Regular Moms VS Special Needs Moms

Regular Moms VS Special Needs Moms 
Written by: Dawn Villarreal

Regular moms tell their kids to wake up and get dressed in the morning.  And they do it.
Special needs moms put on battle gear to get our kids ready to start their day.

Regular moms ask their kids if they brushed their teeth.  
Special needs moms prompt, “Brush your top teeth.  Brush your bottom teeth.  Did you get the sides?  Open your mouth.  My God, give me that toothbrush!  You’ve left half your meal in there!”

Regular moms wave goodbye as their kids run off to catch the school bus.
Special needs moms get awesome door-to-door bus service for their child.

Regular moms know the names of all their friends.
Special needs moms know most of their friends by their username.

Regular moms complain about driving their kids to sports and recreation classes.
Special needs mom grin and bear the weekly trips to tutors, doctors and therapists.

Regular moms’ kids have a teacher.
Special needs moms’ kids have a team.

Regular moms talk about accomplishments.
Special needs moms talk about skills, as in play skills, conversation skills, life skills, social skills and vocational skills.

Regular moms relax with their kids during the summer.
Special needs moms start their second job as home teachers, therapists and skills coaches.

Regular moms think accommodations refer to hotels.
Special needs moms have memorized the top 20 accommodations for their child.

Regular moms hope their child finds a good career.
Special needs moms are hopeful someone gives our child the chance to work.

Regular moms soak in the tub when they want to unwind.
Special needs moms consider a bathroom break a luxury.

Regular moms enjoy reading the latest best selling book.
Special needs moms should receive an honorary degree for all the disability books they've read.

Regular moms go out for dinner and a movie with their husbands every month.
Special needs moms have a date night with their husbands every…wait, what decade is this?

Regular moms complain their kids won’t eat their vegetables.
Special needs moms are so desperate we consider chicken nuggets to be a legitimate meat product and throw in ketchup as a vegetable.

Regular moms’ kids go to play groups.
Special needs moms’ kids go to therapy groups.

Regular moms meet for a ladies night out.
Special needs moms get together at support groups and forums

Regular moms have medical claim forms that fit in one file folder.
Special needs moms will tell you a small forest was cut down so we could receive our claims.

Regular moms think OT means overtime.
Special needs moms know more acronyms than a NASA engineer.

Regular moms have time to cook a full dinner every evening.
Special needs moms will never admit how many times we've picked up fast food.

Regular moms complain their husbands sit on the couch and watch TV while they do all the work.
Special needs moms...well how about that?  Some things do stay the same!
(Just kidding dads, we know you do your part!)

Regular moms worry about fat and sugar in their children's diets.
Special needs moms worry about gluten, casein, oxalates and have a working knowledge of (FDA approved) food additives.

Regular moms spend a week teaching their sons to pee in the potty and maybe a month teaching them to poop.
Special needs moms keep trying, sometimes for several years.

Regular moms volunteer in the classroom to help out.
Special needs moms volunteer so they can take notes on whether the school program is appropriate for their child.

Regular moms look forward to an "empty nest."
Special needs moms wonder who will take care of their kids after they're gone.

Regular moms have the numbers of their friends programmed into their cell phones.
Special needs moms have the numbers of their child's specialists programmed in theirs.

Regular moms’ kids are mildly afraid of the dentist.
Special needs moms’ kids are so terrified, 9 out of 10 dentists will ask them not to come back.

Regular moms can plan a simple vacation at the spur of the moment.
Special needs moms have to plan vacations months in advance to make sure that appropriate accommodations can be made for their child.

Regular moms sign their kids up for all kinds of extra-curricular activities.
Special needs moms hope their local park district will accept their child for an activity.

Regular moms get annoyed when their child won't stop talking.
Special needs moms would do anything to hear their child utter one word, 'Mom'.

Regular moms get to go on vacations during long weekends or when school is out.
Special needs moms vacation...well you KNOW we don't do that.

Regular moms are obligated to go to every family gathering and stay to the bitter end.
Special needs moms has a built in "get out of jail" card for these events. e.g. "Whoops! Gotta go! Wouldn't want Junior to go on sensory overload."

Regular moms send Christmas cards to their friends and family.
Special needs moms send Christmas cards to friends, family AND the medical team and specialists that helps take care of their child.

Regular moms show up to their kids' activities and watch from the sidelines.
Special needs moms get to work prompting and herding their child in each activity.

Regular moms think OT stands for over time.
Special needs moms hear OT and think occupational therapy.

Regular moms worry about their child being picked on in school.
Special needs moms know their child will be discriminated against for their entire lives.

Regular moms tell their child to get dressed.
Special needs moms have to dress their child multiple times before leaving.

Regular moms fight with their child to pick which clothes to wear.
Special needs moms fight with their child to try to keep any clothes on all day.

Regular moms are on a first name basis with other moms in their neighborhood.
Special needs moms are on a first name basis with their child's pediatrician, neurosurgeon, gastroenterologist and other specialists.

Regular moms hope they have enough food, goodies, etc. at their children's party.
Special needs moms hope that other children/adults will show up.

Regular moms occasionally worry about one or two allergies.
Special needs moms have memorized the top 75 allergens, preservatives, chemical additives and toxins.

Regular moms worry about spoiling their kids with too many toys.
Special needs moms will buy half the store if there's a chance something will get their child playing instead of stimming.

Regular moms' stress levels raise from a 3 to a 10 if their child needs stitches or tubes in their ears.
Special needs moms' daily stress levels are already at an 8 so stitches or tubes in ears can actually be a step down from the day to day stresses.

Regular moms think PT means part-time.
Special needs moms hear PT and think physical therapy.

Regular moms forward funny mom e-mails to each other.
Special needs moms can only send this list to other special needs moms--regular moms would be offended if we suggest they don't understand what we deal with everyday.