Additional Needs

Three Books that Helped us Become Better Parents

Posted by Firefly on 2nd May 2018 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Disabilities, Stories by Firefly

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Too often, as parents we focus too much of making sure our children have all of their needs met and neglect our needs.

All parents of special needs children need to take time for themselves to address their own issues regarding our chidren’s needs.

Believe us, knowing how to deal with your own feelings and emotions goes a long way in helping your child address their own struggles.

Here are three books that helped us be better parents:

 ‘A Different Kind of Perfect: Writings by Parents on Raising a Child with Special Needs’

by Cindy Dowling

The writings collected here are grouped into chapters reflecting the progressive stages of many parents' emotional journeys, starting with grief, denial, and anger and moving towards acceptance, empowerment, laughter, and even joy. Each chapter opens with an introduction by Neil Nicoll, a child and family psychologist who specializes in development disorders.

‘Expecting Adam: A Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic’

by Martha Beck

John and Martha were an ambitious American couple. With six Harvard degrees between them, and living in the refined atmosphere of the Harvard campus, the last thing they expected was to become parents to a Down's Syndrome baby. This is their story.

‘My Baby Rides the Short Bus: The Unabashedly Human Experience of Raising Kids with Disabilities’

edited by Yantra Bertelli and Sarah Talbot

An assortment of authentic, shared experiences from parents at the fringes is a partial antidote to the stories that misrepresent, ridicule and objectify disabled kids and their parents.