in order to be successful parents in their own homes without fearing that their children will be removed.
As my children grew older, I had very trying times with my kids and have had to find assistance to cope. For many years I was too fearful to call for help because I believe that my children may be taken from me based on the fact that I had a disability. With the assistance of a Social Worker placed right at school, by coming to her BEFORE things escalated, I ended up establishing relationships with those who I was fearful of.
When my oldest boy turned 13, it was like flipping a switch and he was suddenly much more than my husband and I could handle. My home-school coordinator referred me to Mountain View Prevention Services to speak to a Parent Advocate. The home-school coordinator knew that my children were in no danger, but that I needed to talk to someone who could help me deal with my children’s behavior issues. The Parent Advocate is a retired Middle School principle and he was able to help me see that some behaviors are typical and he suggested simple strategies to help me deal with situations at home. I talk to him whenever I feel too stress and he has even come to the house to visit us as a family unit.
Learning to ask for help has also opened so many doors for me. Now I am an advocate for others with disabilities. I want to help educate both parents and professionals about the ways that we can provide support to parents with disabilities in order to be successful parents in their own homes without fearing that their children will be removed.
posted by Aldea LaParr | 1:54 PM
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