Tag Archives: Value

Raising An Adult By 18 – Flexibility Is Key

While I have seen charts saying children should reach this skill by such-and-such an age, or showing what chores kids should do in what grades, I think it’s incredibly important to realize that each of our children are unique, and each will develop in slightly different ways and slightly different speeds. This is particularly true for children who have neurodevelopmental issues such as autism, physical disabilities such as club foot or those who were born prematurely.

Because of this, my recommendation is to create a list of skills that you want your child to develop along each of these axes – heart, soul, mind and body – and for each of the values that you want your child to learn.

Remember … Being Small Matters

I am a small person – stature wise. I’m a little more than a hundred pounds soaking wet; when I can stand I can claim 4′ 10″ if I’m wearing my shoes but in a wheelchair I’m nowhere near that height.

I spend most days in a small space – my living room – working with a very small group of folks who come to me to talk about big problems but also lots of small problems.

Canaries in Coalmines …

There is this tendency to want to “fix” people. To make it so that they stop responding “inappropriately” or “fit in” better. But what if we viewed those with disability, autism or mental health issues like canaries – vulnerable yet valuable members of our community, who had the capacity to help us see when we might be in trouble, and make adjustments to the way in which we were living sooner rather than later?

Towards Wholeness

What if each one of us was created to be a unique, integrated person – with our heart, soul, mind and strength working together to help us to do the things we were created to do and be the person we were made to be? What if each one of us experienced brokenness – overContinue reading “Towards Wholeness”