Being the parent of a child with special needs is lonely. It's hard to really have a social life with everything else you have going on, and it's also hard to connect with people who aren't in the same place you are. Don't get me wrong, I have some great friends both in real life and online but all of them either don't have kids or don't have kids with special needs. Not that I want to surround myself (or my children) with only families like us, since that isn't what we should do but I guess it would be nice to have someone to talk to or go out with who is in the same (or at least similar) place that I am.
I feel awkward going to an event with my local multiples group since they can all just let their kids run around and play, but I can't. But I also don't necessarily fit in with a family that has a child with special needs, because Z doesn't. And seeing him run around and play might be upsetting to the other family. I feel like we really don't fit in anywhere, and for some reason its really hitting me lately. The weather is getting nicer and people are planning play date and I just feel lonely. I don't want to keep the boys isolated, they need to learn to play with other children so I need to get past this (since I am sure its all in my head) but it's definitely a struggle.
My heart aches for you. Can you talk to other MoMs about your worries? I know that it's been enormously helpful to me to have very frank conversations with my neighbor about what adaptations I should and shouldn't make for her daughter's blindness when our kids are playing together or I'm babysitting. On the flipside, I think she appreciates me not making assumptions.
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