Courage

It takes courage to do what’s right for your child when what’s right for your child does not conform to the accepted system.

You must advocate for your child- and really pay attention to what they need and help them develop into a whole, healthy and happy being. Resist the overwhelming messages that tell you what you should do, or how to conform when you know in your heart that conforming is breaking your child’s spirit.

On top of trying to figure out what to do instead, you will have to stand up for your belief and defend it.

Courage, strength, ingenuity, determination, time and love will be required.

I’m amazed and embarrassed at how many times I kept trying to make things work, to fit in, to follow the accepted path even though I was sure it was not working for my son.

We had numerous examples from sleeping advice to “let him cry it out”, to being told at a teacher conference that we should “try to be more regular and make Dale more regular”, or the many attempts to explain or justify a broken system. I look back and wish I’d had the courage to do what I knew made more sense sooner, without so much trying to fit into the system.

I look back and wish I’d had the courage to do what I knew made more sense sooner, without so much trying to fit into the system.

Hindsight and parental guilt are such good companions.

I encourage anyone who is sitting on the fence, struggling with a decision about how to advocate for your child when it means not conforming, to be brave.  Do the right thing, which might be the hardest thing to do.