“Everyone warned me about the toddler years. The ‘terrible twos.’ The tantrums. The tears. All the dramatics. And right now, we’re in it. But let me tell you a little secret about this ‘trying stage.’”
‘It’s THIS stage, you first said the words, ‘Lub you too, mommy.’ You reach for mommy’s hand, then give her a sweet smile. You sing at the top of your lungs in your car seat.’
‘I can’t believe I’m sharing this photo. An in-the-moment meltdown. Raw, vulnerable and unattractive. I accidentally snapped this pic of me in tears.’
“My anxiety was at an all-time high. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my kid’s behavior. I needed a mental break. I needed to be alone. The very next day, the triplets’ Pre-school teacher recommended therapy for my boys. I was devastated. Defeated. How has it come to this? Is it really that bad?”
‘He’s wearing his work clothes, just like daddy!’ My daughter exclaims each time her little brother wears a button-up shirt.’
“She follows up by saying, ‘But you don’t wear work clothes, because you don’t go to work, mommy.’ I cringed.”
‘He wasn’t so sure this was for him. Late in the pregnancy, they told her there was a chance the baby girl could have it. Deep in my heart, I already knew.’
“While at the game, an older gentleman came up to me and was hitting on me, creeping me out. Then I saw him. We chatted and he let me sit with him and his friends, ‘saving’ me from the creepy man.”
‘Please come pick up your son. He isn’t a good fit.’ He was there 3 hours before we got the call.’
“A good fit. I’ve rolled the words over and over again in my mind. In a matter of one conversation over lunchtime, they determined him ‘unfit’ and ‘too much’ for their school.”
‘She will probably never walk, but hey, these types of kids are always happy.’ Happy? I grieved for the daughter I thought I was going to bring home.’
“How was I going to be able to take care of my daughter? I wasn’t ‘special,’ I had no idea what to do! The doctor never even touched her. I realized my daughter was put in a box. A box of old school thinking and treatment.”
‘Your technician Robert came to our home. He walked into a mess. My son was born with two rare brain defects and is blind. Today has been rough for him.’: Mom thanks stranger for his compassion towards son with special needs
“When Robert walked in, Sailor ran to him and reached up. Robert didn’t seem bothered at all and, instead, held my son for the whole 45 minutes he was in our home. He could have walked in, rushed, and left, but instead he saw a need greater than internet and met it.”
‘Started class with this chart today and I’m so glad I did. It’s easy to misinterpret behavior and its cause.’: Teacher takes time for daily check-in with students
“Students wrote their name on the back of a sticky note and then placed it in the row that most accurately aligns with how they’re feeling right now.”
‘He went out on the lake. But something happened. He was gone. My Andy was missing for 3 weeks. He wasn’t found until an ice fisherman dropped his camera onto my husband’s foot.’
“To my dismay, I was selected as the Designated Driver. I also had to play the role of containing my husband from leaving me – to join the band. My Andy was an introvert to most, but not on this night in question. He had consumed several adult beverages.”
‘We hugged her. Then, we received a text. When we pushed the door open, all I heard was, ‘We have a situation.’ My heart sank. I knew what those words meant.’
“We secretly prepared for the baby. We received the call we had been waiting for. Baby was born. It was time to head to the hospital. If I’m being honest, I was sick to stomach thinking about what the next few hours might look like.”