We’ve had back-to-back doctor’s appointments for my kids the last 2 days, and Mitzi is always so happy to go with me. We call ourselves The Mom Squad when she’s helping me with my boys. The added bonus is that she always gets extra hugs!
I try hard to make sure she feels included by asking her opinion of things that doctors say or asking for her advice about what something was like when her kids went through it. I cherish the memory of her there holding my hand and praying after I got the phone call last year that my oldest son had an accident at school and had to go to the ER.
I truly think she genuinely appreciates that I ask for her wisdom and ideas. Alzheimer’s can make you doubt every syllable that comes out of your mouth because your brain just fails you so often. Truthfully, even if she gets confused on what the issue is or what she says isn’t applicable, I try to find something useful in her words to thank her for sharing. When she and I first started hanging out, she was so worried about saying the wrong thing that she would have this habit of yawning before she’d answer. Like it would give her a little extra time to form her answer and get her vocabulary set up right. Now, after a year and a half of validating her (words of praise are SOOOO much more effective than words of correction), she never does the yawning thing anymore. I’m so grateful for that confidence…because she does come out with some really helpful advice much of the time. And it’s so nice to have a Mom Squad Expert on hand to help me navigate the choppy waters of Parenting!
