[blparent] what blind parents should know:

[Leslie Hamric]

Very well stated!  In fact, when I was a new parent and posting a lot of
questions to the list, I was pleasantly surprised at how many different
responses I got to the same questions.  I never got a "you can't do it" kind
of response and there were times in the beginning when I needed a lot of
encouragement to keep going on the mommy train.  Through all the different
responses available, I sifted through them all till I found one that worked
for me.  I still do that to this day.  Having a lot of options like that
used to drive me crazy because I used to think there was only one way to do
things.  Not anymore.
Leslie
-----Original Message-----
From: jan wright [mailto:jan.wrightfamily5 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 12:54 PM
To: blparent
Subject: [blparent] what blind parents should know:

i think that when i was a new parent i would have wanted to know that there
is a solution to each challenge. And, there is usually more than one
solution because we all do things differently.
For example: each of us might use different techniques when feeding or
changing a diaper. That is ok. And, it is ok  if it looks a little different
to sighted people. Focus on the objective: not how it looks.
When my daughter was three months old -- quite a long time ago -- I was on a
greyhound bus and had to change her clothes. The well-meaning woman beside
me said: "that's not the way you dress a baby." i put my daughter's legs in
the sleeper first and then the arms. i had not even thought about doing it
the other way and until then, thought that i was doing it like everyone
else.
but, it worked for me.
most sighted people feed the child facing them. But, this just does not work
for me. i get some flack for it -- as well as the fact that i am always
putting my hand on their mouth/chin/etc.
so what!
It is my baby and as long as she/he is getting the required food, people
need to keep some of their advice to themselves.
it is a different thing if they say:
"hey, can I show you a way that might be easier?" or "Have you thought of
doing it this way?"
I'd take some of those 'what professionals need to know about blind
parenting,' pamphlets that the NFB has.
   You might want to do some role playing to see how parents might just act
in certain situations and get them comfortable with speaking up against an
authority figure. Sometimes professionals like doctors and social workers
can catch you off guard. Encourage them to find someone that they feel
comfortable being vulnerable with. We are not "super parents," but sometimes
we feel like we have to act like it because sometimes common questions are
attributed to our blindness instead of just being attributed to normal
parenting.
And, frankly, it is draining enough as a parent; but even moreso if you have
to be in the "i have to proove that I am a worthy candidate for parenthood,"
stage or if you have to continue to defend your positions on every single
decision and activity.
infant CPR would be a good thing to learn: although this is not 'blind
specific'.
hmmm, i'll have to think of more!