If your child has a global delay, how do you deal with it?

[Summerishere123]

I know it sounds awful but I really struggle sometimes with the lack of progress made by DD. She still "forgets" to wipe her bum, complains that her legs are tired when she has had to stand and queue for 10 minutes, whines when she doesn't get her own way and lies about stupid things like not having knocked over something even though I just watched her do it.
They seem minor but it is constant and has been a "phase" for years! She turns 8 soon but is more like a 5 year old.
I usually get a break but obviously being the holidays she is with me constantly and I am struggling to be honest. I need ideas of how to keep my cool with the constant mummmmmmmmmmmm.

My DD12 has global developmental delay - it’s very hard going at times. The thing I find hard is working out what’s developmental and what’s behavioural - knowing when she’s pushing boundaries and when she’s not understood or processed what she’s been asked to do, when her impulse control is lacking etc.

The thing I find helpful is to remind myself that she finds daily things difficult - even things she’s managed one day, she may struggle with the next. She needs near constant attention, can’t really entertain herself independently which is very very tiring but she can’t help it.

I plan the day, something to do together, out somewhere even if it’s the supermarket, some screen time (so I get some gown time), something to do together on repeat. I try to find space in the day to get a cup of tea in peace, sometimes I’ll get her to help with folding laundry or something easy so I’m getting my jobs done while she’s working alongside. I’ll also pop on a movie so I can zone out while she watches - though she’s often then asking what happened etc.

Theres no magic wand I’m afraid, it’s just hard work.

Thank you, its helpful to hear your perspective. I was dreading answers like "sounds like normal kid stuff".

You may get that tbh, a lot of people don’t understand the impact of GDD and think it just means children are a bit “young” for their age when actually it impacts every part of a child’s development including understanding, emotional regulation, cognitive ability, impulse control, language development etc etc.

I have a 12 year old who looks 12, can sound like a 12 year old with the behaviour and emotional control of a much younger child.