Bringing The Family Unit Together
New parents often bring their newborns home and have this ideal image of what parenting is going to be like. Seasoned parents know that this is unrealistic and that you need to have coping mechanisms as well as the ability to simply roll with the punches all throughout parenting. At any given time you can receive a diagnosis that will alter your family dynamic. The key is not to let this define the family but rather to learn to readjust.
Some parents bring babies home and at their first checkup find out about physical needs that the baby may have. Some babies are born tongue tied; others may have hearing problems or even hip dysplasia. This requires more doctors’ visits and sometimes corrective procedures. Learning how to care for a newborn baby that has physical needs beyond the “normal” is simply an adjustment. New parents do not know any better and this adjustment should simply be a change in their routine.
School aged children may struggle in certain subjects or become disruptive in class. The first time a parent may even hear about this is when a teacher sends an email to have a conference. Some parents are in denial and immediately believe that a stern talking to will correct any behavioral problems. As more phone calls and emails come in the parents quickly realize that they need to reach out to their pediatrician to have referrals for evaluations. Schools often can also provide referrals. When understanding children with adhd, autism, bi-polar and other conditions it requires a team of professionals to guide you through the disease. Often doctors will be able to diagnose these conditions and then offer treatment options. In some cases parents need to adjust sensory conditions around the home and enlist the help of therapists. In other situations medicine can truly make a huge difference and children are able to carry on their day in a normal way.
No matter what condition your children may be suffering from, physical or mental, parents need to adjust. No one is saying that this adjustment will be easy. Some days will be harder than others and you may want to just cry and give up but you know that you cannot give up because your children need you. It is not only ok but it is encouraged to seek the help of a therapist for yourself as you are working through any of these conditions with your children. As parents we have grown up knowing life as one way, when we have children that need special adjustments to their routines to help them function better we need to learn how to readjust our daily routine as well. This can sometimes be disruptive and stressful. Talking to a psychologist will help parents to understand the new role that they play in their children’s life. This role is a shared role with school administration, school therapists and specialists as well as psychologists and pediatricians. Just remember, your children do not know any different, this is the life they are growing up with and when they see you happy and healthy it projects onto their own emotions as well.
Category: General