[blparent] Herding cats and children?

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

The thing is, sighted people often can't imagine how they would possibly 
keep track of active children without watching them.  It just blows their 
mind.  Within the last couple of weeks, I've had two well-meaning aunts say 
things that have really shaken me up and hurt my feelings.  I have a new 
novel out, and one of my aunts, who has a lot of contacts in the local 
business world, would like to get me an interview in the metropolitan 
newspaper about my book.  Her hesitation is that she's afraid if she brings 
a reporter and a photographer to my house to do a story about my book, Child 
Protective Services will be on their heels because they'll worry about the 
safety of a blind mother raising a sighted child.  My reassurances to her 
have so far fallen on deaf ears.  Her older sister has actually suggested 
that I hire a sighted nanny for a little while, just to appease the public. 
I've politely refused.  What I've told my aunts is that my daughter is well 
taken care of, she's doing fine in school, the house is clean if a little 
cluttered and not decorated to the nines, and my kid has never been to the 
emergency room with injuries or been brought home by the police.  Not every 
sighted parent can claim that.  I've also told them that we blind parents 
tend to pay close attention to our kids each day, and we know what to listen 
for.  We know what normal is, so when something doesn't sound right, we tend 
to pick up on it right away and check on them.  Like Tammy said, your new 
baby won't come out of the womb walking.  You'll figure out what her 
patterns are as you get used to her while she's learning to crawl and then 
walk, and you'll learn what to listen for as she becomes mobile.  More often 
than not as my baby got around, I was the one telling her dad, "Hey, she's 
getting in your desk drawer again."

Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available on Kindle and in paperback at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message----- 
From: melissa R Green via blparent
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2015 3:39 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Cc: melissa R Green
Subject: Re: [blparent] Herding cats and children?

Buy bells that go on her shoes
when she begins to walk.  You
can also put bells on the cat.
Parenting without sight is a
great book, also finding other
blind parents.  Even the most
supportive parents will be
concerned.    I actually had
my sighted rehab counselor say
that she wouldn't bring her
child to the Montessori school
where I work because I
wouldn't see him.  She made it
a point to say she would take
him to any childcare facility
with a blind person there
because of this same thing.
You know me Darrell, But I
kept my cool and nicely
educated her.  Later, she said
I made her into a believer out
of her and I stayed calm after
she pissed me off.  Her words.
You can be hands on Darrell.
Smile.!

Warmly,
Melissa R. Green and Pj
It is 'where we are' that
should make all the
difference, whether we believe
we belong there or not.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent
[mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbne
t.org] On Behalf Of Darrell
Shandrow via blparent
Sent: Wednesday, September 30,
2015 7:01 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Cc: Darrell Shandrow
Subject: [blparent] Herding
cats and children?

Hello Everyone,

Our cat got out again a few
nights ago. Every time this
happens, my
in-laws question our ability
to keep track of our new child
once she
is able to walk.

It's all very discouraging...
If I can't keep a cat in the
house, how
am I going to make sure our
little girl doesn't run
outside and get
hit by a car?

I have some ideas, and I know
we'll figure it out in due
time. But,
seriously, what alternative
techniques do you employ as a
blind person
to effectively keep track of
your child at all times?

I think we need the Find My
Cat, and Find My Kid, apps.
:-)

Regards,

Darrell

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