Setting Roles, Boundaries and Limits in Mothering a Complex Child

One day a few months ago, fellow disability Mom and writer Jennifer Johannesen sat down with me for a chat.  (I highly recommend Jennifer's book and her blog- they are at the top of my favourites list.)  In a previously published portion of our chat, I introduced Nicholas and our family life.

Here, I discuss the pain and joy in parenting a complex child as well as the perils of navigating the health care system to get the best treatment for our son.

00:05 – Distinguishes between parenting and the role of the therapist
01:41 – Discusses types of therapy and her right as a parent to make decisions
02:46 – Shares an example of how invested she was in therapy
04:27 – Identifies the moment when she realized what her role should be
05:22 – Cautions against allowing the parenting role to be overtaken by therapy
09:37 – Shares a story about poor communication of medical information despite her extensive experience
12:52 – Encourages parents and professionals to establish boundaries and role definitions
16:31 – Discusses ‘age-appropriateness’ for both the child and the parents
20:22 – Shares her son’s adjustment to moving away from the family home