Travelling with a wheelchair
Although it “’tis the season to be jolly”, I used to often find this time of year difficult as it pointed out the many things BJ couldn’t do. While parents excitedly purchased advent calendars, BJ couldn’t manage to open the tricky little cardboard windows. That’s now changed and he’s a pro but I remember simply aching for him to do what all the other kids
I love shopping, but I have to say when I’m out and about with BJ I do find some shopping centres are better than others for access and facilities. Given Christmas is the busiest time of the year in stores, I thought I’d put together a list of the best shopping centres in Sydney. It’s been a mammoth job to contact them all and find
This gift guide is a little different to the usual guides you’ll find in magazines or online at this time of year. You won’t see anything suggested as being specifically good for a girl or a boy, and there’s no age guidelines. We’re all individuals with different interests and abilities, so this guide for people with special needs recognises that, and actually celebrates it. We
Christmas is over for another year but we certainly had a beauty of a day. I had to wake AJ which was a change from past years when she was up bright and early. Even BJ delivered a Christmas miracle with a sleep in (6am, a huge sleep in for him). There was Santa sack present opening with BJ getting through his all on his
This year I’ve been reflecting on the difference in my parenting now, compared to years ago. I’ve let go of much of the stress that I felt around Christmas. I used to sweat the small stuff and this year more than any other I think we understand that spending time with family and friends is what’s important. We’ve seen many friends lose their parents this year
We had the opportunity to attend the opening night of the Sydney Santa Spectacular at Rosehill. It was a charity night and each guest was asked to take along a gift which would be delivered to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The guys from Camp Quality were there with their puppets and enthusiastic staff selling Camp Quality Christmas crackers. I’m always keen to see if pop-up events
When I was a kid we had a store bought Christmas tree. There’s nothing wrong with that, I have many a fond memory of waking up on Christmas morning to a sack full of presents under that very tree. Growing up I used to watch Christmas movies where the families would choose a fresh tree for Christmas and I always wanted to do that. When the kids
‘Tis the season for giving and it’s often the season for scratching our heads over what’s the perfect gift for friends and family. It can be even trickier for people to know how best to support or give to a family caring for someone with additional needs. I’ve already shared my annual gift guide here, but today I wanted to share some ideas which might
We love our travel but we also love our crafting. I’ve often found that a home-made gift is more appropriate and used far more by BJ than a store bought one. Recently I saw a game in the shops and while I liked the concept, the size of the items which needed to be found was too visually challenging for BJ. AJ and I decided
Ah, it’s that time of year again where I scour the stores to find something new, something BJ can do and will love for Christmas. It’s hard but the reward of finding something he loves is so great I’m happy to go through it and while I look for BJ I take photos of things I think that might appeal to other children who have
Including a child with special needs in many of the Christmas rituals can require modifications. BJ is a big fan of Christmas but actively including him in decorating the tree is a challenge. It isn’t helped by the fact that he doesn’t like the feel of the real trees we get each year. If you have been following along for a while you will know
Thanks to Chanelle for providing me with information about Sensory Santa experiences around Australia. I am thrilled to see such a collection of Sensory Santa locations for 2015. Let’s hope this list keeps growing. I’ve asked Chanelle to share a bit about herself, why she created Sensory Movie Days and Sensory Santa experiences for children. A wonderful initiative ensuring families with a child with special
AJ and I love doing art and craft and we usually do quite a bit in the lead up to Christmas. This year we thought we would share a few ideas which we hope will make Christmas activities a little more accessible for some. BJ loves being a part of whatever AJ is doing so he usually participates in some element, even if he is
We were late to the Elf on the Shelf phenomenon but we have had lots of fun with our Elf Lucille since she arrived a few Christmases ago. She doesn’t have the job of reporting naughty or nice behaviour but does create fun in the lead up to Christmas. I find the kids are so excited in the weeks before Christmas and I am so
An advent calendar is a popular way of children counting down to Christmas. BJ loves all the festivities around this time of year and when he was younger he couldn’t manage the commercial chocolate advent calendars. He can now do it and it has been a good challenge for him mastering it. I remember all too well being disappointed when he was younger that he
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