By Guest Blogger Jennifer JohannesenParents with young children with severe neurodevelopmental disabilities are extraordinarily committed to helping them achieve as much as they can, despite the significant odds against them. I was one of those parents…
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THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Parents of Kids With Disabilities Don’t Get Sick, Right?
This morning, there is a medical appointment in my diary. It’s not a specialist clinic for our son Nicholas; it’s for me. I’m going to review my spinal xrays with our GP. I’ve abused my spine by lifting Nicholas throughout his life and Natalie when she was small. Now, I
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: My Guest Post on LOVE THAT MAX: 5 Secrets of Special Needs Parent Happiness
This is my guest post on the wonderful blog “LOVE THAT MAX” the inspiring and informative blog by Ellen Seidman. I am so grateful to Ellen for hosting my family story of caregiving. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 5 secrets of special needs parent happiness This guest post is from Donna Thomson,
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Am I a Therapist or a Mom? Can I Be Good at Both?
Am I a therapist or am I a Mom? How can I rate myself well in one role without failing at the other? In my continuing conversation with Jennifer Johannesen, author of “No Ordinary Boy”, I talk about trying to balance therapy and parenting roles. I muse about how
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Regrets and Triumphs in Mothering a Complex Son: A Video Conversation
Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down for a chat with my friend and colleague in disability activism, Jennifer Johannesen. Jennifer is a blogger and the author of “No Ordinary Boy: The Life and Death of Owen Turney”, a riveting memoir of life with her son Owen whose medical
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: How the Grinch Got Christmas
A few weeks ago, Nicholas came home to help decorate our Christmas tree. Nick is never that interested in the ‘girlie’ stuff of decorating, but he was only slightly grinch-like after I gave him a hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows to sip and put on Phil Spector’s “Rockin Around the Christmas
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: Sex and The Special Needs Parent
There’s something about caring for a child with disabilities that takes the “red” out of “hot” in the marital bed. The arrival of a baby, healthy or not, can often put a damper on sex in the city. I remember comparing notes with other young Mums when my kids were
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM - A Blog by Donna Thomson: New Blog Look and Book Review
Hi There! I’m working on making my blog better and easier to read. I hope that anyone who likes a particular post will share it! Also, I got an exciting email today from Terri Mauro, another Mum and author of the special needs parents portal on About.com – I had
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