Comments on: Being Different and Knowing

By: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:36:45 +0000

It was so good to meet you too, Jill. I hope to see you again soon.

It is so hard to watch our kids feel left out/different. Right now the teachers are trying to work her in small groups so she doesn’t know they are all there for her. She likes it and in fact it doesn’t even feel special ed/resourc-y.

Didn’t mean to make you cry, but sometime we must cry, right?

By: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:34:50 +0000

Carmen, I’m not sure how this comment got by me because on this post I was watching! Today someone commented which brought me back and I’m glad it did.

Why, the differences and more importantly, why do they matter so much? Why can’t we all marvel at our differences and not hold them against each other.

Sigh.

By: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:33:22 +0000

Yeah, at 5 they don’t notice the differences in the world because their world is all about them — at least for my kids anyway there wasn’t any comparing at that age.

(I don’t know how I missed this comment…sorry for the lateness in responding!)

By: Jill Olroyd

Jill Olroyd — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:38:48 +0000

Julia, I think there was a reason I met you at the PKD Leadership meeting. As I sit here reading your blog entries I have tears because I see this happening to my daughter. Although she is 7, she doesn’t understand why she has to go to the resource room to do her work and why she has to go to a separate reading room to get help. ‘Why can’t I stay I my classroom with my friends?’. She asks. I want to say because your so far behind you can’t keep up but I know if I do it would crush her little heart. So I smile and say that it’s because she like me learns a little different way. Her reply ‘I don’t want to learn differently I want to learn like other kids’. At 7 it has already started and I know with her I have a rough road ahead of me. Being different is BEAUTIFUL and I wish they could see that.

You, Julia are a strong woman, an amazing advocate for your children. I can only hope that I can be as strong as you when I move through the different stages of childhood with my kids. Thank you!!!

By: Carmen

Carmen — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:42:15 +0000

I NEEDED to read this today, as I struggle with Gabe and his 504. WHY does he have to be different, he cries???

Thank you so much for this. xoxoxoxo

By: Deenie

Deenie — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:02:25 +0000

Hi. I recently found your blog and have been reading through. This post is hitting hard today. I’m sure we’re about to get an ADHD diagnosis for my older son who is now 5. 1 of my main worries with this is that he will be treated differently or made fun of by other kids and that he will not be happy with himself once modifications are made at school for him. His current teachers have been great and have been modifying things for him even without an IEP and he has been loving the “special treatment” but I do worry about how he will handle it as he gets older. But not doing anything won’t help him either.

By: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:24:31 +0000

Carrie T., thanks for you comment and for coming by here (and for reading my Hopeful Parents stuff!). I can see what you mean about your girl…

By: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:22:52 +0000

There is a fine balance. Maybe by being twins, Jack is having more of a chance to cope with it? Maybe that will help them when he’s older? Having already had time to come into his own and less comparison will go on?

Or I could be totally wrong…but I hope so.

By: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:21:07 +0000

Yeah, we’re thinking a young woman (babysitter above, who commented) could help in this area!

By: Carrie T

Carrie T — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:49:54 +0000

Sigh. And your daughter is getting to the age now where being different is so hard for kids! All they want to do it fit in. My heart hurts for her and other kids in the same boat. My daughter has intellectual disabilities of a level where she is unaware that she is different. She cruises through life without noticing how different she is. Her level of need is a challenge but I would be lying if I didn’t say that at times I have felt glad that she is unaware. Sending hugs and prayers your way.

(Found you a year or 2 ago on hopefulparents.org and always enjoy your posts and blog!)

Carrie T.