Jennifer Senda, a mother with a disability, says she constantly has to remind herself that parenting is a process that sometimes calls for strategization.
“Parenting is a long walk with children, featuring endless questions, lots of laughter and tears, and sometimes, if I’m being honest, anger is present.”
Jennifer lovingly refers to her son as a “munchkin with a fireball of energy.” She brings up the topic of strategizing as a parent because she says that her expectations of her son’s behavior cannot match the standard of his age because he has ADHD. Therefore, Jennifer states there are times when she has to modify her own behavior to affect a change in his.
“(My son) is not allowed to hide behind his ADHD, just as I have to “roll with the punches”.”
Jennifer admits that learning to cope with both her and her son’s challenges has not been easy. She recalls a time when her son asked her if her life would be easier if she was not disabled. Jennifer replied with “Life’s challenges would just be different.”
“Having a visible disability makes some of the challenges we face obvious to others, but the lack of one won’t limit the challenges of living.”
Jennifer concludes her blog post by saying she is honest with her son by sharing her frustration, joy, and sorrows with him. By doing so, Jennifer believes she is showing him that “every person should strive to be the best version of his-or her-self. It does not take a disability to make you inspirational. Humanity in general is an inspiration.”
Be sure to share Jennifer’s perspective on parenting with a fellow parent!