So, I ended up with a three-day headache after an intense meeting and extra emotional first few weeks back at school. Just when we thought we had a solid team and plan in place our circumstances changed without any reassurance. Sadly, we don’t feel like we were shown the respect our child or this situation deserved.
Our kids haven’t always been comfortable with change and to be honest neither have we, especially when things have been travelling so well.
Unfortunately, these particular adjustments were completely out of our control and weren’t communicated to us appropriately.
We allowed things to play out for the first couple of weeks with hesitation debating whether to speak up or not. Each day our concerns continued to grow and began to eat away at me. I was feeling over anxious and losing sleep because of it. I was repeatedly rehearsing what I wanted to say in my head but tentative to take the immediate action necessary to clear my mind.
We’ve been advocating for our kids for nearly ten years now and it never seems to get any easier. It’s always extremely emotional and overwhelming.
Debating what to say, to who or to even say anything at all. It takes time and a lot of inner strength to work up the confidence to speak up and then to actually go through with it.
It’s frustrating to feel like we are constantly fighting a fight for what we think is right for our children.
After building up the courage to convey our concerns it then becomes emotionally draining.
Yes, you feel better for lifting that weight off your shoulders, but it’s a major build up fueled by so many emotions I end up feeling depressed for at least a few days afterwards.
We don’t want to feel like we’re being difficult parents. We’re just fiercely passionate about providing the best possible care for our children and want to give them the greatest chance at a happy and successful life.
So much has been achieved so far with experienced professionals. We’ve been able to create meaningful relationships and put programs in place to generate ongoing progress.
It’s disappointing to feel like our voices are not being heard. We know our children the best. We’ve witnessed their development and lived through all the blood; sweat and tears it’s taken to get to this point.
It’s a team effort. Everyone needs to respect each other’s roles and opinions for success to be achieved.
We require complete trust and confidence in the people’s abilities to fully support our children and expect them to also have their best interests at heart.
We literally have to be their voice because they’re unable to communicate properly or defend themselves.
Self-care is so important during these times to recover. These stressful experiences affect me both mentally and physically, so I must remember to be extra kind to myself.
I could have easily been a recluse but my weekend after was spent catching up with friends, eating out, going to the beach, watching tv and writing…
After overseeing our children’s care for so long we know what to expect, what we deserve and will not settle for less.
Unfortunately, it's an ongoing situation that requires constant care and supervision. Thankfully, the communication has improved.
At the end of the day, we just want what’s best for our kids and don’t want to feel bad for fighting for it.
