Sibshops

For two days this summer, Kyler and Kacin attended a Sibshop day camp. Sibshops are for children who have siblings with disabilities. Sibshops are awesome! I'm so glad we discovered them. It was a chance for my children to be with other children who totally get what it's like to have an autistic brother. Plus, they got a lot of adult attention and participated in some fun activities and got to share some of their stories, feelings, and experiences about life with a sibling with a disability.

We have tried to be mindful of spending extra time and attention on our other three children, but no matter how much we try, because of therapies, appointments, and behaviors, Perry just demands a lot of our attention and energy right now. And because his meltdowns are so frequent, it has made life at home more than a little stressful at times and life in public a little embarrassing, too.

I always knew it was a challenge for our family and that it effected our older children, but I never realized how much of a strain it was. When we heard about the Sibshop, my boys were very enthusiastic about going. It appealed to them to have a chance to be with other kids in the same boat as they were--kids they could relate, too.

As Kyler put it at the end, it was awesome for him to not worry or feel embarrassed when I brought Perry and Layla with me to the family performance. He knew when Perry did "funny" things or starting whining that no one would be staring at him and they would all understand. He was quite happy and relieved about this.

Kyler and Kacin are awesome older siblings. They go with the flow and really don't complain about the challenges and changes our family has had to make. They are helpful, great examples, and step up when we need them, too. Really, the praise for these two could go on and on! They are wonderful.

I'm glad they got a little respite and a chance to express their feelings about what goes on in our family now. It was a good reminder to Eric and I to check in on feelings about everything a little more often than we have as of late.

And I'm glad they got to participate in so many fun activities--crafts, tie-dye, swimming, yummy food, and games.

Each of the groups performed a skit for families at the end of the Sibshop. They received their participation chocolate bar and we all ate popsicles.

Layla, Perry, and I had a few of our own adventures while they were gone. One of which was meeting up with their bio sister at the park. It was fun to see her and her family.We think they are pretty awesome people.