Autism Awareness Month is winding down, but there are still so many great articles to share and feature. Please check out this excellent guest article by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez on Parents.com’s To the Max
by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez, published on To the Max
It’s bedtime and I ask my six-year old, Norrin, to pick out his bedtime book. He taps his chin with his index finger and says, “Hmmm let’s see…I know!” He pulls out a book we’ve read hundreds of times before: Frog and Toad All Year.
My head hurts and I want to skip the story. But I don’t. It’s part of our routine. Instead of reading all the stories in the book, I flip through a few pages and start reading The Corner, a story about the anticipation of spring. But Norrin likes to start at the very beginning—winter.
I’m glad winter’s over. It’s been a mild one, but I couldn’t wait for spring.
When I was pregnant with Norrin, I knew that parenting wouldn’t be easy. I knew that some days would be rougher than others. And I read a bunch of parenting books, thinking they would prepare for the seasons ahead.
But parenting a special needs kid? Nothing prepared me for that.Rough days can easily stretch out into weeks, sometimes months. Months where everything seems uncertain. Weeks, when progress seems stagnant. Days, spent in waiting rooms. Nights, when no one sleeps.
