OPINION: 'PARENTING DONE DIFFERENTLY' with Kylee Ostermann

Northland Age columnist Kylee Ostermann says we need to be grateful for the little things this Christmas and beyond. Photo / File

Grateful for the little things

As we reach the end of the year, I begin to reflect on things and make ideas or resolutions for the new year coming. It has been a tumultuous year to say the least, but I can also think of many things that I can be grateful for.

There are some common ones that most would be grateful for, family, friends and just getting through a tough few months but I look a little bit closer. Having a disabled child with special needs, I appreciate the smaller moments of success or pride that pop up. Sometimes it can be something you've been working towards, such as a physio exercise to strengthen his legs by standing from a seated position. Which always gets a cheer and clapping and the pride and joy on my son's face is wonderful.

Then there's those moments that catch you unawares, like he may understand something you're asking him like: look at my funny hair today and he will stop, smile, and look up at my hair and have a cheeky grin, like "Yes mum, what have you done there?" he can't speak any words, but his eyes and expression will tell you a lot.

A child's milestones can fly by quite quickly with most typical children, when they sit up, they begin to crawl, then walk, babbling turns into words, they can get dressed, even ride a bike, tie their laces, I could go on.

When you have a child with developmental delay, things move a whole lot slower. You look for the smallest achievement in their daily routine.

My son struggled to eat solid foods when he was an infant, now that he is 10 – he has begun to hold a fork and bring food to his mouth, and this is huge!! Some children may not even be able to eat solid foods, they may have a stomach feeding tube.

Turning a page in a storybook when asked to, indicating whether he wants a certain food over another, lifting a foot when asked to put his socks on, getting excited when you say we're going for a ride in the car.

The fact that he is comprehending a conversation and responding without any words is so heartwarming.

Some may assume disabled people can't understand what is happening around them, and can't participate in things, but it's not true. We need to see their potential over their limits and to offer them chances to be included.

We all need to remind ourselves to be grateful for the little things in life as they all add up.

Merry Christmas and let's hope next year brings many joyful moments.