This is the start of a beautiful friendship. Last fall, T’s child and youth worker made the excellent suggestion to look into a Big Brother-style mentorship program for T. I believe in mentorship and surrounding T with positive influences is important, because making friends is hard for kids with FASD. Despite best efforts, we haveContinue reading “Big Brother”
Tag Archives: Friendship
No Day But Today
We said goodbye to a lifelong friend this weekend and I am reminded to never hesitate to live, love and laugh. The universe works in wonderful ways, connecting people in seemingly coincidental ways. In Grade 7 English class, I first became friends with Jenny because we randomly sat together in Mrs Piazza’s English class withContinue reading “No Day But Today”
Hard Goodbyes
One of the hardest lessons in life is learning to say goodbye to good friends. Two weeks ago, a bomb dropped in the middle of T’s day when he learned that his best friend – his one good friend at school – was moving and that his last day would be in two days thatContinue reading “Hard Goodbyes”
Walking Towards Hope
Inspiration exists in all forms and they are so important when traveling down unpaved road. Thanks to our FASD service provider, the hubby and I recently joined a cohort of parents and caregivers for a weekly support group. It’s an 8-week pilot initiative hosted by Surrey Place, an amazing organization that has supported T sinceContinue reading “Walking Towards Hope”
Reading Buddy
We’re experimenting with our little guy’s love of younger kids to build his reading and social skills. At the start of every school year, I watch and reflect on this “Common Strengths of Students with FASD” video by social worker Dan Dubovsky. It’s apparent T loves younger kids and they bring out his patient andContinue reading “Reading Buddy”
Part of the Pack
A coyote and pine cones. Unlikely ingredients for friendship for a 7 year old. With warmer Spring days, T and I play outside after daycare pickup before heading home. There is a group of moms and kids that are there every day. It’s amusing watching T try to initiate play. He likes to be chasedContinue reading “Part of the Pack”
Thank You For Being a Friend
Life is blessed and brighter if we have a Dorothy, Rose, Blanche or Sophia in our lives. During pandemic lockdown, I watched a lot of Golden Girls reruns. It was a show I watched after school in grade school and nicely complemented the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Revisiting the show as an adult, the storyContinue reading “Thank You For Being a Friend”
Cousins
Magical moments in parenting happen when you watch your child connect and click with another. As much as I’m still complaining about not having a quiet break to myself during my time off work, it was nice to have given T time with his grandparents, Aunt and cousin in the East Coast. He was particularlyContinue reading “Cousins”
The New Boy in the Park
A wonderful shortlived friendship T made was a reminder about kindness and being present. I often think about friendships, because I’ve read it’s often a challenge for individuals with an invisible disability, such as FASD. It was one of the hardest parts of the pandemic, knowing T was isolated at home and missing out onContinue reading “The New Boy in the Park”
Massive Meltdown at the Park
An explosive moment in public provided a hard reminder about kindness and letting go. I’ve written on numerous occasions about raising our six-year-old son who has great potential and a challenging prognosis of at-risk FASD. These challenges include explosive outbursts, impulsivity and emotional regulation. Managing these moments feel especially difficult during these hard days ofContinue reading “Massive Meltdown at the Park”
The Little Boy in the Park
An unexpected connection with a seven-year-old boy is teaching T about the highs and lows of friendship. It started two months ago, in warmer weather. At that time, T had developed a bond with two older boys, whom he played with regularly after I picked him up after daycare. Then one day, S started toContinue reading “The Little Boy in the Park”
Connecting with Special Needs Parents at the Playground
I believe the universe conspires to bring people together – and the recent gathering place is a playground. One of my favourite parts of my day is when I pick T up from his after school program. We spend an hour hanging out at the playground. Since July, he’s built friendships with a regular groupContinue reading “Connecting with Special Needs Parents at the Playground”
Finding Conflict and Resolution at the Playground
On a recent Thursday daycare pickup, I got out of the car and heard yelling between T and a little girl. At first, I thought they were just playing but upon a closer look, I saw the two of them screaming at each other’s face, a parent standing behind the girl and the daycare staffContinue reading “Finding Conflict and Resolution at the Playground”
Visiting Our Old Home and Playground
You can go home again and we did. This past Sunday, we took a late afternoon drive to our old neighbourhood. T had been feeling nostalgic and wanted to see the old playground and we spent close to two hours playing there in the late afternoon. The hubby and I lived in this previous homeContinue reading “Visiting Our Old Home and Playground”
Watching Our Little One Learn About Friendship
“We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” – Winnie the Pooh On a recent Friday evening, my hubby and I were watching T play at our local McDonald’s PlaySpace; it’s our weekly weekend ritual. T ran around in his usual excited way, making loud dinosaur roars. After aContinue reading “Watching Our Little One Learn About Friendship”