115. Judgment and Parent Shaming
Dec 15, 2022We harbor so many unspoken fears, anxiety, and often hopelessness not to mention wanting to be the perfect parent to our child and then the guilt that comes along for the ride when we feel like we are falling short, right? I know, I’ve been there too. In this episode, I am going to talk about something that every single one of us comes up against along this autism parenting journey and that is judgment from other people.
Autism can’t be seen and sometimes the things that we have to do for our children who to the unsuspecting public may seem too old for these things. Even though 1 in 44 children are diagnosed autistic, unfortunately, there are still way more people in the world we live in who don’t know anything about autism.
I think one of the most important things that you can do for yourself is to remind yourself that they aren’t intentionally being rude, they simply don’t understand your child’s behavior or why you are doing what you are doing or why they are doing what they are doing. It's a lack of understanding.
What I don’t want you to do is let the public’s perception of you or your child dictate the course of your life. I want you to know that you have NOTHING to be embarrassed about. Your child has autism and while the outside world may not all understand and may offer too much-unsolicited advice, retreating into your home and avoiding the public won’t be beneficial for you or your child and they will never have the opportunity to learn the skill set they need if you isolate.
As the parent of autistic children, it is important that you hold your head high and realize that despite having one of the most challenging jobs in the world, your consistency and diligence to figure it out day after day, even on the days you think you just can’t and yet you do, you are becoming a better person every day because of what your child or children are teaching you along the way.
All the judgment in the world, the looks, the comments, and the opinions of other people only affect you if you let them. You have a choice.
No one knows your situation. No one will ever fully understand your child’s struggles or the unique dynamics of your family. They don’t understand your situation and therefore cannot ever make an informed judgment.
If you want to learn strategies and tools that you can use to improve your life along this autism parenting journey, becoming Not Your Average Autism Mom is your answer. Is the educational journey overwhelming and confusing for you? Our member portal has an array of training and resources with everything you need to know about Special Education and you can join LIVE ZOOM calls with an Advocate to get any of your specific questions answered. Maybe you are feeling alone on your journey or maybe you are looking for other moms to connect with in a PRIVATE community who understand your day-to-day challenges, be sure that you check out ALL THE BENEFITS available for you when you BECOME Not Your Average Autism Mom.
www.notyouraverageautismmom.com
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