For personal and professional purposes, I have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts. There were periods of time when, I confess, I was addicted to social media. I’ve gotten much better at balancing my time and not wasting so much on my phone, but even in my weakest moments, when I found myself falling down the social media “Alice in Wonderland” rabbit hole, I have never canceled my social media accounts — or even considered it.
And here’s why: Social media pages are my lifeline to special needs parenting
These online safe spaces remind me that I'm not the only mom out there struggling
I’m not alone in my daily grind of begging my child to say a word, just ONE word, and being so excited when they do that that I'd do a cartwheel in celebration. I’m not the only parent hunting for the unicorn ABA therapist or praying my kid won’t have an epic meltdown in public tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that.
Feeling understood in a world that’s so topsy-turvy for me — and especially for my kid — is pretty damn amazing. Especially on days when loneliness overtakes my soul.
I’m thankful my special needs “family” reminds me it’s OK to open up to them, and pour my heart out — we’re a special international one-of-a-kind support group. For free.
