Life as a SEN mum

I know it’s still quite a way until Christmas, but I’m sure we aren’t the only school who have been bombarded already with details of school events. I talk about this every year, but it is so important to do so, because it really can be an overwhelming time for any parent. It doesn’t really seem that long since the stretch of summer events does it? But Christmas is definitely a little bit chaotic. When you are parenting SEN kids, however, it can come with a whole load of worries and stress, that not everyone is going to understand.

For many parents it’s a time they really look forward to, and there is so much to look forward to. But for SEN kids it can really be a recipe for sensory overload. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of things that they do enjoy, because it gives them the sensory feedback. But when you add all of that together, it can just prove too much.

For many of us though the issues are surrounding plays/nativities/ carol concerts etc. Basically anything where it involves performance and lots of people watching. Obviously this isn’t always the case. I have 2 children at very different ends of this scale, one who enjoys the performance, loves being on stage and just generally enjoys being centre of attention, and another who is unable to enter the school hall without considerable persuasion because an audience proves too much. In all honesty this is a problem even with normal assemblies for James, where there is only a handful of parents watching, so you can imagine the difficulties big performances and events cause.

Then there’s Christmas Jumper day. We all know how irritating jumpers can be at times. With it falling so close to the big day as well, with kids over excited, over stimulated, and generally ready for the Christmas break, possibly the last thing they need is an itchy jumper. Little tip, this may not work in the workplace so is very specific to school, and I’m going to say possibly easier at primary age. But it doesn’t have to be a jumper. James usually has a t-shirt and Charlotte is usually in full fancy dress (Christmas themed of course). They’re happy and comfortable and it’s still all for a good cause.

What I’m trying to say is it’s ok if you’re the parent of a child who struggles to join in. I’ll cover Christmas as a whole in another post but the same things apply. Christmas is meant to be a joyful time, and if we have to put some of our ideals to one side and maybe do things a little differently then that’s absolutely fine. SEN kids deserve to enjoy the season just as much as any other child. There’s no point forcing them into the jumper or onto a stage if they aren’t going to be comfortable.