Special Words for Special Needs ~ Family Togetherness!
9:53 PM, Aug. 7, 2009
Summer is in full swing. Around here the family reunions are as thick as the mosquitoes! I grew up only occasionally going to a family reunion. My husband's family meet every year. What can I say, it's the Italian heritage. They are born to cook and laugh.
While I have found our family reunions to be quite welcoming and understanding of the problems we have, I have sadly read blogs recently that were not so happy. The two main problems seem to be 1. Homeschooling 2. your child's special need
Homeschooling--ahh who could make it through a large group of people with out encountering some one that is against homeschooling? Throw in that your family feels comfortable enough to let it all out and it creates a situation that is volatile.
I have also known of problems occurring when a family member says something like, "I know autism and that is not autism." The culture leans towards all children are healthy. So when you have a child that is not or will not go on to be a great success people can choose to disbelieve. This makes for a tough situation in that your ADHD super hyper child, who is now really wound by the cousins, is loud and hard to control. How can we deal with this?
THINK--Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes7:9
Do not get angry about another person's attitude. You cannot make them think differently.
EDUCATE--If you have the opportunity, leave the person with solid information. Or offer to drop off a book about homeschooling they could read.
SILENCE--If you cannot educate, or the person you are dealing with is too polarized, remain silent. It is better to let them make a fool of themselves while you remain calm than to join into a pointless argument.
What do you do? Have you worked out a tag team approach with your hubby to derail Uncle George's yearly tirade? Has the long term view worked in your family, educate them and wait for them to see the proof? Leave a comment and lets share some tips to help make our family get-togethers better!
Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 8 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's page at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/ or at Special Needs Homeschooling.
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