Additional Needs
Age Appropriate
by Jodi Shenal
on 26th April, 2024
Be Happy
Happiness. Joy. Love.
Being Happy is a personal journey, with many factors contributing to the level of happiness we may feel at any one time. It comes in many forms, whether it be a small feeling of joy, or an overwhelming and intense joy. It can be taken away unexpectedly, or brought on when we least expect it. Happiness is something we work towards, it can be in our control, but also out of our control. It's a state of mind, an emotion, a feeling. It’s complicated, yet amazing.
For me, happiness is the most important thing for my son.
The levels I will go to, to ensure I keep him happy cannot be measured.
A few years ago, we started the EHCP journey. I was asked what my aspirations were for Zachariah, and told them to list them. My first wish was for Zachariah to BE HAPPY. My steps to success for this particular aspiration was to keep on top of his medical needs to keep him comfortable.
Nothing extraordinary about that right?
Not the case in reality, I was greeted with negativity over my goal, as it could not be measured. I was told I could not have the aspiration of happiness for my son because they did not have the ability to keep track of this. I was absolutely gobsmacked! Does it really matter if you cannot measure it, I, his Mother can, and that’s all that matters.
The point I’m making here is, what is the point of setting targets, if your child is unhappy. What do we achieve, if we push our children and decide what we want them to succeed in if we are not nurturing one of the most basic needs.
I truly believe that a happy child will achieve everything they need to.
What makes Zachariah happy?
-Nature
-Family and Friends
-Music
We are a music loving family, (well in a non professional way anyway, as I for one cannot hold a note or keep a rhythm, which Tim finds it hilarious!) But more in a way of enjoying different types of sounds, melodies and music. We’ve always got a CD or the radio playing in the background, or use Netflix for the live tours, two of Zachariah's favourites being Tayor Swift and Hans Zimmer. Music has an amazing way of touching our emotions and speaking to us.
During these strange times, we have used music to lift our spirits, and promote a happy atmosphere for us all to be in. There are so many pressures right now to be doing the right thing. A huge one being to homeschool our children and keep their academic development on track. What I want to get across to you all within this blog, is happiness is above all this, our children, as well as us, are experiencing new and strange territory right now and there is no right or wrong way to react to it.
Yes, look at the school work and create a timetable to ensure different subjects are being covered, but have fun too, and really sit down with your children, spend time with them and maybe you will learn something new about them. Let them take the lead once in a while. Use this time to do something different and just BE.
In a world that is experiencing great sadness, be the smile.
