Corporate Motherhood (with SEN)
Stepping from a Professional Job into Motherhood and then chucking in some SEN....... (Special Education Needs if you're not familiar with the latest acronym!)
BAU used to be daily defined work related tasks that didn't test your sanity, cleanliness or patience. Now it is school runs, packed lunches, homework, school paperwork, unfathomable sibling arguments, terrible sleep, hospital appointments, speech therapy, play therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, anyothertherapy, and lots of poo.
KSOR used to be the 'must do' business basics to keep things ticking over. These may have been repetitious but again generally never challenged your sanity, cleanliness or patience. Now KSOR is emptying and reloading the dishwasher at least 3 times per day, wiping lick marks off of all windows, TV screens and glass, clearing up small piles of reflux vomit that I stumble across on the floor, picking up numerous random objects from the floor (usually shiny things - cheese graters, sieves, pan lids etc), oh and lots and lots and lots and lots of clothes washing, drying and putting away. And - not to be forgotten - lots and lots of Caffeine for Mum!!!!!
Reports: I still deal with facts and figures - oh yes - plenty...... but now it is 'how many times do you have to hand a spoon back to your child at meal-times in a 24 hour period?' (really!), 'how many meters can your child walk without feeling discomfort?', 'How many words or signs does your child have?', 'how many times per night do you need to re-settle your child in bed?', 'how many times do you wipe their nose?', 'Is your child continent?' and so on and so on - generally lots of reports on things your child can't do and what help they need. So uplifting, huh?!
BAU used to be daily defined work related tasks that didn't test your sanity, cleanliness or patience. Now it is school runs, packed lunches, homework, school paperwork, unfathomable sibling arguments, terrible sleep, hospital appointments, speech therapy, play therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, anyothertherapy, and lots of poo.
KSOR used to be the 'must do' business basics to keep things ticking over. These may have been repetitious but again generally never challenged your sanity, cleanliness or patience. Now KSOR is emptying and reloading the dishwasher at least 3 times per day, wiping lick marks off of all windows, TV screens and glass, clearing up small piles of reflux vomit that I stumble across on the floor, picking up numerous random objects from the floor (usually shiny things - cheese graters, sieves, pan lids etc), oh and lots and lots and lots and lots of clothes washing, drying and putting away. And - not to be forgotten - lots and lots of Caffeine for Mum!!!!!
Reports: I still deal with facts and figures - oh yes - plenty...... but now it is 'how many times do you have to hand a spoon back to your child at meal-times in a 24 hour period?' (really!), 'how many meters can your child walk without feeling discomfort?', 'How many words or signs does your child have?', 'how many times per night do you need to re-settle your child in bed?', 'how many times do you wipe their nose?', 'Is your child continent?' and so on and so on - generally lots of reports on things your child can't do and what help they need. So uplifting, huh?!
Negotiations: These used to result in business or personal benefit. Now? They involve whose turn is it on the iPad, how many chocolate biscuits are acceptable, how many more minutes before bedtime, what club you'll take away if the bedroom isn't tidied and so on. These negotiators are far more wearing than those of the boardroom, & typically I feel less successful (for the adult!).
And Business Development?? Well - researching therapies, convincing your GP & paediatrician of said new therapies, laminating stuff, visual time-tables, play-dates, introducing new things on trial and error basis (diet, therapy, supplements etc) & some more laminating just for the fun of it.
Would I change it? No - well - maybe a little! Heres to Corporate Motherhood with a splash (or rather big fat dollop) of SEN.
I do sometimes wonder how I used to fill my days......?
And Business Development?? Well - researching therapies, convincing your GP & paediatrician of said new therapies, laminating stuff, visual time-tables, play-dates, introducing new things on trial and error basis (diet, therapy, supplements etc) & some more laminating just for the fun of it.
Would I change it? No - well - maybe a little! Heres to Corporate Motherhood with a splash (or rather big fat dollop) of SEN.
I do sometimes wonder how I used to fill my days......?
