When I saw Julian for the first time I fell in love with him... Julian is a Down Syndrome non verbal boy, at the time he was 5 years old. When I meet him he jump in my lap and start non stop kissing me. The interview went well, but the parents (father is the one that talk with me all the time very kind, the mother looked depressed and quiet) take a while for them to offer the job.
In the first day of work I noticed that the boy was treated like a baby: he's still in diapers and drinking milk in bottles! My very first goal is to potty train him. When I told the parents my decision they were surprised and grateful! Well after 5 days he was potty trained for my total and his happiness... making the story short, in the 2 years I worked there, I teach this boy basic signal language, how to swim, and more important... I show my love to him everyday and he return it in the way that make my life better! He became a very social and polite boy and the parents relaxed more. I had to leave the job because the family started having very serious financial problems, but almost every Sunday he spend the day with me and my husband... I love this boy very much and I know he love me! My message is that we nannies can make a difference in the children lives!
Great post, OP! We need more kind people like you who love children for who they are and not what people think they should be. People who trust and respect the child and their parents. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThats great OP. So nice to see posts like these.
ReplyDeleteJust on a side note the parents didn't qualify for any state assistance???
Good for you OP!
ReplyDeleteWHere you an OT in a previous life?
I wonder why parents didn't qualify for therapies for Julian through the state?
Please do refer to the disablity first, he is a child before anything at all. A boy with down syndrome who is non-verbal rather than a non-verbal down syndrome boy
ReplyDeleteThank you
I loved reading that OP. I meet my special little man when I was 22. Matthew was my charge for 2.5 years,.along with his 5 siblings. I loved every moment spent with him and his enormous heart. By helping him learn to walk and sign, I was blessed to see him begin to interact with his siblings and watch his father's hardened heart melt with joy over this amazing boy. You were a blessing in that child's life.
ReplyDeletelove this
ReplyDeleteNo matter how wonderful the post someone will always find something to nitpick over.
ReplyDeleteWonderful job OP!
You are a true blessing in the life of this child and
his family as I"m sure he is to you!
Child First, why would you ruin such a lovely post? You're talking semantics and I'm sure OP was just being purely descriptive and meant nothing at all by that comment.
ReplyDeleteTo the others asking about qualifying for state assistance, he most likely does but trust me, it won't keep you out of the poor house!
Awesome, op! My youngest brother has Down syndrome and is non verbal.
ReplyDeleteWe adopted him when he was 4 and he was a lot like the little boy you care for. It took a lot of work but he is so wonderful can't imagine my family without him
As a secondary comment to Child First: you can tell that the OP probably speaks English as a second language, so why split hairs? Also, it's apparent that she loves this little boy and doesn't just typify him as his disability, so why ignore the message of this excellent post and go on a rant that, quite frankly, makes you look ultra hyper-sensitive. When you constantly scream about child first, disability second, you're making the disability a bigger deal, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWhat a refreshing post to read!!
ReplyDeleteOP, keep up the good work. Any family would be considered lucky/blessed to have you in their lives. ♥ ♥
To those saying Child First is nitpicking.......Using person first language is not just about grammar. It is about seeing a child as more than their disability, not letting one aspect of the child define their life or the perceptions others have of them. No one's intention is to be rude to the OP, whether their first language is English or not. They are simply trying to educate.
ReplyDeleteHope you can share your huge heart with other children and families in need. Thanks for a simple heartfelt post.
ReplyDeleteSpecial Ed:
ReplyDeleteI saw nothing prejudicial in OPs post. However, I did read a huge connotation of rudeness in Child First's post. Perhaps your intention was not to be rude to OP, but speak for yourself.
OPs post was lovely.
Special Ed Teacher. Lets all look passed the lovely post and pick at something STUPID. We all understood what Child First was saying, we just found it to be unnecessary .
ReplyDeleteOP, People with downsyndrome are the sweetest people i've ever met. I use to work as a CNA and i had a client who i grew to care about so much. He was 17 turning 18 and the most lovable person i've ever met. He taught me just as much as i taught him. He taught me that you don't need money, brandname clothes, cars, etc to be happy. When i was his age i was so stressed out on what to wear, and where to go on the weekends with my friends, boyfriend problems, etc and no matter what i did i was never satisfied but this boy didn't have a care in the world and was so happy and respectful to everyone he crossed paths with.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all sorry for my broken English and thank you for of you that understood my post. It was sincere and my intention is to say that we can make a difference in childrens (with disabilities or not) life. I have a truly love for kids in general and I am lucky to meet and work with nice families.
ReplyDeleteOP you did a GREAT job describing the joy this child has brought to you. The people on this post like to nitpick and try to "stir the pot" so to speak. They have nothing better to do than shift the focus on other stuff.
ReplyDeleteNo need to apologize to anyone. We get it.
OP. You just made my day. Thank you.
ReplyDeletegood post! It is very interesting to me when parents don't do anything to advance their child. I am not sure why that is. They are really putting their kid at a disadvantage. I know some people who would have their child still in diapers at age 4. And most were little girls who are by far easier to potty train than boys. It is odd
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. :) I also think the "Child First" post was a bit harsh. That being said, I would like people to consider as well, to refer to the disability second and the child first as some have mentioned. Sure, it seems a bit like semantics...until it is your child. I'm not telling anyone they have to, simply to consider make a slight change by referring to the disability second. :) It's OK to be educated on something new. Rather than saying, "I work with an Autistic boy" you could say, "I work with a boy who has Autism." Just something to consider because it is a big deal to some mothers, fathers, siblings...families with children with disabilities. :)
ReplyDeleteSo sweet, this made me tear up. Imagine if you never came into the picture, where would he be? What a blessing you were and are to this family.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Just Consider It. It's an innocent mistake, but one that can be learned from. I do not like when my son is referred to as Autistic. He has a name, and he HAS Autism. Autism is not who he is, but part of him.
ReplyDeleteI have autism. It doesn't bother me when people refer to me as being autisic I am.
ReplyDeleteIt does not bother my sister when people refer to her as diabetic because she is.
The OP used his name. She used his name first and then went on to describe several characteristics of him. Characteristics that include Down Syndrome.
ReplyDeleteGet over it and stop trying to turn it into an issue!
I think it's you who have the problem not the OP.
Way to ruin a nice post.
I don't mind when my daughter is referred to as autistic. She is autistic. I don't think being autistic defines her.
ReplyDeleteOP clearly respects this child. I don't think she needs to "learn" any lessons. On the contrary, I think she could teach some of you a thing or two.
From what I've seen and experienced, much of the time it is the person with the disability who doesn't care about being referred to as "Autistic Child" (for example) rather than "Child with Autism" and it is the parent/family member who insists on everyone being PC about it. This tells me that the person with the disability has come to terms with it a lot better than the family member has. The family member needs to stop projecting his or her own insecurities about the disability and just focus on supporting their loved one.
ReplyDeleteOP, I think this was a lovely post.
Thank you for sharing a positive story on this site. It's nice to see that there are nannies out there who are just as passionate as I am about taking care of children.
ReplyDelete