Additional Needs
Puberty has landed
by Carolyn Voisey
on 11th April, 2024
Big sister appreciation
As I sit here and write this post about siblings I look back on the last 18 months with immense pride.
It wasn’t like this at the start, the day we got told both girls had a life changing brain injury my first thought went to my daughter Grace, how life was about to change and take a different path without any control.
What would she think to all the equipment, how would the future look, what will her bond be like with them?
Naively I thought she would see the differences. I was numb with worry, sleepless nights thinking about what the future might hold.
We brought the girls home with NG tubes, Grace wanted one too. The first lot of adaptive seating arrived, Grace wanted a chair with wheels, the GoTo Seats arrived, she expected one too.
The Playpak arrived, Grace loved the colours and had a fight to sit in it to watch TV, came home with the first set of AFO’s you guessed it she wanted a pair, as the standers arrived she asked where was her stander!
It was actually the polar opposite of what I initially thought, she cannot see the differences like an adult would she is a pre-schooler; she sees the world with innocence, wakes up talking about rainbows and Peppa pig.
She doesn’t worry they aren’t walking yet or stealing her toys as long as they giggle at her singing and watch her dance to Frozen, she is still learning to share snacks equally so Sienna & Scarlett are getting better at grabbing their fair share.
There is no special treatment in the house, everyone is equal.
I wish I knew what I do now, that we never needed to worry. Live in the moment and enjoy the natural sibling bond.
If only I knew we would still joke about a smelly nappy, splash each other in the bath, play tickle monster and blow raspberries on milk filled bellies right up to bedtime.
No medical professional could diagnose or prescribe any medication for these precious moments.
Sure we will have our different phases in life and periods of change in family dynamic, but that’s no different to any typical family, we can overcome anything if we all make time for each other and ourselves.
