Walk in someone else's shoes for a mile. Take a look at Sadie's video. Put yourself in her shoes. Then, perhaps, if you are really lucky and open your mind a tiny bit, you will understand what she is rambling about.
I wouldn't be so fast to throw stones. You never know when you will be forced to walk in the shoes of the person at whom you threw the stones.
With all due respect, bcp wasn't throwing any stones at anyone. He was asking a question based on concerns of other parents. I understand bcp asking the question. I understand the other parents' having the concern. [I personally feel sorry for them if it is more important to them to worry that their precious Susie or Johnny isn't getting all the attention they feel they should.] I just think it is crass to tell someone to walk a mile in someone else's shoes when you don't even know the shoes they're walking in. Bcp didn't say these were HIS feelings. He was asking about other parents' concerns.
As I've said before, I have a kid with special needs. At times, he's had to face a gamut of slurs, being shunned and mistreated by ignorant kids, being taken for granted or being ignored/written off as some kind of dolt by totally ignorant adults. But that is not by the majority of people in his life, thank God. And it's because I, as his mother, have made certain that people who are in his life have his best interests at heart.
I have never - not even once in his life - forced him upon anyone or any group whether I paid money for him to join or not, if they didn't want him around. I have demanded that they accept him not matter what - just because he has "right" to be there, I've never used activities for babysitting services, nor did I even put him in paid daycare, after school care, etc.- because I always felt it was MY responsibility to raise him and not others'. That meant I didn't work outside of the home for most of his life and it meant that my life has been a whole lot more complicated than it might have otherwise been. But it's my charge to keep, the hand I was dealt, etc. I don't hold that against other people and I don't blame them for my situation, and I don't expect special favors for it.
He'll never be absolutely normal, but then who the hell is. As far as a tennis program or some sport? If I'm paying for lessons in whatever sport, my son deserves as much time as yours, no more or less. If he needs extra time, I should pay for it and so should the person that wants more for their child normal or handicapped.
