Featured Blogger - Three Weddings

Posted by preciouschild

April 22, 2008 |

What is your name and where do you live?
Debbie Yost, I live in a Kansas suburb of Kansas City, Missouri.

Your website?

Three Weddings

Your kids’ names, ages, and disabilities?

Michalangelo (or MA), age 11
Diva, age 5
Peanut, age 3. Peanut has Down syndrome, she is currently non-verbal but we are confident that she will one day talk.

Do you blog about their issues? What do you personally get out of that?

Every Tuesday I write a weekly post about Down syndrome awareness. I enjoy sharing my knowledge about Down syndrome with others and learning what others have to teach me. There are many health concerns that can affect individuals with Down syndrome such as a heart defects. Peanut did not have this problem, but I have met several families who have had to deal with it. My hope is to educate others about Down syndrome so they will not shy away from individuals with Down syndrome, but accept them for the people they are and the contributions they have to give to the world.

In the rest of my daily posts I blog about my family. Although Down syndrome is an element of our family structure, it is not the driving force. I have two other daughters and it is important that they remain equals in the family dynamics. I do tend to blog more about my two youngest daughters, but as most parents realize, more interesting things happen with toddlers and young children.

What does a “typical” day consist of for you and your family?

All my girls are in school. Diva is in a.m. Kindergarten and Peanut is in morning preschool. Our mornings are typical to any other family. We get up and ready for school. MA and Diva walk to school and Peanut rides the bus. I run an in-home day care and care for 2 typically developing infants. I also watch a 3 year old girl with Down syndrome 2 days a week. Diva and Peanut get home from school before lunch and we spend a quiet afternoon with naps and afternoon snacks. Our family eats dinner together and we spend our evenings doing homework, playing and watching television. Peanut does not have many problems as a result of the Down syndrome and it does not affect our family life very much.

How have their disabilities affected the children specifically? And the family as a whole?

MA has always been a sensitive child, but she is more aware of others’ feelings as a result of her sister. In third grade she wrote a book about her sister in an effort to let other kids her age know what it was like to have a sister with Down syndrome. Diva was 2 when Peanut was born and she does not really understand what it means to have Down syndrome. She hears the word and knows Peanut has it, but Peanut is just her sister. There are many wonderful families in our community and we participate in lots of local functions put on by the Kansas City Down Syndrome Guild, including monthly meetings, the annual Buddy Walk, the Christmas Party and Easter Egg Hunt. The Guild does a fabulous job of including the siblings in these activities.

How have their disabilities affected you as a person and as a mother?

I used to shy away from the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Now I enjoy their company and love to visit with them. I have become an advocate for individuals with Down syndrome and speak to MA’s classmates about Peanut and Down syndrome. It has made me a better person.

What did you do right? What do you wish you had done differently?

I don’t really know how to answer this. I think we did what any family would do in a situation like this. We quickly came to terms with our daughter’s genetic defect and contacted others that could help us. We have continued our family life much as we did before. Although we recognize Down syndrome requires some additional attention we have not let it take over our life. We have welcomed this additional challenge in parenting and embraced its positives and tried to correct or improve the negatives.

What do you want other parents fighting the same fight to know?

I think the most important thing we did was get involved in a support group. One of the best pieces of advice we received was to forget the books and research and just love our child. Unless there are major medical problems, babies with Down syndrome are not much different than typical developing babies. Don’t go looking for trouble where there isn’t any. The other great piece of advice we received was to treat and discipline your child like you would any other child. You are not doing them any favors by making excuses for their behavior or letting them use Down syndrome as a crutch.

Anything you else you wish to share?

Our lives have been enriched in ways I never would have dreamed by our Peanut. She has taught us what is important in life. Sure, there are difficult and trying days, but as a whole, I am grateful to have been given Peanut and would not change a thing about her. (Except maybe to get her to say, “Mommyâ€.)

Thanks for doing this, Deb!

Comments

5 Comments so far

Senior and Adult Day Care » Blog Archive » Featured Blogger - Three Weddings on April 22, 2008 7:38 am
[...] preciouschild releases another great post on Featured Blogger - Three Weddings Check it out: [...]
Featured Blogger Three Weddings Weddings - Are The Topic on April 22, 2008 8:09 am
[...] preciouschild posted this article on home family weddings that is worth reading: Three Weddings. Your kids’ names, ages, and disabilities? Michalangelo (or MA), age 11 Diva, age 5 Peanut, age 3. Peanut has Down syndrome, she is currently non-verbal but we are confident that she will one day talk. … [...]
Shannon @ Gabi's World on April 23, 2008 12:39 am
Three Weddings is one of my favorite places to visit! So glad you featured her!
Debbie Yost on April 23, 2008 7:18 am
Thank you for the opportunity!
cerebral palsy babys on September 8, 2008 8:07 pm
cerebral palsy babys…

Stand up comic with cerebral palsy April 15th, 2008 Josh Blue is pretty damn funny! He doesn’ t“ suffer fromâ€; he kills! Check out his YouTube video here. Entry Filed under:…