Parenting is unique in that our children grow up at different times in our lives. And although our relationship is still with them, they, too, shape our families by our appearance. Our children’s shifting hair, skin tone, and facial features—and how we, ourselves, react to them as those changes happen—affects our moods, self-esteem, and our abilities to parent. And our families find ways to cope with the new, changing experiences in our adult relationships with our children, however different they may seem from how we grew up.
I want to explore how some people with disabilities understand the unique challenges our children face. What is your relationship like when you watch a daughter or son grow up and your identity changes? And how do people do it differently?
The Post wants to hear about how you and your child cope with a changing-person experience. Are there situations in which you do it differently than you would with an adult child? Would you be able to open up about how you reacted differently or your answers in a phone interview, email, or personal blog?
Tell us your story and we’ll feature it on www.washingtonpost.com, our email newsletter and our personal blog. Let us know that your story lives on in some way by entering our 2019 Under the Radar Survey. Tell us, “Thanks for sharing your story, Rose.”
The information in the story will be kept confidential. Only the Washington Post will publish this feature.