[blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes

Thu Mar 1 16:16:20 UTC 2012

Yeah, that's what I said, if you learned one thing you might not of thought
of, then it was worth the time.  I wish I had known these classes existed.
Oh well, I did just fine.  But imagine what I might know now.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 12:27 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes

I'm not affiliated with NFB outside of this list, nor have I ever taken
classes at Hadley except the three parenting courses.  Much of the
information in the courses is probably available elsewhere.  In fact, I
think the material for the courses was adapted from another training manual
or something.  At least,  I saw a lot of notations from the American Academy
of Pediatrics.

As for specifics, the class told me how to take a baby's temperature, step
by step.  It outlined what would happen medically in the moments after my
baby's birth.  One of the blind-specific suggestions, which I might or might
not have thought of on my own, was that a blind mom told how she measured
snacks by introducing small bowls and cups early so that she knew exactly
how much her kids were getting, where a sighted mom might just set out a bag
of pretzels and keep an eye on things.  There was a lot of information that
I could have gotten other places, but I got to read it in braille, at my
leisure, in the comfort of my home, and think about it on my time.

I'm sure there are Hadley students of the parenting courses who aren't on
this list.  All I can say is that the classes helped me, and I found them
valuable.  Some of the information was common sense and not really anything
I needed to be told, but there were nuggets in each course that I
incorporated into my knowledge base.Others might not need the classes at
all, but I find that I never stop learning, one way or another.  There's
always some bit of info that can be an "ah ha" for me.

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: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 11:45 AM
To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes

> Can you explain how a class can prepare you? Bridget mentioned 
> something about how that the classes didn't prepare her or maybe I
misread.
> In any event, can you explain how some "basic information" helped you?
> And, what value does Hadley have outside itself? I'm being serious, 
> does anybody outside Hadley or NFB really care?
> If the classes were good and useful that's great, but I don't hear 
> anybody outside the blindness community say "You know, I think I'll 
> take classes at Hadley". Why?
> And yes, please explain how a class prepared you for a given senario. 
> You choose both.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 1:38 PM
> To: Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes
>
> Who said you can't train for being a parent?  I don't think you can 
> anticipate every problem or challenge that might come up, but you can 
> definitely arm yourself with some basic information.  I especially 
> liked the blind-specific info in the Hadley courses.  Besides that, I 
> got a certificate that I have in my just-in-case file.
>
> 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: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 10:49 AM
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Taking advantage of parenting classes
>
>> I'm going to rain on this parade, but if you can't really prepare for 
>> being aparent, what's the point of the classes?
>> I'm serious with this question.
>> If you can't train for it, why train at all?
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>> [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
>> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 3:32 PM
>> To: blparent at nfbnet.org
>> 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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