As a parent of a 10 y.o. son with CP, I have witnessed both types of parents
with their special needs children. I have seen some parents get every
operation the doctor recommends for their children because they don't think
they should second guess a doctor if he /she says it will help. Fortunately,
I was blessed with two therapists who warned me about the consequences of
certain surgergies and when surgery became the last resort, the cpparent
listserv directed me to Dr. Nuzzo and the surgery was successful. I view this
as God's intervention as much praying was done in all decisions. And this
list serv has helped me see the issues all you faced and still face so I can
be a better parent to my child. Some parents have told me that they would
never use a handicapped tag, because they don't want their child to see
himself as disablied, some of these children fall every few steps. Although
my child doesn't fall, he does fatique out so I agree with the handicapped
parking tag and we have one. Other parents have given up on bikes, we have
learned to keep adapting our son's bike. By the way there are great side
wheels for bikes that hold any weight at www.fatwheels.com    My son just got
these and feels so stable that he is enjoying bike riding again. Some people
are suprised when I tell them my son has a w/c because he is so ambulatory
however I know he can't walk great distances and I want him to enjoy zoos,
museums, amusement parks with me.  I'm from the school that you're the first
to arrive and last to leave these events so I had to make this possible.
Other parents, including my own, think I should make my son walk every inch,
that I'm making him lazy and he needs exercise. I don't know: he enjoys the
chair when we use it several times a year, otherwise he walks. Now my husband
took awhile to accept our son's disabilities, perhaps 7-8 years, but he
agrees with all my decisions because we communicate what our goals, fears,
and objectives are. Everybody has different ideas and although I have
embraced the items and tools that make my son's life as well as my own life
easier, some may feel that's the easy path.  Cindy