Dear Mama,
I see you crying because the doctor told you your son is behind on some of his milestones. I see you feeling like a failure because he can’t trace or even hold a pair of scissors. I see your frustration and hopelessness as your 5 year old goes to the bathroom in his underwear, again, for the 3rd time that day. I see you trying everything you can think of to help him and nothing working. I see you because I was you. Milestone delays are hard to deal with. They make you feel like a failure and a bad parent. But Mama, I need you to listen to me. You are amazing. You are enough. Look at you trying to find the help your child needs! Look at you talking to doctors, to teachers, and to therapists who are trained in helping children reach these goals. Look at you loving your child enough to find answers. Look at you never giving up on him. Admitting you need help doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you strong and helps you learn. It helps your child learn that they can ask for help when they feel like life is out of control. Mama, I need you to look in the mirror, take a deep breath, and tell yourself you are amazing. That you are enough. Then get out there and kick butt. You got this.