[blparent] Herding cats and children?

Tue Oct 6 11:43:19 UTC 2015

that's a great response.

On 10/1/2015 5:10 PM, Jo Elizabeth Pinto via blparent wrote:
> 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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