Comments on: With inclusion, All Kids Can

By: I’m A CVS Caremark All Kids Can Grant Winner! : Mom Knows It All. – New Jersey Mom blogger on family, product reviews, tech, games and more. I know EVERYTHING – just ask my hubby.

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:07:49 +0000

[...] I recently received some very exciting news. Back in March, TwitterMoms gave me a heads up on the CVS Caremark All Kids Can campaign. My youngest son has Down Syndrome. I thought it was perfect timing for a campaign like this and I wrote a post about the importance of inclusion. The title was “With Inclusion, All Kids Can“. [...]

By: valmg

valmg — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:43:23 +0000

@ Marya – He had to have an upper endoscopy. It’s a very tough diet, hard on him and hard on the wallet at times. Thanks for reading and commenting!

By: Marya

Marya — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:07:47 +0000

Great post How did you determine your son had celiac disease?

Maryas last blog post..Free Instant Download: St. Patrick’s Day Recipes and Ideas

By: Angie

Angie — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:01:55 +0000

Thank you for such a great post, and thank you for your comment on my “Mama Bear Gets Chatty” blog. I know that our acceptance of others, regardless of their differences, comes from parenting. Even if we didn’t learn it from our own parents, we can and MUST still teach it to our own children. I believe that the Lord allowed my son’s disabilities to happen, so that my son would have a wonderful testimony to share with others who might not “hear” the Gospel any other way.

God bless!
Angie

By: pat.

pat. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:40:08 +0000

This is an excellent piece pf writing–backed up by first hand research, reading, and experience. Many, many years ago in a word of black or white, even the public words like retarded used to describe special needs lwere harsh. Children were pplaced in institutions early on. The world did not often visibly see its trainales, its educables. And there the problem worsened.

Most people fear anything that is different. Why? I think because they do not understand it. Most people learn from what they see and experience. It makes babies grow. It is how they walk, talk, and in time mirror how they were nurtured. The community accepts only that which it is familiar. That is how evil men like Hitler couold enhiliate millions and millions. The victims of many holocausts were not only Jews.

It is important for special needs children to be a part of the world. Of course they take from the world at large. But they give so much too. Too many parents remain in denial hoping for things that may never happen. They must still take the child out into the world
so he or she can. It is something that should begin at birth and continue throughout life.

Being a couch potato may be both comfortable and safe; nevertheless, it is not the best for anyone.

By: valmg

valmg — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:38:14 +0000

@Stimey – Exactly. All children (and people) have value and can learn from each other. Yes special needs children can learn from typical children but the reverse also applies. So many people don’t see that. Thanks for reading and commenting.

By: valmg

valmg — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:36:03 +0000

@Kim – It’s great that you look at it that way. Thanks for reading and commenting.

By: kim/hormonecolored days

kim/hormonecolored days — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:55:32 +0000

For a while my boys attended a private school due to some academic concerns at our public school. They are now back in public school and I appreciate that they are exposed to and interact with a more diverse group of students than they did at the private school. kim/hormonecolored dayss last blog post..Marketing to Mommy Bloggers: No Child Left Behind

By: Stimey

Stimey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:37:32 +0000

This is a great post. I completely agree with you. I have an autistic son, and I think it is wonderful for my "typical" children to be around all kinds of diversity, including people with special needs. Stimeys last blog post..If You Take Quinn to a Playgroup...You Might Get Called an Anti-Semite

By: valmg

valmg — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:27:59 +0000

@mannequin – You understand my meaning exactly. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

By: mannequin

mannequin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:15:17 +0000

I don’t quite know what to say because reading your words, I felt your heart and I felt the hurt of a child being excluded. I just cannot fathom what an incredibly difficult feeling that must be for a child to have to deal with, with everyone around laughing and playing.
It’s such an important lesson to teach our kids and CVS, Twitter Moms and moms like you are doing a great service not just to challenged or special needs kids but to all kids.
It all comes quite natural for a child to look beyond any differences but they need to be taught how to approach those differences. I think that may be the hardest part for kids, not in the acceptance and celebration of differences, but in the approaching a child that they don’t want to make feel awkward. That’s where we come in as parents and role models.

They’re kids and they all may have different needs but they all need acceptance, opportunity, laughter, guidance and love.
That’s quite a thought provoking post; thank you.

mannequins last blog post..Twisted Little Sneak Peeks, Edition 1