health – Challenging Parenting Perceptions

Hair Got Dyed Last Week

Posted on 25th Feb 2019 by parentingwithaddedchallenges

For the past 3ish years my hair has been various blues, purples n pinks but last week I got bored.

Chris kindly had a few spare spoons so bleached my hair then added a mix of the shades Fire and Tangerine by a company called Directions once the bleach was out n the result is incredible

So bright n vibrant

Here is a photo

Well ok it is a collage of different views of my hair.

We deliberately avoided my roots as scalp still recovering from the burns it suffered just before Christmas (2018) from a salon in the city centre who still wont respond to my complaint n have blocked me on Facebook n ignore my phone calls with excuse after excuse why the manager can’t take my call yet had no qualms when inflicting said issues to me pre Xmas time.

I will try them again this week n if again they fail to respond il once more try hold them to account online n if that fails once Iv regained some spoons go in in person n rip them a new one in person!

In the meantime Chris is my safe human n wish he knew just how safe even at nearly 5am he enables me to feel; knowing he cares unconditionally is worth far more than I can express and explain in this blog n as he said a few hours ago “we are a team n will get through what life throws at us as a team”

New Hair – Self Care

Posted on 20th Dec 201820th Dec 2018 by parentingwithaddedchallenges

An easy way those closest to me can generally work out how my head is to check how recently I have had my hair dyed.

Iv been partial to pinks, purples and blues for a couple of years now. Admittedly generally done at home but heyho.

As my hair also needed a cut and undercut reshaved I opted to go to a barbers in town.

Far too many spoons involved and exhausted now as one bod cut my hair, one dyed it, one washed it, another my undercut but after arriving at 9:30am I finally left at 14:10!

Here is a montage of images of different views of said new dye job and restyle on my undercut

Lots of vivid colour and I am in utter love with my undercuts pattern.

Self care is sometimes exhausting and today is one of those days. Once the self care blues so to speak pass I will be able to enjoy my hair and the comments it will gain.

Internalised Ableism

Posted on 14th Dec 2018 by parentingwithaddedchallenges

Ableism, that thing that as disabled people we seem to only ever think we will experienced from the abled world, when sometimes as I have recently come to realise and accept as a disabled person I too am ableist, but to myself not others.

Perhaps I should expand: I have lived experience of sight loss to point of being registered blind, I lived experience of Mental Illness (predominantly manifesting itself as Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD) BiPolar Disorder, and physically I battle Fibromialgia, Eythromialgia and ME. For the most part the mental side of things had been stable for just over 13 years until earlier this year

Then throw into the mix I am a solo parent, solo parent of a fierce and independent, headstrong, taking no prisoners soon to be 6 year old,, and the reasoning behind the internalised ableism may begin to get a little clearer? For I have always said to her “you can do anything in this world you set your mind to provided it is within your physical limitations” but yet at the same time mindful their is a lot she does that the majority of small humans her age have no experience let alone comprehension on how to tackle.

A long discussion with a friend whom faces similar physical health battles and him urging me to have my small formally registered as a young carer for all she does now, but will continue to do if not more so as she gets older, and all the additional support she DESERVES from a multitude of places including school and social services.

So I contacted social services, met with a wonderful social worker, admitted just how much Jemima actually does and how whilst on one hand you could say she is a small human and it is their nature to want to help their big, but on the other she does do far more than is expected.

if truth be told I was too frightened to admit to myself just how bad my worse days are and just what a blessing she is with all she does. Probably cos at the back of my mind I am aware there are many disabled people whom are limited far more than I am by their disabilit/ies and I feel guilty taking a service they or those whom care for them could and should benefit from.