[blparent] Protective services or sponsible ones

Thu Feb 23 19:45:10 UTC 2012

Speaking of young parents, right after Gab was born, I spent hours and hours
in the nursery touching my darling baby who had tubes sticking out of her
here and there.  The parents next to us, 14/15 if that.  Dad sat reading a
comic book and mom, talked on her cell.   When it was time for them to take
him home, the nurse came in and asked if they had a carseat.  The young man
answered, "we don't even have a car or a license."  The nurse took them in
another room and showed them how to change him and how to bathe him.  When
it was time, her mother came to pick them up.  I often wonder how he is.

When it was time to take Gab home, the nurse asked us about a carseat, we
showed it to her and then they handed us a bag of goodies and sent us on our
way.  My husband felt cheated, they didn't show us how to bathe our beauty.
Was that because we were older parents or did we look responsible?
V

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 8:39 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Child Protective Services & blind parenting

I agree that parenting classes shouldn't be mandatory unless there's been 
some kind of a problem.  I had a friend once who believed that anybody 
giving birth under the age of eighteen should have to adopt her child and go

through the whole home study process.  I didn't agree because nobody under 
the age of eighteen would probably pass that process.  I think that as sad 
as teen pregnancy can be, any intervention by the government that limits 
reproduction rights is dangerous.  I can see the irony, though, of drug 
addicts and nut jobs having babies just because they can, and emotionally 
and financially stable prospective parents getting put through the wringer 
before they can adopt.

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

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Kate McEachern" <kflsouth at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 7:34 PM
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Child Protective Services & blind parenting

> Um, first I don't think parenting classes should mandatory because I hate 
> the idea of people being forsed in to one way of doing things.  I think 
> its fine for parenting classes to be offered for those who want them but 
> for myself I never took one.  And I have two kids that are doing fine. 
> And in my situation my being Blind wasn't the main ishue of the clame made

> against my family.
>
> But, even though I don't like it there are still people who think Blind 
> people shouldn't parent.  Not saying its right but its just something to 
> be ready to deel with.
>
> Kate
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
> To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 4:13 PM
> 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
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:40:54 -0600
>> From: "sharon howerton" <shrnhow at att.net>
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] Child Protective Services
>> Message-ID: <AD4C487FB83F4BB78F9BE5F2CBE5CA1D at sharonlaptop>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Heather, congratulations on your upcoming birth. I hope things are going
>>
>> well. Many of us on this list are blind parents and have never had a
>> problem
>> with child protective service. Many years ago when I was a rehab
>> counselor,
>> I found that the only time I got calls about expectant moms was when the
>>
>> medical people felt that the baby did not have adequate care or
>> inadequate
>> support for the parent(s), thus not enough care for the baby. . Also, I
>> am
>> an instructor with the Hadley School and teach a three course parenting
>> series, the first course of which is Preparation. It is a lengthy course
>>
>> with assignments and all but is at least affiliated with us, provides a
>> certificate upon completion and is just one more resource available to
>> you.
>> My own sons are 28 and almost 26 years, I am totally blind and their dad
>> who
>> is my ex has some vision. If you have any questions about Hadley or
>> would
>> want to contact me directly, you are welcome to do so at my home email
>> shrnhow at att.net or Hadley sharon at hadley.edu The other two courses in our
>> series, for those who are new here, are Infancy
>> which covers the first year and Early Years which covers ages 1 to 5. We
>>
>> don't pretend to be the be all and end all, but at least these courses
>> can
>> get you started. As many of you know, there is no charge for our
>> courses. Sharon Howerton
>>
>>
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>
>
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