National Carers Week

This week is National Carers Week in Australia. It's a full moon, I'm feeling punchy, and I thought these were some fun facts worth sharing: 

-There are over 2.8 million Carers in Australia.

-They provide 36 million hours of UNPAID care and support every week. 

-The value of that unpaid care is $1.1 billion per WEEK.

-The maximum Carer payment of $797.90 per fortnight works out at just under $2.40/hr for a 24/7 job. 

So please, share your memes about people bludging off your tax dollar. "I didn't mean you.". Perhaps not, but you meant thousands of people just like me.

"Like" posts saying we should all have a cashless welfare card because we have no right to manage "taxpayer" money. 

Ignore our pleas for meaningful supports when you deliver an NDIS plan. Slam those who dare appeal or complain for being "greedy and ungrateful" or for "rorting the system".

Boast that children with disabilities access mainstream schools, then consider 15-20 minutes a few times a week adequate support. 

Force families to prove over and over again that their severely disabled adult son or daughter isn't capable of working. Just for fun, suspend their payments if they can't provide the evidence you need within 2 weeks.

We don't want thanks. We don't want pity. We DO want respect- for those we love and care for, and for ourselves. Most of us would do it all again in a heartbeat. 

It's not our caring load that destroys us. It's a system and a society that treats our loved ones and what we do for them as less-than. 

Happy Carers Week.

World Teachers Day

Facebook tells me today was World Teachers Day. Ours' are so great they got 2 weeks off to celebrate! 😜

In all seriousness though, I've watched my boy grow and thrive under the teaching of some of the most skilled, compassionate and creative people I've ever met. 

I'm no teacher, and I'm always fascinated at the methods used, to help him towards what they know he's capable of. The amount of thought, knowledge and planning that goes into a single lesson is mind boggling, and I know they never switch off- they're always thinking of their students, they genuinely care about our families, and they're always striving to learn and develop themselves too.

I've seen my Bubbly One go from an anxious little boy who was so very aware of his limitations that he'd run and hide when something new was presented, to a boy who loves to learn, has real friends, and who is comfortable in his own skin. A boy who is reading, and typing- and who argues with me on his device like the 8 year old he is!

A few years back all I wanted was my boy to be happy and safe, but these amazing people knew he was capable of so much more, and they've taught me that too, along with a host of other things no parent training course possibly could. They are like family and we owe them so very much. 

Quite a few follow this page too, so if you are reading this, take a well earned bow, a high five, a big Bubbly cuddle, or raise a glass. We love you guys and we're so very thankful for each one of you! 💙💙

Ready

Bubbly's trying to smooth out my frown lines again. He's not silly, he knows when I'm stressing, even when I do my best to hide it.

The panel in our area sits tomorrow to determine school spots for next year, and I just got Little One's preschool offer for next year today. Our Plan B is much the same as this year- two 6 hour days again and if he gets EI there an extra three hour program once a week (still unconfirmed but he should get in). 

I'm trying to be grateful. Our preschool are amazing. They provide 1:1 where no one else will. He loves them, and they love him. The third day that was a tiny possibility would've opened my options up as well as his though.

I'm trying to be gracious. There are other kids out there, older kids, who need spots as much as Little One does, who've probably patiently waited that extra year.

I'm trying to be patient. What's one more year? My career and my sanity have waited this long, and they're only little once. He'll keep learning and progressing.

But I also know what my Little One stands to gain from an early start where we've seen Bubbly thrive. Call me selfish, but every mother wants what's best for their child and their family. 

It sucks to have no real say over where my child will be educated. It sucks to prepare yourself for disappointment. It sucks to have his future in the hands of a group of strangers who will never even lay eyes on him, who've never seen him walking through the school singing a rare word: "READY!!". He's right, he is SO ready. 

I'm ready too. It's not just Little One who needs to stretch their wings and step out into the world. It's hard to have opportunities laid out before you- to really help others, to do what you're good at- but to have to shelve any real thoughts and plans until you know for sure it's safe to get excited.

It will work out. It always does, even if it's not in the way I hope or expect. So I'll try to leave this here, to breathe and enjoy the cool little fingers smoothing out my forehead; and to watch the dancing, giggling little boy who really couldn't care less which plan comes to fruition next year.

How To Get Your Mother Out Of Bed- by The Little One

First give your mother ample opportunities to get up, and stay up. That bed is like a magnet that keeps drawing her back. Enlist the help of your musical friends. They may be thrown into hard to reach places, but these casualties will return in due time (besides, there's plenty more in Bubbly's room). 

Be kind and accept the food she makes you graciously. If it's not to your liking then release it to some poor soul who likes to eat off the floor. The food's always gone soon enough so they must be well-nourished.

Attempt independence. After all, she spends hours of her week on just that with you. Slowly drag a chair towards that high up food or musical item. Climb onto the bench. Safety first so alert her to the fact that you're stretching your horizons and knock something over, preferably the sugar. We haven't had ants for a while. 

If all else fails and she still returns to bed, appear angelically by her bedside. Stroke her cheek and unleash your most devastatingly cute smile (you'll need full eye contact for this one. I know, it's hard, but it's important). Then if she still rolls over and hides under the blankets gently place the full water bottle (sans lid that you broke last week) on the bed beside her. The gentle flow of icy water seeping into her clothing, pillows and mattress protector will ensure she is yours for the rest of the morning.