I remember being 16, applying for jobs, and for the first time ever, having to fill out paperwork. And I remember being annoyed. Really annoyed. I also remember the thought crossing my mind to ask my mom to do it for me, but since she was a good mom, and had taught me responsibility, I knew I had to do it on my own.
But I was still annoyed.
I feel much the same way now. Only instead of a couple of pages for a job application, I have mountains of paperwork for and from my children.
It's all consuming.
It's exhausting.
As I look back, I can see how it started. Job applications, marriage paperwork, wedding thank you notes, doctor's forms, insurance documents, baby check-ups, preschool evaluations...see the progression?
Being the mom of a neuro-typical child, I think paper work is a bit annoying, but that's where it ends. Being the mom of special needs children takes the paperwork to an entirely different level. Instead of a page to fill out for the doctor, it's stacks of forms and parent evaluations. Instead of a small school registration packet, it's IEP meetings and lists, and numerous pages to sign and date.
Add in the countless trips to doctors and therapists and pharmacies, and before you know it...you're a Grown Up.
Ugh.
And you kind of realize why your 16 year old self was so annoyed. It's like she realized that those job applications were just the beginning.
Shelley
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