When you sign up to parenthood it’s an unknown quantity. You hope that it will be filled with Hallmark moments, but you also know that life is going to change significantly. Friends and relatives who are already parents are happy to tell you about the dirty nappies, sleepless nights and the fact you’ll never have another full mug of hot coffee or tea again. It is, however, assumed that it will be a temporary pause on life as you know it, with an eventual regaining of independence as your child or children also gain independence. As many of you reading this will know, it’s vastly different when you raise a child with a disability. The needs and the demands continue as we as parents continue to strive to provide the best care and advocate for our kiddos. I am extremely fortunate to have Hubby, my partner in crime and a terrific father who does more than his fair share. He’s a terrific husband, father and son-in-law. He is dedicated and so supportive.
Thoughts on Father’s Day
Every day I watch Hubby being a hands-on Dad with Braeden. He gets up with Braeden at night when he wakes up and shows extreme patience no matter how tired he is. He baths him every day he can and usually feeds him dinner. Hubby has built equipment, supported me in NDIS battles and is always making Braeden laugh. They are good mates enjoying many activities together.
On our recent travels I watched as Hubby lifted the wheelchair in and out of the car and transferred Braeden to and from the car at each stop while also being the designated driver. He is tireless in his efforts to ensure Braeden never misses out. And even when he thinks I’m crackers, he mostly goes along with my out-there ideas.
It’s always a juggle to ensure a sibling doesn’t miss out when you have one child with such high support needs and Hubby has always been supportive of Amelia’s activities and our girl’s only outings. He has been a great father to both our children and always tried to be fair.
Of course, he is not perfect, but who is? But when we said, “I do” and included the traditional vows of “in sickness and health, for better or worse” I had no idea how much those vows would be tested. Our family dynamics are very much a team effort and Hubby is an integral and much valued part of Team Jones.
I know we are not the only one celebrating a great father today and I’d like to wish all the amazing dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day.
It’s always nice to hear about a good father like your husband. My older son’s dad is this way with our autistic son. My son that uses a wheelchair has not seen his dad since July, 2000. He will be 24 next month. My older son’s dad helps with him too. I never had a father that cared enough to be a part of my life except my Father in Heaven. That was/is enough.