This new way of living is hard. My body aches by the end of the day, and I wake up in the morning exhausted. We were already a homeschool family, so that hasn’t changed for us. But my five-year-old with autism has lost all her therapeutic services that we rely on.
Actually, that’s not technically true. She still has two sessions a day, held over FaceTime with me acting as surrogate therapist while I chase her through the house with my phone in hand.
I gave up the notion of trying to find a camera angle that hides my double chin weeks ago.
“Do this,” I tell her as I tap two blocks together at the table. She might copy me. Or she might stack them, or flop to the floor, or run away laughing.
More like this: Why you don’t have to reframe the narrative
Sometimes, I think ahead, into the future, and it feels impossible. Will I still be changing diapers in 10 years? 20? Will she ever speak?
I have to take it a day at a time. We all do. But especially parents of kids with special needs. The burden can feel overwhelming, and right now you don’t have access to your normal support systems. It’s hard. So take a deep breath. Call a friend…and if you need help, ask for it. In the meantime, I hope these words from Tina Fey will remind you that you can do this.
You go through big chunks of time where you’re thinking, ‘this is impossible—oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going and sort of…do the impossible.
You got this, mama. Pour the cereal. Wipe the noses. Do the work. Tuck into bed. And save the world. Just like that. One day at a time.
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