Episode 21 - Thoughts on Stages of Parenting and the Details and Feelings about Decision Making as we Age

In this solo episode I talk about stages of parenting a child with a disability. First there's the initial stage, when we deal with a diagnosis and setting up a treatment program and a community of care.  Then there's the middle stage, when we are busy with educational programs, managing a medical team, IEPs, therapy, and advocacy. That's a really busy time. Then there's the third stage, as we and our children age. In this third stage we are faced with managing details around guardianship, wills, trusts, and future planning for our children. There's also the feelings that occur during this stage as we face our mortality and the reality that our children may outlive us.  Many of us put off dealing with these tasks as they feel overwhelming and bring us concern and sadness. Procrastination actually is harmful to us, both to our bodies and to our minds. I talk about strategies to use to move past procrastination, and how freeing it feels to have these decisions made. You can always make adjustments as life changes. 

I will take some time off towards the end of the year so there may only be a could more episodes for 2022.  Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating. 

Here's a link to a great resource on future planning: https://thearc.org/our-initiatives/future-planning/

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Instagram: @theresabartolotta
Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/

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