Meredith Gotlin

I urge urge urge you to listen to this carefully. While you advocate for your child, and it is your priority, you must also remember to make yourself a priorty as well. A parent without their oxygen cannot take care of their child.

Now how does this make sense? What a vicious cycle we have put our struggling students in. We must work to change these facts through providing comprehensive support to all learners, and supporting in ways that work for them.

Feeling alone and wondering how all these other families seem just fine handling all the stress associated with a child's new diagnosis? Here’s the truth, THEY ARE STRUGGLING TOO and it is OKAY!

Families who have been through this will tell you, that once you have a diagnosis, you have information, but your work has only just begun. There will be medical and educational decisions, financial pressures, time constraints, family members who disagree with your choices and share unwanted opinions. There will be parenting differences, tons of blame to go around, and even sibling rivalry around the new attention.

This diagnosis is complex for families, not just for the child who was diagnosed. But remember to keep it all in perspective and keep your eye on the prize, supporting your child and advocating for your child!

As always speaks truth. Anyone with a , anyone parenting a child with , , who is , knows that this challenge CANNOT be an impediment and must be a gift. Each challege you or your child faces creates a greater sense of resiliency, grit and fortitude that otherwise would not be developed. Every challege forces a new way of thinking and a new path forward. Watch your child or your child work through challenges and overcome, it will not only inspire but teach you that this challenge is truly their greatest gift.

Ever feel like you are not enough as a parent? Feel like you are messing it up? Feel like the day is too hard, the challenges too much and the hill too high? Well I am here to tell you, you are not alone! ALL parents feel like this at times, some of us more often than we care to admit. But I am also here to tell you YOU ARE ENOUGH 📣! Parenting is hard, parenting a child is even harder.

The instructions are simple: Love your child unconditionally, love the child you have, not the one you think you have, and forgive yourself often for the mistakes you make (and there will be plenty!).

Inspiration comes in the most interesting of ways sometimes! The late, great had it right. We must be the force, the voice, the advocates for our children as they truly are our future, but we must also allow them to lead the way. This generation has now been through more than any of us have, so we must be sure to not only teach them well, but also allow them to teach us. Children with and other struggles often tell us what they need by their actions and emotions. Tune into those cues, learn from them and use that information to epower them and build them up!

Let's put it all together now. Accomodations or modifications, what does my child need? Before you anwer that question you need to understand the difference between the two. It is important to ask questions and understand the language educators use as it will impact what supports are put in place for your child.

Next up, accomodations. Knowing exactly what the school is saying is important to ensuring your child thrives! When educators use specific language and assume you understand it all, be clear with them that you don't. It is important to ask questions and understand the language as it will impact what supports are put in place for your child.

Your child is struggling, now what? The school keeps saying she needs accomodations but the tutors says she needs modifications? What does this all mean? Educators use specific language and often assume parents and laypeople understand it all, but surprise, often they don't! It is important to ask questions and understand the language as it will impact what supports are put in place for your child.

An should be a time when parents and educators come together to create a plan that best meets the learners needs. One way to ensure this happens is by showing up informed, ready, and open to deep discussions no matter how uncomfortable they may be. While families often defer to the school as the educational experts, it is imperative that you as the parent are informed and participate in creating an that serves your child's needs. You see the struggle in different ways than the school, you see the impact of the in a more intimate setting than the school, and you know your child's emotional needs in ways that the school can never understand.

Thank you for sharing this perspective. Often children who are struggling feel alone, lost, judged, lazy, stupid, my list could go on and on because this is what they have been told or made to feel like by many. But when a child with a knows their parent is on their side, willing to for what he or she needs, that child thrives in ways that are rarely otherwise possible and we cannot even see. Parental support can help a child regain the self-esteem they have struggled with, a sense of self-worth, joy in learning, a voice they were afraid to use, and success in countless ways. Children MUST know you are there for them awlays, but children with need your support and voice to ensure they have the opportunity to thrive.

Stop and have that ice cream with your children, even if time, or your diet doesn't allow it. 😂 Time spent together in moments of pure joy build a bond with our children and create a positive bank of emotions and love. If you have built that "bank" of positive emotions, respect, love and joy, when it comes time to say no, give a consequence, or discipline your child (which we all have to do at times), how much easier will it be?!

This is SOOOOOO much harder when you have a child who is has a , but it is even more important. When parenting a child that challenges us, we deplete these good feelings all too often. Be sure to build this positivity and the challenges will seem much less challenging.