An alleviating chin-wag in a judgement free zone for those who “get it”. That “it” is largely unseen to the public, it’s the burden that caregivers of disabled, neurodivergent or health-impaired children of all ages contend with - including lack of sleep and advocating for them to succeed in school and other spaces.
Parent to Parent has soothed Nelson and Golden Bay caregivers in these situations since 1989 by, like many other support groups, bringing together people in the same boat for support and sharing ideas to benefit.
The organisation does this through monthly sessions, a twice monthly parent support group at a cafe, and an online portal.
Regional coordinator Sarah McLarin says many parents feel empowered by both the information and the chance to connect.
“People are really appreciative of it being a very professional service, and that it's free, and I think they're surprised by how comprehensive some of the information they get back is,” Sarah says.
“Sometimes you can go around in a lot of circles with agencies, and having a personal approach is really appreciated.
“It's always satisfying when parents can meet at a support group and they realise that their children have similar support needs, and then they can become friends outside of the support group, and it actually benefits the children as well.”
Sarah says the support also extends to parents whose children’s conditions are still developing, as well as siblings.
“Sometimes if your sibling has an illness or a disability, that might take the attention consistently away from you,” she says.
“Seeing children who have a sibling with a disability interact with each other, and seeing them realise that there's other people out there who have a similar life experience, that's really good.”
For upcoming events visit parent2parent.org.nz/events or email SarahMcLarin@parent2parent.org.nz for more information.
