Coping with cerebral palsy
Coping with cerebral palsy is a challenge in a family. One way of coping with cerebral palsy is showing affection to the child with CP. A child with disabilities needs love just like any other child. A child with disabilities should be loved by his/her sisters.
Children with disabilities should be loved by brothers.
Children should be given love and should not be frightened of the parents. In our setting, there are several ways of frightening a child. Sometimes children are beaten or food is denied just because a child has “misbehaved”. This impacts negatively on a child. I have heard of some parents who have been nicknamed after some dictators because of their behaviour towards children. I have heard nick names such as Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, Iron Lady and Joseph Stalin. The parents are nicknamed because of their dictatorial tendencies in the home. These parents prescribe what is right or wrong for the children without the participation of the children in decision making. In a home, we need some form of democracy just like in the community at large. In a democratic set up, the head of household is able to invite family members to share ideas and to bring out talents of every individual member of the family. When there is democracy in a home there is respect for others, freedom of speech and respect for other peoples’ opinions. As parents we have encouraged positive feedback on our children. When the children are wrong, we explain to them in calm manner that what they have done is wrong and encourage them to do the correct things. My wife and I, we agree together when giving punishment or giving permission to our children. As parents we have helped our children to identify their talents and we are helping them to nurture these gifts.
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