[blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights

Wed Jan 19 20:21:55 UTC 2011

Well, time is short, but I think I could do something simple with the five 
things for five days idea.  Maybe five of the little suckers she likes, one 
for each day, and when she eats the last one, we'll be back that day.  I 
asked her what she wants to take along, and will be sending the big bear she 
always sleeps with.  She's actually excited to the max because she's been to 
the place where she's going before, and even spent the night there once. 
So, like people have said, this may be more my issue than hers.  She's 
fairly adaptable and outgoing--sometimes I wish I could say the same for 
myself.

Jo Elizabeth

"Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that never 
were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 10:52 AM
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights

> This is great advice.  Reading stories in your own voice and recording 
> them
> is a great idea.  Maybe if she likes to look at pictures you could give 
> her
> a small album with pictures of you and her dad, and maybe even all of you
> together so she has something to look at if she gets sad.  You could talk 
> to
> your friends and see if they would be willing to have her draw a special
> picture for you of what she has done each day you're gone, or do some 
> other
> type of small project to give to you when you come back.  Also, as much as
> possible, having her routines will be comforting.  If there's a special
> object she sleeps with at night, or a special book, or number of books you
> read, or favorite music she listens to either during the day or at night,
> make sure the friends caring for her know about these things.  Perhaps you
> could buy her something special before the trip.  When I had Oriana I 
> bought
> Austin a Pillow Pet he had been wanting for a long time.  This is a
> different situation, of course, but I told him the Pillow Pet was from his
> new brother or sister and was his Big Brother present.  I actually gave it
> to him a couple of weeks before Oriana was born, and he slept with it 
> every
> night.  We really talked it up, and we told him he could bring the Pillow
> Pet to our friends' house when I went to the hospital to have the baby.  I
> don't know if it was the Pillow Pet, or the preparation we did ahead of
> time, or a combination of the two, but he had no problem going to our
> friends' house and staying there for the nights I was in the hospital. 
> You
> may want to try something similar--I don't know.
> Preparation is also key.  I certainly wouldn't over do it, but
> telling her that you and Daddy have to go on a trip, but that people will 
> be
> caring for her, and that you will call her and be thinking about her would
> help her at least to understand a bit about what is going to happen.  You
> will probably be more upset than she is in the long run, but be prepared 
> for
> tears when you leave and possibly some tearful phone conversations--that 
> is
> if she'll talk to you at all on the phone.
> One more thing I thought of...  It sounds as if she's all ready
> familiar with the people who will be caring for her, but perhaps having 
> them
> over ahead of time to play with her a bit so she is even more used to them
> might help.  Austin went to Wisconsin this summer with my sister for a 
> week.
> I was really worried about having him away from me for that long, 
> especially
> since he doesn't see my sister very much.  She came a couple of days ahead
> of time however, and when it came time for them to leave for the airport
> together it was me who was crying after they left...  He was all ready to
> go.  Believe me, I know this type of thing is hard, but I am sure she will
> be fine, and you will make it through as well!  As always, she'll take her
> cues from you, so the more upbeat you can be about it, while also
> acknowledging the fact that she might feel sad and that you will feel sad
> and miss her--but that it's going to be all right--the better off she'll 
> be.
>
> Hope some of this helps!
> Melissa
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Brandy W
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 6:32 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>
> One thing that tends to help is to read a book on CD or something that she
> can hear when ever she misses other you. Otherwise bring some things she
> loves at home, and know you will be more upset than her. Hope it works out
> fine.
>
>
> "Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and
> draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day 
> some."--Robert
> Fulghum
> Brandy Wojcik  Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team leader
> (512) 689-5045
> www.playtoachieve.com
> Follow me on Face Book by searching Discovery Toys- Play to Achieve
>
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 4:02 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: [blparent] Leaving a Toddler for Several Nights
>
> Hi.  Circumstances have come up that have given me no choice but to leave
> Sarah with a family friend for about five days and five nights while her 
> dad
> and I go out of town.  The sitters are completely trustworthy, so I'm not
> worried about that at all, but I've never left her for nearly that long.
> Two nights has been the max.  I'm wondering if there's anything I can do 
> to
> make this easier on Sarah.  Have any of you had to do this, and what 
> helped?
> Or maybe it's only me who's worrying too much, and she'll be unphased by 
> the
> whole thing.  Thanks for anything you all can offer, this list really is a
> helpful resource.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that 
> never
> were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy
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