I’d like to introduce my youngest Kameron aka Kam. He’s been a huge part of this journey for the last three and a half years. He is a typical 3 year old boy that’s almost always the comic relief, he can sweet talk me into just about anything and can throw an epic temper tantrum- sound familiar?
I don’t know first hand what it’s like growing up with a special needs sibling but watching my boys grow up together is nothing short of amazing. It’s incredible that a 3 year old can have such compassion for his older brother. Kam is constantly concerned about Brady. He asks me all the time, “is bubba ok?” or “does bubba need to go to the doctor?”. When Brady falls Kam is right there helping him up, he gives Brady bites of his food and talks for him when needed. Growing up with Brady has made him resilient, intuitive, empathetic and so much more. The best part about it is those qualities extend to other people. He holds doors at restaurants, smiles and waves at everyone anywhere we go and if he sees someone struggling he does his best to help.
As awesome as all of that is, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Kam has been injured due to Brady’s lack of impulse control, he spends way too much time in waiting rooms, his best friend can’t talk to him and in my opinion the worst one being the anxiety. He fears hospital stays because it really affects his life. Last time Brady was in the hospital was the most impactful. He was old enough to recognize something was really wrong. I was gone a lot, he couldn’t see Brady for almost two weeks (while in ICU) and he sensed the worry from everyone in the family. As you can imagine his world was turned upside down.
I do my best to ease his worries and make him feel special. Our daily schedule is packed with appointments for Brady so I like to take Kam on “dates” when it’s just us and he plays soccer one night a week. I’d love to hear your experience with raising typical children under the same roof as your special needs kiddos. How do you explain the differences between them in a way young children can understand? One of my biggest challenges currently is potty training Kam when his big brother still wears a diaper. Comment below or email me at beautifullyunexpected.hope@gmail.com.
A glimpse into their sweet little friendship..
