Life has its miracles and no small amount of beauty to experience, but not everything is roses. Sometimes, challenges can test us to the core of who we are, and if we do not learn alongside and grow with those challenges, they can threaten to overwhelm us. The main fear of any parent is that of something happening to their child. We can protect them from the outside world, but not always from the unreliable machinations of medical necessity.
Learning that your child has extra difficulties they must contend with can be a hard pill to swallow. For some children, it may be a small issue they need to be mindful of, while for others the condition may directly impact every waking moment of their life experience. As a parent, all we can do is our best to help them feel comfortable, safe and protected in the best way. Additionally, for those conditions that warrant it, teaching our children how to better manage this can lead them to a certain strength they can carry for life.
With the following advice, we hope you can cope and express just how strong you are:
Learn About The Condition
In order to defend against, protect from, and live well with anything, we need to know what ground we start on. For that reason, taking the time to learn about the condition your child suffers from can be a valuable pursuit. Of course, your Doctor and paediatrician will likely give you an important lesson on the medical necessities your child will now encounter, and how best to manage it.
However, it can also be worthwhile to perform your own research. Just be careful about joining forums relating to the issue and taking everything as gospel, as this in itself can lead you into realms of thought and unverified belief that may end up performing more harm than good. However, there’s no reason why you can’t focus on the types of asthma inhaler to see exactly that which your child could best utilize. Furthermore, researching the additional irritants for certain skin conditions can help you cultivate the environment with care.
If anything, learning about the condition can help you accurately yet briefly summarize it for those who may be looking after your child, such as when they are playing at a friend’s house. You may inform them of how your child will check their blood sugar, and what to do in an emergency. Additionally, a bracelet holding all of their emergency information may be useful to access in the event of a seizure. Of course, we cannot expect other parents or even teachers to act perfectly in the event of an emergency, so never be afraid to use your best discretion.
Learn Your Child’s Particular Needs
It’s important to know what your child’s particular needs are. It can be hard to develop during childhood to begin with, let alone with an added condition to think about. This means whatever extra concessions or observations you can utilize are important. For instance, perhaps thanks to the ear grommets they have had installed, plugs for swimming and a worthwhile swim cap can help them still gain the exercise they need, learning to swim alongside their classmates.
It might be that your child has very particular dietary needs. A nut allergy may also be triggered by other, similar ingredients. You’ll build a clearer picture of your child’s requirements as time goes by, but keeping an eye out, staying informed about the condition and doing your best to help will be a worthwhile use of your time.
Understand The Symptoms & Solutions
The symptoms of a certain issue can be experienced in a range of different ways, despite holding a universal constant. For instance, the effects of obstructive sleep apnea in children may find them struggling to find deeper sleep. A CPAP machine may be the solution as prescribed by your Doctor, as well as additional surgeries to remove tonsils. However, you may also aid this by investing deeply in the best bedding, a comfortable mattress, an air filter in the room and blackout curtains to make the sleep hygiene allowances your child makes use of the best of all.
As you can see with this example, while a certain degree of actual medical intervention is necessary, there may be additional solutions we can apply to make things easier on our children, even if that’s to help soothe the difficulties of a certain condition. It’s all about improving quality of life and the reliability of medical maintenance. The more you can exercise this with an informed approach, the better you can care for them, and the better off you’ll feel as a parent.
Curate Their Environment & Inform Responsibility
While it’s important to care for our children, we cannot wrap them up in cotton wool and leave them isolated from the world outside, at least depending on the condition they suffer. It’s important to help them learn how to manage their condition as they grow, to make it second-nature. For instance, a child with type-one diabetes may need to thoroughly inspect foods before eating them, check their blood sugar, and learn how to administer insulin should they need it.
Children with mobility issues may need to be careful when playing with friends. They may also need to learn how to explain the condition to people they meet. Additionally, filling them with a sense of thorough self-worth is important. They are no worse nor better than the people around them who may not suffer from the condition. This will help them adjust socially, and allow them to feel confident without self-pity, while also keeping themselves cared for.
For instance, a permanent colostomy bag can sometimes be seen as a sensitive topic due to how vulnerable it can make you. But does that mean a child should feel less attractive than others, or that they do not deserve to expect the same social respect and standards in treatment from others? Of course not. Your child is still beautiful. This way of curating their environment and informing their own responsibility can help your child live in this world with care, long after you are there to care for their every need. In fact, while it’s perfectly anecdotal to say this, we believe those who have encountered medical difficulties or health concerns are among the most humble, inwardly strong and resilient people you can come across. They know how to stay strong, how to take nothing for granted, and to meet challenge with courage. Trust us, you could do MUCH worse when raising a child.
Enlist Help If Necessary
Let’s not pretend that a raising a child with a medical condition is all sunshine and roses. In fact, this can be a tremendous challenge, and it may even leave you feeling exhausted from time to time. You’re allowed to feel like this, so throw aside the guilt you may have imposed on yourself if you do.
If you can, enlist help where necessary. It might simply be relying on your grandparents to sit with your child once a week while you enjoy a nice bath and sleep earlier in the night, or if you have time to dine out with your partner, you can. This isn’t to say your child is a burden you need a break from, but that parenthood can be hard enough, and it’s fine to give yourself a break from time to time. If nothing else, having a friend to talk to about the hard times can help you shed some of your worries. That in itself can aid you.
With this advice, we hope you can better cope with your child’s medical necessities. They’re lucky to have you, and we’re sure the feeling is mutual.
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