[blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes

[sharon howerton]

Samara, I look forward to having you work with me.
Sharon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Samara Raine" <samararaine at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes


>I just enrolled for the first parenting course at Hadley. All I need to do 
>now is get my eye report sent in. We will begin trying for a baby next 
>month. Conception can take awhile, but it's never too early to get a leg 
>up, I think.
>
> Samara
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
> To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 3:32 PM
> Subject: [blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes
>
>
>> Jo Elizabeth,
>>
>> I agree with you. I didn't mean to suggest it was wrong for Hadley to
>> offer parenting classes or for anyone to take advantage of such a class.
>> Like you, even though I have child-care experience, and I have been a
>> second mommy to Penny for more than a year (complicated story with
>> Penny) my husband and I are reading a ton of material and looking into
>> various classes and groups we can participate in. As prepared as you
>> think you are, once baby arrives, so much changes and a lot ends up
>> involving common sense and quick problem solving skills, grin,
>> regardless of a disability or not. My comments were directed solely at
>> societal ideas still buying into the notion that blindness is an
>> automatic risk factor when parenting, and that anyone would insist we
>> "prove" our ability to parent based only on disability. Hadley's course
>> sounds interesting and definitely something to check out.
>>
>> 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: 8
>> Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:57:37 -0700
>> From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at msn.com>
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] Child Protective Services & blind parenting
>> Message-ID: <SNT116-DS336E8EBA4E5A59E48CB80AC640 at phx.gbl>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> 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
>>
>>
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>
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