A (sort of) Love Letter

Dear Difficult Parent,

I’ll admit your number shows up on my cell phone and I pause a moment and take a breath before I pick up.  I catch sight of you down the hallway and briefly consider ducking down another before I greet you.

Your child is adorable and fascinating—as are all “my” children—but your high maintenance personality can wear me out.

And yet…

Your constant questioning requires me to consider every task I introduce and every method I do and do not employ.

The passing on of links and articles ensures I stay up-to-date and has me seeking out more training and research.

Explaining our goals and treatment techniques without jargon, in succinct everyday terms, has improved my communication.

Your insistence in buying every last toy/app  your child finds interesting in treatment has forced me to be endlessly creative in keeping sessions fresh and entertaining.

The palpable worry and exhaustion you so often show, reminds me there is a world outside of our speech room and a child is just one component of a family unit.

Sincerely,

Your Speech-Language Pathologist

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Latrice

    You couldn’t have said it any better!

  2. JAS

    Thanks for this reminder and reframing!

  3. LM

    As an SLP in training and veteran difficult parent, I appreciate your post from both sides of the therapy table!

    1. admin

      Good luck to you! Stay difficult 🙂 Kim

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The views expressed in this blog are my own and are intended to inspire other speech-language pathologists in their own practice. If you are a parent, teacher or other educator, these ideas are not intended to take the place of treatment by a certified clinician. Read full disclaimer here.