Other parents tried to tell me. Now I know. The process of filing for guardianship for your child is...hard.
Emotionally hard.
I'm not exactly sure why. I think it is because when teenagers without cognitive disabilities turn 18...it is a momentous occasion. It is a time when they are considered an adult. Parents let go a little more...if not completely. Eighteen equals freedom. More freedom for the 18 year old and also more freedom for his parents.
Kellen turns 18 in January. Filling out the guardianship paperwork feels like we are somehow going backwards. This is making it formal and official that our son legally needs someone to watch out for his best interests at all times. He is not able to do this for himself. Along with a "love" tie...we now will also have a legal tie. Instead of "parents" we will be "guardians".
Ouch
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4 comments:
That sounds really hard. But it's just a piece of paper that the court needs to let you do what you already do for love. You know who you are and you will be a respectful guardian to the son who knows you too!It's a can of worms, like the special needs trust. Tricky business!
I never thought of that.
So not only am I mummy, and 'carer' I will be 'guardian' too?
Yes it is ouch.
I agree the ouch is real. When I feel that ouch big time
I try to look at some positive things .... like
it is good to be "young" and have extended family and
have some advocacy spunk and a big mouth to complain and a sense of humor( I still have a sense of humor I think) and to realize that that while
it seems my life is skewed
there are actually lots of us out here
being our adult children's guardians.
Just not what we expected! Anne
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