I have a computer!!!
This one is mine to use all day every day. This means the blog is back in action.
I will start on my renewed, rejuvenated blog adventure by picking up on a point I touched on some months ago. I was browsing the BBC archives when I found an article on the effect of 'wrapping children up in cotton wool'.
It is one of the most important messages that I want to get across to parents of children with congenital heart disease. Here is a snippet I have taken from the BBC website, you can see the whole article here.
Teenagers who had congenital heart problems as children feel they are wrapped in cotton wool by well-meaning adults.
Researchers found that they felt excluded from social activities, such as sport, because of adults' fears for their health.
The restrictions placed upon them can lead to them feeling isolated and "different" from their friends, and unable to join in particular school activities.
Most of the teenagers questioned, aged 11 to 18, said exclusion from PE classes affected them.
Others said they resented overprotective parents and teachers.
This has sparked some discussion in the past about just what the balance is between over-fussing and not paying any attention at all to the heart condition.
It is entirely understandable why parents over-fuss; of the above two concerns only one is life-threatening. If a balance can be struck then it may arise from just keeping the message that I'm trying to get across in the back of your mind. Kids need to learn about the big wide world, they need to learn that falling out of trees hurts and that they can take the odd small risk now and then, it teaches them not to take the big risks
I hope this time I have got the message a bit more clear, life is certainly not black and white and others may tell you something different from what I have but the important thing is that you have at least heard me now and can make your own decision on the subject.
posted by worsthotels @ 12:14 pm
3 Comments:
I've come across lots of degrees of this being on so many CHD Lists. I've spoken with parents that allow their children to do *almost* anything, but the obviously dangerous stuff. I've met parents that have allowed their kids to do stuff that is just waaaay out there like American Football or Wrestling.
At the other end of the scale I've met parents that don't allow their child near other children for fear of germs. I even know one mother who hasn't told their NINE year old child that he has a heart problem - his surgery stays are apparently what "special children" have to go through.
Finding a happy medium is tough, and you can see the parents that are even heading for trouble with a sheltered or a very sick child.
Glad to see you back online! I was wondering what was going to happen to the blog.
As for wrapping children in cotton wool, I can understand that. I still want to wrap my son in cotton wool and he doesn't have any heart defect and is 13 years old. Children are so precious and we are so responsible for them, that it is difficult to do anything but want to wrap them up and keep them safe from harm. It is a huge sense of responsibility to the point of frighteningly so, and it swept over me when my son was just a few hours old. It was such a panic of "I am so responsible for this tiny scrap of humanity". Besides, children fight so strongly for their own indendence that a little bit of over-protection isn't going to harm.
I totally agree where possible expose your heartkid.
Unfortunately in our case Connor "sails close to the wind" still requiring meds. to keep him out of heart failure. We tried and tried to be normal but unfortunately just last week we had to remove him from childcare after two days back in childcare after a 6 month break resulted in hospitalisation after a simple cold/virus ended in viral asthma/mucas plugging which has partially collapsed his lungs. 2 Bloody days and that is the result.
Unfortunately the reality is that not each kid will have the same opportunities post surgery if they still have complications.
Our approach, now we try family day care which has a maximum of 4 kids instead of 20 odd ... reducing possibility of infections until the underlying heart problem (mitral valve stenosis) is fixed meaning hopefully, this is no longer an issue. Man .. to be normal .. that would be great! If not .. try to be as normal as possible like Paul and Dan suggest.
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