[blparent] Child Protective Services & blind parenting

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Congratulations on your pregnancy, Bridgit.  I agree that we shouldn't have 
to prove our ability as parents just because of our blindness.  But I also 
believe that, at least for me, I couldn't be too prepared.  The thing I 
liked about the Hadley courses is that there were tips included from other 
blind parents, some of which I borrowed for my own box of tricks.

I have a file tucked away in a drawer that includes my certificates from 
Hadley, the documentation from the baby care class I took at the hospital 
before Sarah was born, the report from Social Services that says nothing was 
found to be amiss at my house, the letter from the home nurse stating that I 
finished the visitation program, the notes from our pediatrician from each 
yearly visit at which everything was said to be fine, and the results from 
the voluntary test at the health department that told me my daughter was 
developing within normal emotional and social limits.  If and when I ever 
have trouble again, from my own family or elsewhere, I'll be well armed. 
Even Sarah's dad thinks I'm at least a little paranoid.  Once burned, twice 
shy.

One final thing--I fear the day when every parent has to take classes or get 
certified.  I've heard people suggest that, usually in the context of teen 
pregnancies.  But I know full well that blind parents would have a devil of 
a time passing any class or certification that could be proposed, not 
because of lack of ability, but because it would take proving ourselves to a 
whole new level.  Scary thought.

Jo Elizabeth

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, 
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of 
the weak and the strong.  Because someday in life you will have been all of 
these."--George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American scientist

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From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:13 PM
To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blparent] Child Protective Services & blind parenting

> I think parenting classes for any new parent should be provided and
> mandatory whether disabled or not, adopting or biological pregnancy, but
> no laws currently enforce such classes except for adopting parents. No
> parent should require a certification just because they are blind. I'm
> not admonishing Hadley for offering this, but making a comment on
> society because we have to consider doing such a thing. New parents, and
> even people with children already, can benefit from learning parenting
> skills, and though much of it is common sense, parents who are blind
> feel more comfortable learning certain alternative techniques and
> methods for parenting, but classes like what Hadley offers should not be
> taken simply because blind parents may require "proof" of their ability
> to parent. It's abhorrent that anyone in 2012 still fear this issue.
>
> I didn't plan on announcing this until next week, and I request anyone
> who is Facebook friends with me not post anything just yet, or post
> anywhere outside this list serve,  as we will tell my in-laws this
> weekend, but my husband and I are expecting our first biological child.
> We are eleven weeks along, and so far, none of our doctors have given us
> a reason to suspect they doubt our ability to parent as a blind couple.
> They have been supportive, encouraging and just pleased as punch about
> our pregnancy. I know the med team working with us when I go into labor
> may have some concerns outside the team we currently work with, but
> nothing so far has given us a reason to be overly concerned with this
> issue. That being said, we are aware, informed and armed should, God
> forbid, something come up once the baby is here. It's sad to me,
> especially since I wasn't always blind, that any parent with a visual
> impairment need be concerned on any level about this. And trust me, when
> mama bear's claws come out, well, it doesn't bode well for those
> provoking me. That bear poking stick will quickly turn into kindling.
>
> I will need to stop soon because this topic makes my blood pressure rise
> through the roof, grin, though I have low BP so I guess it's not to bad,
> LOL! It's just ridiculous and egregious that we need potentially "prove"
> anything to anyone based solely on the purpose that we are blind. The
> rant is done for now, smirky grin.
>
> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog at:
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>
> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>