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Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
January 18, 2023 | By: Cindi Paschall
Categories: Family Support
No matter your situation, you and your child can live a life full of peace, love and happiness. Below are a few tips to help you through the journey.
1. Allow Yourself Time
Plans have changed. Your life may look different than the one you once imagined. Allow yourself to grieve if needed. But don’t get stuck there. Your child and your family need you.
2. Nurture Yourself
Self-care is important. Give yourself time each day to focus on what brings you joy. Sometimes that simply means having a cup of coffee before starting the day, a long soak in the tub, reading a good book, etc.
3. Try New Things
If you had to give up a favorite hobby, pick up a new one! Find new things you enjoy. Focus on these things and take steps forward.
4. Focus on the Present
The hard truth of becoming a parent of a child with a disability is that everything about your life may change. However, that is no reason to give up hope. Instead of brooding about the future you dreamed of or the past you wish you could change, you need to focus on the present. You don’t have to abandon your dreams. Take advantage of every opportunity to live as you imagined.
5. Minimize the Impact
You and your child don’t have to fall by the wayside. Disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right to enjoy life and the mainstream of society. Use this website to research what types of benefits, supports and services are available. Knowledge is empowering! Christopher Morely once said, “There is only one success … to be able to spend your life in your own way.” Take charge of your life and the life of your child. Let your dreams guide you.
6. Ask for Support
You know the saying, “It takes a village.” Well, it does! The worst thing you can do when raising a child with a disability is attempt to do it all by yourself. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Don’t be too prideful to accept help when it’s offered. Asking for help is a strength.
Coping with change and overcoming new challenges is going to be hard. The emotional strain will feel a lot lighter if you let your friends and family help you carry it.
Connect with other parents and find a village.
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