5 Ways to Support a Special Needs Parent
It’s not uncommon for parents to regularly get their children together for play dates and birthday parties. It’s a perfect time for the adults to chat and catch up and for the children to play. But have you ever noticed that some of your friends and their children slowly stopped attending these play dates and birthday parties?
For parents who spend much of their day taking their child with special needs to therapy appointments, it can be truly exhausting. They may lose interest in play dates because it is just so much work to get there and to make sure their child is okay at the activity. For these parents, activities with friends may move to the bottom of the priority list for their day.
But, even though these parents may not be able to attend every play date or birthday party, it doesn’t mean that they want to stop being included, involved, and accepted. As a friend, it might be hard to know what you can do or what to say (or not to say) to them. In today’s blog post, we are going to cover 5 ways you can support a special needs parent.
1. Talk to them and ask questions
It will mean so much to your friend to know that you care. You can express your care for them as a parent and for their child. Ask your friend how they are doing. You can also find out what they have going on with their child’s therapy and goals. You may not be able to understand, but by showing interest, you are showing a great level of support.
Be prepared to listen. Your friend may need to vent, but that does not mean they need or want advice. In this situation, we recommend keeping advice to yourself. Remember that they have many doctors and therapists providing regular counsel and treatment. If you do feel like you have some relevant advice, you should ask if they mind first before sharing.
2. Include them and their child
Even though they may not be able to attend everything you invite them to, an easy way to support your friend is by continuing to invite them to play dates and birthday parties. That way, when they can come, they’ll feel welcome. Another idea is to invite your friend to grab lunch or go shopping. They might really enjoy a stress-free afternoon!
There may be times when you or your child don’t know what to say or do. And that’s okay! It’s likely your friend and their child will experience some of the same thoughts and feelings. But, going back to our number one tip, you can always ask! They will appreciate that you care enough to ask. Then, it’ll be a great opportunity to teach your child, so they will feel more comfortable.
3. Be open to learn
There are many ways you can learn about the diagnosis and special needs of your friend’s child. One of the easiest ways is to search the acronyms and terms online! But, asking your friend is a great way to learn too. They will see that you care and want to learn.
It might be difficult to remember everything you learn, so please know that it is okay to keep trying. Your friend knows the language used can take a while to learn and will be forgiving, especially because they will appreciate your efforts!
4. Celebrate with them
As you learn more about the diagnosis and ask for updates on the child’s therapy and goals, you won’t be able to help but be excited with them as they progress! As you get to know the child, you can celebrate the successes together.
There will be very important milestones along the way, and your friend will feel supported by you showing interest and asking questions. Doing so will help you understand what a big deal it is for her child to reach certain milestones. It will also allow you to be there to support them on the occasions that their child doesn’t reach the milestone as expected.
5. Offer to help
A very tangible way to offer support is by offering your help and your time. One suggestion is to offer to babysit their other children when they need to travel to an unexpected therapy appointment or have a meeting at the school.
If you feel comfortable, you can also offer to babysit their child with special needs. It might require you to ask some questions, but the offer will mean so much.
Another suggestion is to help with daily household things. For example, you can offer to bring the family dinner, help with laundry, or pick up a grocery order at the store. If there is something you’d love help with, no doubt they will too!
We want to hear from you! If you are a special needs parent or friends with a special needs parent, what other suggestions would you want to add to this list? What are other ways that you’ve felt supported by your friends and family? Or have been able to support a friend or family member? Tell us in the comments!
