Friday, September 21, 2012

Bad Parenting?

Why do others see me as a bad parent when my child misbehaves?

I know as a parent we are responsible for teaching our children what is acceptable behavior and correct them when they make a poor choice. I completely agree. I just wish others had understanding for the fact that parents of special needs children have to continually reteach their child  how to behave appropriately. It will take the child longer to implement these correct behaviors and a lot of practice to gain control of their actions.
Being a special needs mother I know what to expect, how to contain the situation, and help my son(s) calm down. I am not a parent who give excuses or allowances just because my children have special needs. We are sure to have our sons own up to their actions/choices and make restitution for it, to the best of their ability. But just because you got hit, scratched, bit, punched, or screamed at doesn't make me a bad parent, nor does it make my son a bad child. It means that something triggered his behavior, and there was nothing I could do to stop it in that moment. Should I have to be the one to apologies for my child every time an incident happens?" I wish I could say, "It's not my fault." but I can't. So, I apologize and hope for the best. Very likely they may say something rude and avoid us in the future, but I can't blame them in their ignorance. If they could only see how far my child has come to improve his behavior they would be more understanding. If I could send one message out to the world on this topic I would say.