Oh goodness, SN parenting is H.A.R.D

[WhompingWillows]

I am a single adoptive parent to DD1(16) who is blind and also has the following diagnoses: autism; ADHD; neonatal abstinence syndrome; FASD; and binge eating disorder. DD2(7) is relatively uncomplicated in that she only has autism and ADHD. Christmas has been exhausting with a capital e, especially as my housebound and widowed mum has been hospitalised with pneumonia.

AD2 is a massive, I mean ASC-type, Harry Potter obsessive to the extent that if there were a Mastermind for kids, she would absolutely wipe the floor with the other contestants with HP as her specialist subject. Anyway, to get to the point of the thread, this is a mea culpa because tonight I have failed as an SN parent. My crime? I was delighted to get my hands on an M&S house reveal colour change bath bomb (online sell-out). Said precious bath bomb has just been used and, woe of woes, AD2 is apparently Slytherin. You can no doubt hear the screaming and tantrum wherever you live. (I am actually secretly chuffed as I am 100 per cent Team Slytherin.)

Only one week to go till back to school…

I knew I could hear screaming……!

@Badtrampoline I sincerely apologise to you and your neighbours on the moon.

Oh dear, as the saying goes no good deed goes unpunished.

Sorry to hear your DM is in hospital.

@KeepGoingThomas yup, we continue to try our best but we can’t always second-guess the response to life’s perceived slights by our SN children. And sometimes- speaking personally - I don’t have the energy or the brain power to think five steps ahead to plan/micromanage the lives of my two DDs to prevent every potential flashpoint. Thanks for your well wishes for my mum; she’s currently on her fourth cycle of antibiotics and I am slightly nervous as pneumonia took my beloved dad during the pandemic.

Sorry, my post wasn’t a criticism. Sorry if it came across like that.

I will keep my fingers crossed for your DM.

@KeepGoingThomas oh, no, it doesn’t come across as that way at all. I was simply pathetically grateful- as the parent of two significantly impaired children - to have some adult engagement. Thank you for replying. So sorry if my social skills are less than after years of SN parenting. Happy New Year to you and yours!

It’s not your fault, I misread it.

Parenting DC with additional needs can be lonely. Sometimes no matter what you do you can’t ‘win’.

For adult engagement, why don’t you join us on the Goose and Carrot pub thread on SN Chat?

@KeepGoingThomas okay, I will investigate now. Budge up, mine’s a red wine, preferably merlot.

I will put you a glass on the bar ready!

I wonndered what the noise was!

It can be so hard can't it? You think you're doing something lovely for them and things go wrong.

My so called friends think I'm Team Slytherin. I can definitely be evil enough if pushed