Mattie Whittsett is a 9 year old little girl from Birmingham Alabama that took her own life. This is a letter I wrote to her mom.
An Open Letter To Maddie’s Momma
Category: Momentous
Stick With Kindness
My fears throughout the years: Youth (10-17ish): the dark, my mom being mad at me, the lunchroom on the first day of school, roaches Early Adult (18-23ish): failing a college class, getting a DUI, not finding "the one", roaches Mid-Adult (24-26ish): losing my job, unexpected bills, losing a loved one, roaches After we adopted Quin, [...]
Fighting For A Label
Labeling theory is the theory of how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent to an act, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from standard cultural norms. A stigma is [...]
Steel
Dear Quin, You just finished a meltdown. You said a few choices words and broke something I can never replace. By the time it was all over, we were both tired, defeated, and in tears. I never thought this would be parenting. I thought I would issue a warning and you'd back down with an [...]
Can’t You Love It Away?
Before proceeding, I'm issuing this warning: I'm composing this on my iPhone, in the car, on the way to the beach, with a bored child behind me & a sports talk radio listening husband next to me. I prefer typing on a computer in the silence late at night. This post will be FULL of [...]
Healing Through Play
Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)- Therapy designed to help a parent restructure their discipline and guide a child to the desired behaviors. Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Therapy- Therapy designed to help a child, through play, bond and trust a parent/guardian. These are obviously not Webster's definitions, just my personal definitions using the KISS (Keep It [...]
IEP
Individualized Education Program (IEP) -A document created and managed by a team of people (including teachers, special education personnel, parents, doctors, etc.) for each special needs child. This document outlines the student's individual objectives and accommodations needed to be successful in traditional public school. Q's IEP is more than just a small stack of papers. [...]
Finding Rays Of Sunshine
One Friday afternoon, I was picking Q up from school and on our way out he stopped, hugged his teacher, and told her he loved her and she said "I love you too". It was such a special moment because I knew they both meant it and I realized how LUCKY Q is to be [...]
Dreams vs. Reality: After School
After School Dream: School would get out at 3pm. My child would board the bus and head for home. I would wait outside my front door every afternoon at 3:15pm. A yellow school bus would pull up out front of my house, my kiddo would come bounding down the steps of the bus, running at me [...]
Testing Testing 123
If you or someone you know is playing medicine roulette, please read and share this post. Knowledge is power & if it hadn't been for another SPED momma, I would have never know this test existed! I've mentioned before that we've been playing medicine roulette with QMonster. It hasn't been easy and we have found [...]
Hot Mess Momma Club 