100 Amazing Benefits Of Being A Parent Of A Child With Disabilities

two brown bear plush toys on white surface Learning to take life as it comes

Handicap sticker (whether we can get a parking spot is another story)
Wheelchairs can carry a lot, especially if no one is in them!
The questions from curious kids
Educating people about disabilities
Conferences for our genetic syndrome
Virtual doctor visits! LOVE THEM!
Research studies – important work (and sometimes they pay well 😉 )
Meeting other parents who just get it
Being able to “one up” any story a parent of neurotypical kids can tell
Having caregivers to help out
Having the superpower to memorize entire sections of someone else’s medical record
Camping in ADA sites – who else takes kids with disabilities camping?
Their equipment can be used for grandma & grandpa
Their smiles
Making them laugh
Becoming organized for the first time in my life
Using a paper planner, digital planner, and Google calendar to keep my life straight
Raising neurotypical kids that don’t have to be taught how to interact with disabled kids
Admitting I can’t do it all and accepting help when offered
Having a ready-made excuse if I am late – no one expects me to be on time
Not having to turn down invitations, no one offers them anymore – a good and a bad thing
Having to work from home – can be a good and bad thing
Learning more about insurance companies than you ever thought possible
Wheelchair van life
Being connected to services that can help pay for things that I can’t
Having a reason to finally put together bug-out bags
Having forced downtime
Learning to slow down, in thought, word and deed.
Being able to drink caffeine 24/7 and no one thinks that’s wrong
Learning to appreciate the little things
Becoming an advocate for my son and speaking his truths
Watching the sunrise every morning whether I want to or not
Not having to dress up
Not having to impress anyone but my kids
National Park access pass
Access passes at amusement parks
Not having to cook for a teenager
Buying toddler toys for a teenager
Having an excuse to watch kids’ shows
Having a Make-A-Wish granted
Learning patience
Learning person-first language and sharing that knowledge
Learning all about inclusion and accessibility
Homeschooling
Child-led goals and expectations
Becoming our family’s IT tech
Online research
Meeting other families like mine
Meeting other families that experience the same genetic diagnosis
Connecting other families to resources and information that no one shared with me
Making peace with neurotypical families and learning to not compare their applies with my oranges
Being able to take on more than I ever thought I could
Listening to 80s heavy metal music more than I ever did in the 80s
Learning how to be an ICU nurse without having to go to school (OJT!)
No longer being grossed out by blood, pee, poop, vomit, or any other bodily fluids
Ability to talk in great detail about blood, pee, poop, vomit, or other bodily fluids without a second thought
Wearing blood, pee, poop, vomit, and other bodily fluids and thinking nothing of it
Becoming a Jack Of All Trades
Master of DIY
Finally understanding the joy of duct tape!
Having to think outside the box at all times
Learning to laugh and joke in all situations
Learning to not take life so seriously
To know that most people won’t get us, and be alright with that
Valuing the relationships that have stood by me through thick and thin
The ability to cook a 30-minute meal in 3 hours
Understanding that a diagnosis does not make the person
Disabilities are not inabilities
Understanding that behavior is communication
Not everyone communicates in the same way
Being comfortable in talking to and working with people of all types of disabilities
The ability to pack for a 5-day hospital stay in under 15 minutes
The ability to live out of a backpack for 5 days
Getting to train nurses – who knew that was part of the job!
Learning the importance of keywords when talking to doctors and insurance companies
Naps
Being able to fall asleep instantly
Being able to fall asleep anywhere
The ability to stay awake for days on end thanks to hypervigilance
Knowing I can, and have, kept my child alive while waiting for paramedics to show up
To know I can, and have, function in life and death situations
Brushing up on my time management & secretarial skills
Learning project management skills
Becoming assertive and not afraid to speak up to professionals
Firing doctors
Finally, understanding doctors are humans too, not gods with mystical knowledge
To (sometimes) have perpetual newborns.
To have a framed poop chart on your kids’ bedroom wall…and that’s considered normal
Not caring what people think about how I parent, dress, or talk to my kids
Having a built-in litmus test to see who are your true friends and what family is worth keeping
The exercise you get lifting a 100+ lb kid in and out of a wheelchair and pushing them up inclines
The exercise you get chasing a runaway wheelchair down a ramp
The creative cuss words you get to use when an ‘accessible’ event isn’t accessible to wheelchairs
Mom-hair and don’t care
Leggings and sweats are an expected part of my uniform
Fuzzy bunny slippers
An excuse to not do housework every day
Having to change outfits multiple times a day – who doesn’t love to play dress up??
3:00 am dance parties!
The glam lifestyle – not!