What is it like to raise a child with #specialneeds (PART 4)

Anxiety is a part of our daily lives. 

He worries constantly. To the extent of distress. 
I may receive 5-6 calls when I am gone longer than expected. 

One night I found him sleeping on one corner of the bed – “What if the fan falls on me! And the AC is on top of me on the other end.” We pushed the beds around till it seemed safe.

Another night, as he lay next to me, he wondered, #whatif the building fell. How do we evacuate? If I didn’t know better, I would laugh it off. 
For him, it’s real. It’s possible. 
We went through a plan together. Rush out and call Xia. If she doesn’t come, you leave. Dad will get her. I’ll carry Zach. 

What if you don’t make it – we went into every detail. Phone numbers. Where to go. What about money?

Seems silly. IT IS NOT. 

About 40 percent of kids with #adhd (according to one long-term study) struggle with #depression. A 2010 study found that teens diagnosed at a young age with ADHD were twice as likely to attempt suicide than peers who did not have ADHD. #verbalintelligence, in particular, is a positive predictor of worry and rumination, being predictive of severity of anxiety(47%) and #mooddisorders (38%).

We could say, “stop being silly” and let it pass.

Just that it won’t really pass.
It will sit somewhere and grow in their brain till it’s too big for us to resolve. 

It’s important we know.
We do whatever we can to acknowledge our kids #fears
Honest answers. 
Furniture that can shift for them. 

So when we turn around sometimes and tell them, you don’t need to worry about it – they can trust us.