Having a child with a special need is taxing and can have a tremendous impact on one’s family. There is no question that the additional effort and uncertainty associated with caring for a child with special needs increases the stress level of everyone in the family. As adults, we generally have better coping skills on how to navigate and deal with the extra stress. But we can’t forget the siblings of the child who has special needs. Their family life is naturally different than that of their peers but my hope is that it enables these kids to have more patience and empathy, and in generally makes them stronger. I recently asked Kelcie to express what it is like to have a sister with special needs. This is what she wrote:
Hello! I’m Kelcie, the older sister of Kayla. I have lived with Kayla for about 7 ½ years of my life, and it has been quite the journey. Living with Kayla has been a long adventure for me and I am looking forward for the years to come. Though having Kayla as my sister can be fun, there have been many times where I struggle with it.
Kayla’s disability renders her unable to tag along with me whenever I am playing outside or playing a sport. It is difficult because we both want to play with each other, but Kayla can’t keep up with the things I like to do. Another problem I know my whole family struggles with is Kayla’s breakdowns. Kayla gets extremely exhausted really easily, which means temper tantrums. If she is tired and gets upset, she will start to melt down and cry. This makes it hard on everybody in our family, because it takes her a while to cool down. Sometimes her tantrums can include throwing things at myself or my mom.
Though it can be tough to live with her, Kayla has given my life such a different experience. I have become increasingly more patient and I have learned so much more about children with disabilities. I have continuously been learning more and more as I grow with Kayla and I am very excited to spend the rest of my life with her.