Lake Compounce

As special needs parents, sometimes we worry about the big day trip, especially if another family is involved. What if he has a meltdown? What if he won’t do what the other kids want to do? What if he is rigid and won’t vary his plan? What if there is nothing he will eat?

Instead of letting these worries stop me, I take them into account. First, we picked a family that knew us well and got along well with my kiddos. The mom was a person who ‘got it.’ We spent tons of time together and they were our go-to family for day trips.

Two moms meant we could divide and conquer if there was any ride that was too scary for Michael (or me for that matter). Will could go on the upside-down roller coasters with anyone in their family who wanted to go and anyone who didn’t could stay with me and Mikey. Two moms also meant my friend K could supervise the other kids if Mikey had a hard time, which he rarely did since he loved his buddies and all the lights and sounds of the amusement park.

I brought my own food and stuff that Mikey could play with sitting at a picnic table if all else failed. After all, fail to plan, plan to fail. Plan and pack and you won’t need half the stuff you lugged around the park all day. Such is the life of a special needs mom. It’s not easy, but there’s so much fun to be had out there in the big wide world. Give it a try!