The last few months (1 year and 4 months to be exact) has drained me, and I think this weekend was the most tired I’ve felt in a long time. I know it’s the relief of finally having somewhere for Jude to go. But that relief-exhaustion has hit me hard!
It’s not over yet – we still have to nail the incredibly short transition, get him to the house, sort activities, his room and our own new routine. But at least the first step is complete.
It got me thinking about parents of SEN young people and adults. Who supports us? I know we are the parents blah blah and it’s not about us. But there comes a point where surely it is a little about us too?
If we aren’t in the best mental frame of mind – and quite frankly, dealing with local authorities (LAs) can really be incredibly testing – how can we be the best parents?
How can we advocate for what they need and be that rock, that thick skinned voice for our children?
Honestly, there have been meetings over the last few months where I’ve physically had to go and sit in the garden for half and hour to recover. The stress. The anxiety and worry that the LA isn’t going to give you what you need is awful.
Genuine question – are there any support networks out there for parents of 16+ young people?
I don’t mean anything therapy-like, though that’s needed too. I just mean support groups. Online ideally. Or is this something I should start?
Parenting this age group is a whole new level of chaos. And I don’t think we are prepared for it when our children are still in school.
I’m not sure what I expected from the LA to be honest – Nothing as usual in terms of help. But there must be organisations out there that draft a ‘how to’ and a ‘what to do when your child hits 16’ kind of thing.
Maybe not.
If some sort of 16+ online chat would be helpful – throw me a message via the usual channels and I’ll see what we can do 🙂
A x
