Rose’s dad and I have been parenting two children for almost 35 years. We have mostly agreed on the proper way to parent Rose’s older brother. We do not see eye-to-eye when parenting Rose.
Rose’s dad is very protective of her. Not just because of her epilepsy, but because she is female. I want Rose to be a strong woman regardless of her condition. I do not want her babied and enabled. She needs to carry her own weight, seizures and all. Our family has to pause and discuss this over and over.
This past weekend we went on a trip. When it came time to clean up and pack, Rose retreated to her room. I had to insist that she help in preparations for our leaving instead of “staying out of the way” while we did all the work.
I am tired of feeling like the bad guy because I refuse to let her be slack and not do her share. Who will pull her weight when her dad and I are too old or sick to do it. I do not intend to leave a spoiled slacker to the care of her brother. We have created this problem and we need to fix it.
If Rose can do cooking and cleaning then she should do these chores. She needs to be as independent as possible. She needs to get in the habit of taking care of herself and her surroundings.
Her dad and I are not getting any younger. I am frustrated by our different expectations of her responsibilities, especially since I am the person who is with her most of the time.
She is a Daddy’s Girl. He is much kinder than I am. I am usually too tired to be sweet.Thirty two years of almost constant parenting has left me weary.
I hope this new drug combo keeps improving Rose’s seizure control and energy level. It will be a relief when she can drive again.
Bad, Tired Seizure Mama
Seizure Mama and Rose 