Jaime is from Bay Village and has two children.

What do you do to relax?

Go for a walk, have some wine, take a hot shower.

What else would you like to tell us about yourself?

I’m a stay at home mom to a 20-month-old, a 5-year-old and 3 fur babies. I survive on coffee, wine and laughter.

What benefits has Connecting for Kids brought to you and your family?

CFK has given me a place where I feel understood and validated in my feelings and struggles. It’s so nice to read posts from other parents who have gone or are going through similar experiences as us. It’s also a great feeling to be able to help other parents who are struggling with something we might have dealt with ourselves.

Which have been your favorite Connecting for Kids resources?

The CFK events are great ways to interact and meet other families and gain knowledge. We haven’t been to many unfortunately due to our wild schedules, but we hope to attend more this year. We have found some great doctors for our son based on other parent’s recommendations. This has been huge for our family, we all know how hard it is to find a good doctor or specialist, and when you add in our son’s special needs it makes it even harder. Having parents to ask first has been beyond helpful.

The area where I have grown the most...

The area where I have grown the most is being confident in myself and my child. Looking back, I spent so much time skirting around his struggles, making excuses and brushing things off. It took me a long time to tell people outside of our close family and friends about his diagnosis. Even then it almost felt like it was someone else’s kid I was talking about. I’d stumble over the words and question if I was saying it the right way.

Two years later, I am very confident and comfortable talking about my son’s Autism, his therapies and his struggles. When I meet a new person it’s one of the first things I mention about my life, even though Autism doesn’t define him or our family, it is a big part of our life that affects daily decisions and routines.

What I worry about most…

What I worry about most is my son’s future. It feels so far away, but it also feels like it’s right here, dangling over my head. What will it look like? Will he ever live independently? Have a relationship? Or will he live with me forever? And then enter the fears of what will happen to him if something happens to me. It goes on and on and on.

We thought getting the diagnosis was the hard part, but looking back it was almost the easiest part of it all. We know he has Autism, we know it’s forever. But no one knows what that means. No one can tell us what is going to happen, or what we need to do to give him the best outcome. Everyone has ideas and opinions and knowledge for us, but when they start conflicting each other ... then what? We make choices as we go, based on our gut and what we think is best for our son.

The best thing about parenting a child who struggles is...

The best thing about parenting a child who struggles is what it has taught me about life and being a mom. To celebrate all the small things, and see the beauty in all of it. Things that would be easily overlooked by some, can stop me in my tracks and leave me staring in awe of my child. I appreciate every little hug, every kiss and every word spoken. Without his diagnosis I can’t say I would see things the same way I do now.

Do you have any recommended resources such as blogs, websites, or books that we can share?

Finding Cooper’s Voice and Carrie Cariello Exploring the Colorful World of Autism are two of my favorite bloggers. I highly recommend The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, PhD. to parents with kids who struggle with their emotions.