This is Ryder – A Mom “Doing her Best”

Ryder’s Mom, Andrea, wrote the following.  She is “giving a voice” and a perspective for many Moms and their children.  Thank you for sharing this Andrea and for giving your “Best of All” for Ryder!

“This is Ryder. He’s 3 and a half. I know he’s small and you would never know. Which is why I wanted to give a little information which will all pertain to him but also counts for every child with Down syndrome and others.”

“Ryder has a 7 year old brother. He has wanted to do everything his brother does since day one. Just like most boys they are rough with each other. They fight, they laugh and they wrestle while I sometimes need to step in or step back watching the fun and hoping no one gets hurt. Sounds familiar to most of you I’m sure.”

“Additionally, I take my kids lots of places to play. From playground equipment to big bounce houses or trampoline parks and they love it! I often come across concerned parents. Some just move their kid away and say “we don’t want to hurt the baby so let’s move.” Some talk to other parents not realizing I’m right there and say “that little child shouldn’t be in there. He could get hurt.” And some take the time to come over to me and say “He’s not doing that right.” or “He’s pushing his face against the mesh. (Btw yes he was and he thought that funny face was hysterical)”. None of this is ever done to be rude and I certainly don’t take it that way.”

“However, it brings me to my point. My son is 3 and a half. He wants to do everything the other kids are doing. Some he has mastered, others he still does wrong but this is how he learns. I’m always right there and I know he could get hurt but so could my 7 year old. Mostly I’m right there to make sure he doesn’t hurt someone else’s child. Lord knows he’s coming into his own and has learned to not back down to his brother so he could possibly do the same to someone elses kid 🙈. I can’t hold him back, my job is to push him forward. My job is to help him be independent; To master all the things he wants to do. This little guy has worked hard in therapy since he was 2 months old. He beat cancer before he turned 1. If there’s one thing he has shown me it’s for sure that his ability is limitless.”

“So, if you want to remove your kids that is totally ok. But please know our eyes can fool us. That little kid has a big soul inside him. His body might be small but his mind is big. His Mom is close and her heart is beating a million miles a minute for so many reasons. Can he do it? What if he does get hurt? What if he doesn’t use kind hands? Omg will people stare if I start jumping for joy because he just NAILED it?!? He’s different. I know he’s different. I’m just here on the other side of parenting doing my best to raise him to be independent and contribute to society. So if you see us while we are out at many of these different places feel free to say hi and maybe even jump with me. Or don’t, that’s ok too but just trust I’m watching and I know him best. We are all just Mom’s trying to do best by our kids.”

Submitted by:

Ryder’s Mom Andrea

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4 Comments

  1. Deb Curry on April 23, 2019 at 11:34 am

    An awesome post. Thank you for putting into words what many Moms/Dads/Grandparents think. Your well written words kindly help guide others who are unsure what is happening and if they have reason for extra concern.

  2. Diane Hart on April 23, 2019 at 12:19 pm

    FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

  3. Marilyn on April 23, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    That’s great Andrea! I’m so proud of Ryder! He’s doing great, thanks to his parents and big brother!!!

  4. Cindy Marie on April 29, 2019 at 9:17 pm

    Thank you, Ryder’s mom, for sharing all his Best of All moments that are smashing many goals while embracing new goals daily! His “I can do this attitude” comes from your knowledge of knowing when to step in and when to step back and witness Ryder doing it his way, in his own time. Andrea, as I know you now, you are a role model and inspiration to so many friends, mothers, and all people on the is Earth that you interact with daily! Thank you for sharing your journey thus far!

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