Who would have thought…?

It has been said that, it is emotions that enhance our memories. We can actually say that our emotions are like highlighters that emphasize certain aspects of our experiences to make them memorable. Based on this this premise, I would dare say that we have all had a very memorable year. 2020 is the year that most of us will never forget for various individual and collective reasons, for a very long time to come.

Who would have thought that a phenomenal year as this, ushering us into a new decade, filled with great hope, promises and possibilities will be known for the notoriety of the novel Corona virus global pandemic? A year that did not only shut the whole world down but changed what we thought we knew about life!

Who would have thought that this is the year that we will be distanced socially and physically but brought ever so closer digitally? A year when working, schooling, dating, partying, among other things, could be done successfully and sustainably online? Who would have thought seven years ago, that my KEY would transition from class one to class two online? Who would have thought that he would be taking his dancing classes online, and doing such a great job at it too?

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This, of course, was new to most parents and their wards but, hey, as human beings, our capacity to adapt is one of our strengths. If you are a parent of a child with additional educational needs like my son, this was a task for teachers, parents and students. Kofi has control of the laptop from Monday to Friday for his school work and then Saturdays for his dance classes. Let’s just say, I discovered strengths of this little man that I would otherwise not have. At this point, one of the things I discovered about my son and share with others, as parents of children with special needs, let’s not lower our expectations for our kids because they are so capable of so much more than we give them credit for!

Who would have thought that the consistency built in teaching appropriate behaviors to my KEY, would come in handy in the face of a global pandemic? Obesity, hypertension, diabetes, continuous respiratory infections among others are all risk factors for COVID-19 infection. Most persons with Down syndrome tend to struggle with all these conditions hence making their risk of getting infected with COVID-19, very high.

Persons with Down syndrome also tend to have lower immune function, hence handwashing is one key behavior I started teaching my KEY very early in his life. We have been very consistent with it and at the appropriate times too. So when we found out that one of the safety protocols for COVID-19, is handwashing, it was so easy for him to adhere to. We have struggled with weight gain over the years so, portion size control is something we have worked and continue to work on, so much so that, it is almost visual now – using smaller plates and bowls for his food so that when he looks at it, it appears enough. We even use colored plates to control portion size too.

Who would have thought that all of these would come in handy in a lockdown situation with minimized physical activity and an apparent increased appetite for food (was it just me or kids ate a lot during the lockdown? It appeared as if eating became an activity to fill the time with! LOL), to help manage the weight of an individual who seems to put on weight easily but difficult to shed? Another everyday habit that came to our rescue is having ‘open communication’ with my KEY. What I mean by this is, I’m not a believer of lying to kids or deceiving them. So, if I have to go anywhere without him, we talk about it ‘Kofi, mommy is going to XYZ…alone’. At such times, once we have an understanding, when I’m ready to go, we wave, hug or kiss good bye and off I go without a fuss. This enabled me/us to control our outings in this COVID-19 era, as much as possible to minimize our exposure. This is especially important for me because even common colds can get this little man hospitalized, plus, he also suffers from severe obstructive sleep apnea – this is a respiratory condition, making his risk high.

Persons with Down syndrome have the tendency to imitate and repeat behaviors that leads almost to what some may call ‘ritualization’. The saying, ‘watch and learn’ is so true and you can’t underestimate the power you have as an adult to teach appropriate behavior around them. As a parent, there have been moments that I wondered whether I was doing the right thing with and for this chap and I guess 2020 proved to me that, I am. In fact he is the face mask police of the family – you can’t step out of home without him reminding everyone about the nose mask. I am grateful for all that 2020 brought our way.

As we end the year, I want you to pat yourself on the back for being resilient through it all. In 2021, may we have enough love to share, great health to spare and friends who truly care.

Happy new year and please, share your ‘who would have thought’ moments of 2020 with me in the comments.