Adapting and growing: the first half term for our gentle girl

Hermione has completed her first half term at big school! 🥳

So very proud of our gentle girl ❤️ 🌺.

We've had a bit of illness and a fair few appointments thrown into the mix: this week alone we've had two trips to the paediatric nurse and one to audiology.

We were glad to be referred to the paediatric nurse who carried out some play therapy with Hermione to try to ease her into having her throat examined.

Although her ears were checked by the GP, she would not allow the GP to see her throat.

Hermione runs a mile when she sees anyone coming towards her with an implement, and so any kind of examination is a challenge.

The nurse was brilliant and built up a positive relationship with Hermione through kindness, humour and fun.

For the first time ever, Hermione was much more relaxed in the waiting room: she read her books and did good waiting.

Time is such a key thing for Hermione. It's such a careful process to help her have the necessary examinations or medicines to keep her well.

I am always on hyper-alert in the waiting rooms: like some sort of ninja-mum poised with books, snacks and fluorescent stretchy worms ready to distract at any given moment.

I have tunnel vision and don't really see anything else going on around me.

But I will continue being ninja-mum if it means Hermione is as relaxed as she can be in these sorts of situations.

I realise how much I've had to adapt too.

And adaptation is definitely a key theme to this half term: new school, new routines, new key staff and a whole new experience.

We've been so super lucky to have such amazing, kind, perceptive staff working with Hermione and also to help me with the transition and all my worries!

Here's to the next half term and to all the great people: nurses, teachers, TAs, key SEN staff, and of course, her new little classmates, who have made Hermione's first half term a successful one 🥰

#downsyndromeawarenessmonth #newroutine #inclusion #schoollife