Ripping off the Band-aide – SPD Parenting
Hello friends. It’s time to rip off the Band-aide and just start.
No more excuses.
No more thinking.
Just do it already, Jennifer!
After all, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one simple step.
As many of you know, I’ve been running the website, The Sensory Spectrum, for the past six months.
We’re about to hit 1,000 following on Facebook and it just keeps growing… from my blog to my site to Pinterest.
But while I’ve been sharing information with the Sensory Processing Disorder community for a while, I keep thinking about what many of these articles personally mean to me.
I’m more than just some SPD mama; however, it’s been very hard to find who I am between doctor appointments, pediatric OT appointments, allergy appointments, ENT appointments.
Basically, I have donned myself the Resident Medical Officer because that’s what I’ve become.
But now it’s time to embrace not only the challenges my two sons face but to also reclaim myself.
When my husband and I first had children, we were shocked.
(Aren’t all parents?)
What we didn’t realize was that my now five-year-old had Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
What the pediatricians called “colicky” about sent me screaming from the house in tears.
Of course, now I understand.
But those years of not understanding, of blaming myself, of believing I was a poor mother because I couldn’t help or manage my child, added to sending our house into a spiral of stress, tension and despair, and me into a deep depression.
A couple years into having kids, a very smart friend told me — “When you have kids, you lose half of your personality.
It comes back but not right away.”
Now add a couple of SPD kiddos to the mix.
I feel like I’ve lost myself in this process, and I’m ready to come back fighting.
I don’t think I’ll ever have the “ideal” house — does anyone? — but I’m striving to regain the right balance of helping my sons so they can be successful down the line, however they choose to define that, and allowing myself to find the person that I am.
Of course, easier said than done.
When I’m not with my kids, I’m thinking about them, worrying about them, wondering what I could be doing better for them.
But this is the course for all parents.
So I welcome you to Mommy Evolution, my own personal journey, insights, knowledge, messes and triumphs.
Most people call me Jennifer.
But we’re going to become intimate friends, so call me Jenny.
Read more about Sensory Processing Disorder on Mommy Evolution!
Some us still think of you as C.C.! I also think of you as an amazing, smart and talented woman. Best of luck on your journey. I’ll be reading!
I’ll always be C.C. too, Stacy. I really do appreciate your support 🙂
I completely get where you’re coming from. With my own five year old daughter with sensory challenges, I’m mom/caregiver, chauffeur, I’m educator, I’m cook, maid (very poorly at that), occupational therapist (at home during the week), food therapist, librarian, wife and partner…but somewhere in this entire journey I started to lose myself. After FINALLY figuring out what exactly was going on…I’ve been able to view myself in a different light but only very recently. So nice to meet you Jenny, and I look forward to reading your own personal journey about who you are and who you’ve become 🙂
-Jessica
Jessica — I know my journey echoes so many other SPD parents out there. Glad you’re joining me!
You go, Jenny. I’m hoping you can inspire the rest of us to follow along!! I’ll be rooting for you right here in eastern PA!
Thanks, Christa. I think we’ll all be inspiring each other. I takes a village, not just to raise a child, but to help moms stay sane!
As a fellow mother and blogger of a child with SPD, I was hoping that you would allow me to include a link to your blog from mine. You can check out my blog at notjustaboy.wordpress.com. I am inspired by your story and see a lot of similarities in our journeys.
Hi visiting via Mums Make Lists.
I’m surprised at how much my oldest son (16) has sensory issues but it was never mentioned. Now our 4 year is going through the assessment and we learn more about it it all makes sense.
Pleased to meet you.