About taking a vacation without your special needs child

it is the Monday after my vacation, and I know I have a lot of work to do. I have a lot of e-mail to go through. And then I’m starting a business, wanting to grow my blogs/start a newsletter, grow a Facebook group, etc.. I have a lot that I’m trying to do and figure. But I do have the the time, and taking my vacation has given me some more energy than I have had lately.

Let’s face it, raising children is not a walk in the park. And when you have a child with special needs there are all kinds of extra challenges. Sometimes you need to get away from normal life for a while. Everyone needs to take breaks from time to time, and when you are under stress, which everyone with a special needs child is going to have, you are going to need to take vacations. Special needs children are just going to take more time than what we think of as normal children. One thing that you should know is that you should not feel guilty about taking a trip with only your husband. All couples need to get away and relax and reconnect. We are going to talk about this more this coming week.

I think my vacation went very well. I know I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Getting back into work is kind of overwhelming at this point, but I am going to figure it out. What would you do if your child is sick? Let’s look at some tips that might help.

• Be sure to pack any medicines that they have been prescribed to take. Also take anything that you might want to give them if they start running a fever or getting aches somewhere.
• Pack extra clothing. Being sick can get messy. It is always smart to be prepared. And often just changing clothes can help you feel better
• . Bring lots of tissues. That is another thing that will help with messes.

I haven’t decided what I’m dong tomorrow or the beginning of next week. I am tired. I know I have decisions to make for sure, but feel like you need to start making those after stepping back and taking a break. Right now I’m just doing what has to be done.

Traveling with a disability is not easy. I do not think about it much.. Mom always wanted my siblings to pack light. And I think a few of them rebel against that idea now. But I always had to take my wheelchair and my communication device for sure. And I know I’m different than a lot of people with disabilities. I don’t have a service animal or anything like that. Today let’s look at some tips that might help you plan trips better.
You will want to be sure to do your research and plan ahead. Figure out where you would like to go and then calling people. Call the hotels and figure out which one would work best for you. Call different restaurants that you might like to try and see if they can accommodate your dietary needs.

More places

Let’s look at some more accessible destinations.

• They say that Playa Del Carmen is going to be pretty accessible. They do have accessible hotels. They have beach wheelchairs that you can use. They have even made their snorkeling pretty disability friendly. You will also want to be sure to visit their Mayan ruins.
• Or you might want to consider going to San Diego. I hear that their weather is always pretty much perfect there. And their trolley system is fully accessible .You will likely love their zoo, and their beach is wonderful too.

Places

I’m sorry, it is getting more and more clear that I need to take this break. My mind is not on my work right now.. I’m just doing the best that I can. Let’s look at some more vacations that families with special needs children might want to consider

• I’m glad to say that Disney makes the top of the list.. Those who have followed this blog long know that I love Disney. Disney is going to give families who have children with special needs the assistance that they need, whatever that need should be..
• You might want to check out Tradewinds Islands Resort which is in Florida. This place caters to those with Autism.

Okay, I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, and will probably say it again, but I’m not the biggest fan of traveling, the actual driving or flying. I love to go places, to see family or friends. Travel is just hard on my body. And since I’m not in my wheelchair, I can’t have my communication device, so I can’t really do much. Some people don’t think traveling with a special needs child is impossible. And while it is a challenge, it is not impossible. Let’s look at some more tips that might help.

• You will want to start taking small trips. You might want to start by going were to start visiting some family or close friends that live close by, like an hour or two away. Get your child used to being in the car for longer periods of time. Get them used to being away from home too.
• As you start to travel more, your special needs child is going to get more used to traveling and all that goes into it. They will begin to enjoy it more. You will also learn how to help them better.

I am wondering if I should start my vacation after working Saturday. I am going to wait and see what I’m feeling like then. We are going to look some more at tips for traveling with a child who has CP.

• I am going to be honest, unless we’re flying, Mom always packs a cooler. Dad always says I eat like a little kid. I love pizza, spaghetti, Mexican food that isn’t spicy, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers. I’m kind of picky. And really I’m not just picky, some foods are hard for me to eat. Mom always brings foods I will eat when we go on trips..

And here are some tips for flying.

You will always want to get a good seat for your CP child. Sometimes they put me on a row which I have to myself! That is wonderful because I can lie down.

You are allowed to bring snacks on the airplane. Bring some of your child’s favorites, yours too. Get to the airport well before you need to.

Use the time to get ready. For me, I pretty much need to eat in my wheelchair.. So at the airports, I’m eating and make sure I get enough.

Traveling with CP

It’s Saturday, and I want to get work done so that I can play. It is now about a week and a half until I go on vacation. I’m so ready to go. Let’s get back to our discussion about traveling with a CP kid.

• Is your child in a wheelchair? If so, you will want to make sure that the places you go are wheelchair friendly. Or that you are strong enough, or have friends who are enough, to carry your child around. Let me tell you, the Old City of Jerusalem is not handicap friendly. Mom and a lady friend took us one time. The next time that we went to Jerusalem, we were part of a large group. The guys got me everywhere that everyone else went. It was so much fun.
• Most people consider it pretty important to make frequent stops. Stopping every few hours makes sure that everyone has what they need as far as the bathroom and things like that.

Traveling with a CP child

I have Cerebral Palsy, have had it since I was a baby. Mom, and sometimes Dad, took me and my siblings on all kinds of trips. We were always going off to visit family or friends. I loved it, and still do. I used to not be sure that I would ever get out of the country. Several years ago, my siblings put up the money, and Mom and I went. We have been to Cyprus and Israel.

You should also remember that Cerebral Palsy can mean a lot of different things. I can not walk or talk or do anything for myself, but have no mental impairments. I know people with CP who just have a limp, as well those who have both severe physical and mental challenges. The thing is that children with CP can, and should enjoy trips together. Here are some tips to help everything go smoothly.

• You may want to talk to your child with CP about your trip before you leave. Some disabled kids really like to know when their schedule is about to be interrupted. Help them get excited about the trip.
• Are your children used to being in a car for hours at a time? If not, you might want to take them on some shorter trips first, just to see how everything goes.

More places

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And now let’s get back to some places that you may want to try.

• Today we are going to start with Smugglers Notch Resort, and this is in Vermont. There are all kinds of activities that you and your family can do together, or separately. They have nine activities that they are going to say are going to be perfectly safe for those with special needs. They also welcome special needs kids into their children’s programs.
• It looks like Dollywood is a great place for those with special needs. Personal note, we used to live near Gatlinburg, which is where Dollywood is. I still vacation here often. I know some about Dolly herself, and I am not surprised at all by this. Many rides are going to be accessible to those who can be taken in and out of their wheelchairs. They also have some rides you can enjoy in a wheelchair. You can read more about what they offer if you go to their website.