Additional Needs

Baby, it’s cold outside

Posted by Brittney Baumgartner on 10th February 2020 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Disabilities

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You may be reading this now, bundled up with a blanket, fireplace going and sipping some warm coffee.

Maybe you are enjoying a nice warm sunrise (lucky!) in shorts and a t-shirt.

Or, you could be living in Texas like myself and be experiencing all of this in a weeks period! Seriously.

The weather here has more mood swings and tantrums than my three year old son! But when it is cold outside it is cold, and our future is only looking colder with a household move up North to the state of Maine.

That is right, this little Texan family is heading North East over 1,000 miles to Portland, Maine.

One of the most memorable responses we received from one of Oliver’s doctors when we told him was, “You know it is cold up there right?”. Chuckling, I responded, “of course”.

We are fully aware that they get multiple inches of snow in a night, and experience some serious snow storms throughout the season.

We are completely prepared for that. What I will admit that I am not prepared for, is how to raise a wheelchair dependent son in areas of ice and snow.

While we experience the cold here in Texas, I can manage the cold wheels we get and that leads to a simple fix of putting gloves on his hands to manoeuvre around. But how does one manoeuvre around in the snow on wheels?

I can barely manage to walk in it sometimes without slipping on my behind.

To give you a little insight on what I am picturing right now, close your eyes for a second.

Here is my Oliver in his wheelchair on the sidewalk covered in ice or snow. He comes to a small downhill and sees nothing but an awesome, FAST ride down.

He doesn’t understand the physics of it all, or even contemplates how he will stop on the way down. Before I can catch him, boom, there he goes!

Silly, but that’s what our minds are for; to drive ourselves crazy with all the “could be situations”.

My research has lead my to finding some awesome accessories like Wheel Blades, which are essential wheelchair skis to help the front cast wheels manoeuvre in the snow or even sand without getting stuck or digging too deep down.

It is something I will probably buy and test out, but I am very curious to hear any tips or suggestions for a newbie family like ours! How do you all manage a wheelchair in the snow?

Not only this, but are there any coats, pants, or boots that you all find helpful to keeping your child warm in this type of weather?

Comment below to help this momma out! I will be forever grateful.