Parenting

The Ultimate Multi-Tasker: 89 Things Special Needs Moms are Always Doing

One of the most amazing things about being a special needs parent is realizing that you’re capable of doing many things at once. While many of us thought that we were multi-taskers before, we learn quickly that we weren’t coming close to our ability to get things done. Here are 89 things that special needs moms are always doing.

Tracking

1. Appointments
2. IEP goals
3. Prescription refills
4. Favorite foods
5. Behavior triggers
6. Allergies
7. Specialists
8. Interventions
9. Innovations
10. Treatment options
11. Charity events
12. Opportunities

Preparing

1. Food
2. The week’s meds
3. Reports
4. Travel bags
5. Plans for the future
6. For phone calls
7. For appointments
8. For meetings
9. For holidays
10. For the unpleasant things
11. For the awesome things

Wishing

1. For more hours in the day
2. For more money
3. For a cure
4. For better meds
5. For no more seizures
6. For the next developmental milestone
7. For a miracle recovery
8. For doctors to understand
9. For friends to understand
10. For family to understand

Driving

1. To school
2. To appointments
3. To therapy
4. To childwatch
5. To the gym
6. To the store
7. To the pharmacy
8. To the medical equipment shop
9. To enrichment activities
10. To far away specialists

Pulling

1. Out our hair
2. Out clean clothes
3. Out wipes
4. Out answers we’re unsure of
5. Out answers we’re absolutely sure of

Smiling

1. At the little things
2. At the big things
3. At the way your child smiles
4. At the way they scrunch their nose when they’re upset
5. Through the frustration
6. Through the disappointment
7. When everything goes right
8. Because we’ve made it to the end of the day

Researching

1. Treatments
2. Coping
3. Crafts
4. Doctors
5. Lawyers
6. Organizations
7. Support groups
8. Long term solutions
9. Gluten free meal plans
10. Alternative treatments
11. Innovative treatments
12. Assistive technology
13. Classroom solutions
14. IEP guides
15. Teacher reviews
16. Answers

Planning

1. For tomorrow
2. For every minute of the vacation
3. For getting a bigger car
4. For when the next size of wheelchair/walker/braces/hearing aids will be needed

Worrying

1. About everything
2. About nothing
3. About whether we’re doing the right thing
4. About whether we’re doing the wrong thing
5. About the toothpaste
6. About the physical therapist
7. About the IEP meeting
8. About the transition meeting
9. About whether our child will be successful and happy

Contemplating

1. Escape to Disney World for a family vacation
2. Escape to a private island for some solitude
3. Escape to the grocery store
4. Escape to the bathroom for an uninterrupted shower

This list is just a small sample - what are the things that you’re always doing as a special needs parent?