Half Term Blues and National Volunteering Week

Well here I am and so far survived 6 whole days of half term!!!! Its been very up and down here and quite a struggle but were all still here and alive so that is something to be thankful for, a little worse for wear and you could do dot-to-dot on my bruises but hey bruises fade and in a few weeks I will be having a nice break while hes at school bracing myself for the six week holiday!!! Anyway I will update more about half term when we have survived the full nine days!!

This week is National Volunteering week so I thought I would share a bit on my views of that. Over the years most of the help we have recieved for Ben has been paid for by the government/system such a speech therapy etc. There isnt much in the way of voluntary help that we could get to help us with our struggles with Ben however we did have some help from Homestart with a lovely volunteer called Mary who helped with Ben for an hour or two once a week which was a huge help as at the time Ben was at home all the time as it was before he started nursery and Andy was working so from 6 in the morning until 4/5 at night it was just me and Ben. During that time Ben had no language, was very destructive and only sleeping around 4-6 hours a night. Homestart and Mary were truely a life saver, by having her come weekly it meant I could have an adult to speak to and play with Ben while I put the washing out or tidied up the latest mess created by my little whirlwind!! If anyone reading has not heard of homestart and could spare a few hours a week to help a family it truely is very worthwhile. I hope that one day I can give back and volunteer for them.

We have also had some help from volunteers in the way of little (or not so little) bits of help we have had from places like the National Autistic Society, IPSEA and SOSSEN who offer advice lines and support with education problems. I know nothing of these people and why they volunteer, I do not even know their names but at times those little bits of help and advice have just made a huge difference.

So for National Volunteering Week I want to just say everyone can volunteer to help someone and it doesnt take a saint or someone with lots of spare time to volunteer, every little helps as they say. You are probably reading my blog because you either know me or are interested to know how we cope with such a violent child who requires such supervision and support every day and wonder how I even have time to think about volunteering for anything but you know what I do. I dont do anything too spectacular and it doesnt take much time but I want to give my bit back to society and help people where I can.

I volunteer with postpals charity (www.postpals.co.uk) and send cards, letters and small gifts to seriously and terminally ill children and their siblings to make them smile. Although I find this very hard at times I know that my few words can help brighten up the day of a child who really needs it. It may sound selfish but sometimes I do it because it is a way to take my mind off the life we have at home and the tears I cry for my son and the life he hast got that I wish he did. I know he is not terminally ill and doesnt have the illnesses these children do but in my eyes his life isnt normal and never will be, just for different reasons. Sometimes it is just nice to know other people struggle too. I know that sounds selfish and maybe people will think less of me for saying it but I started out this blog with the intention of being as honest as I can and I intend on carrying on being as truthful as possible. I am the coordinator of the postpals monthly projects scheme and assign volunteers to buy a small gift for a set child each month with the aim of getting all the postpals children assigned to recieve a gift every month within that months theme. Sometimes after a stressful day its the last thing I want to do and I sometimes have days off where I shut myself away and dont do a thing for postpals but then I pick myself up and carry on because I want to do every bit I can for these children in a way I hope if Ben needed it other people would for Ben.

Could you volunteer and help someone somewhere?? If I can be doing ti doing my hectic half term with Ben which I am sure I will be able to write more about in my next blog, then so can you!!

Finally, only 3 more days of half term and I have survived so far, a little worse for wear but still hear and still battling!!! I can survive and I will survive!!

Smile and everyone smiles with you, keep smiling!