I avoided doing a blended diet for my son for years. I sat on a Facebook group stalking and listening. If I’m honest, my medically tinted spectacles probably tipped me towards thinking it was a bit hippy. The irony that feeding your child actual food could be deemed ‘alternative’ didn't quite seeped in as being [...]
It’s Children in Need this week. Forgetting the cultural drive to be good or bad, right or wrong, I have to admit I have been increasingly uncomfortable with Children in Need (CIN) for the past few years. A perspective which has been voice by others in recent days across social media. So, stepping into the murky [...]
It’s the 11th October 2021, there is a severe weather front closing in and I have written about it before. I’m braced for impact. It’s my son’s 16th birthday tomorrow I am full of so much joy, pride, gratitude and love. I am brimming with heartache, loss and grief. Weather fronts are the transition boundary [...]
Have you ever tried to curate your expectations in order to minimise disappointment or sadness? As though you are trying to flatten the curve of your emotions by not letting yourself feel the high of hopefulness or joyful expectation. I have found myself attempting (and failing) to compress and ignore feelings of hope, excitement, love or [...]
An upside down world In the last year, the country has been turned on its head. Things which were once important are no longer a priority. People's values have been honed, the world has shrunk, and everyone has gotten used to living in a different way. Whether it is wearing a face mask to pop [...]
There has been a lot of talk about Harry and Megan this week. Polarising, hot-headed opinions including the passionate view point that being entirely uninterested is the only right reaction. It has made me wonder what it looks like to, "keep the peace" and whether attempts to keep the peace can result in perpetuating injustice and [...]
“Why my son won’t be accepting his 100% attendance award” went viral 4 years ago. The photo of one 9-year-old‘s left ear went round the world and was seen by millions of people - along with my rant about how much I dislike 100% Attendance Awards and how, in my opinion, they undervalue community and [...]
Ever been at a work’s do and introduced a colleague by listing off their current ailments? “Hi, Steve, this is Bob. He has a stammer. Bob, meet Steve, he’s can’t sit for long because of his massive piles.” Of course not. I don’t introduce myself as, “Hi, I’m Rachel. I broke my wrist last year, ruptured [...]
Medications 7 times through the day and night isn't cancelled. 24-hour PEG feeds aren't cancelled. Hoisting and toileting isn't cancelled. 24-hour postural care isn’t cancelled. Personal care isn't cancelled. Cooking, cleaning, educating, playing, resting isn’t cancelled. Contacting and negotiating with professionals isn’t cancelled. Visual stimulation, sensory stimulation and active movements aren’t cancelled Trying to keep your [...]
Ever feel like you are losing control? One of the first things to disappear, when I became the parent of a child with complex needs, was a sense of control. Once I foolishly thought I was the master of your own destiny. Suddenly, the weeks ahead of me were moulded and shaped by a growing [...]
