I don’t think that everything I do with my children revolves around the fact they were adopted. Many of my parenting ideas I learned with my older children Sean and Tori and as different as it is to be an adoptive parent some things are just about the kind of family we want to be. I have always wanted to be the kind of family that makes an effort to create memories. And, I don’t consider memories to only be those big things. The holidays and vacations will create memories on their own. The memories I enjoy creating are the little ones.
The walks we take around the neighborhood in spring and enjoy late at night during the summertime. The walks that become harder and harder to take due to the bitter cold and wind in the late fall. The walks we remember together in front of the fire while it snows and can’t wait to do again when spring returns. A simple thing like those evening walks are the kinds of memories that help children feel like they are part of something more then just themselves.
Our family has been on a game binge since Christmas time. Last summer Makala and I were out garage sale shopping and we found a huge box of board games for a buck! One by one, we have been playing them, but just before Christmas Makala found the game, she loves the best. The great thing is that the adults actually like the game too. So during the holidays there were massive tournaments when the college kids were home too. Makala has kept a master score card noting every winner of every game. She has the most wins, of course, she is the only one who has played every single game! But, that is just fine with all of us and Makala feels like a real winner.
We will have those nice vacations and the wonderful holidays, but from my perspective, it is the day-to-day routine things that I remember the most about my childhood. Everyday there is an opportunity to create memories for our children many of the most special memories people have are based on routines, which were a part of their growing up. Routine will be the next Blog entry for this series.
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For more information about parenting special needs children you might want to visit the Families.com Special Needs Blog and the Mental Health Blog. Or visit my personal website.