Being a parent comes with a lot of challenges, but no matter what, you do everything you can to make sure your child is happy and healthy. You can’t control everything, whether it’s your kid not getting on with another child in their class which makes them upset, or as they transition into their teenage years and decide to rebel against you. These are fairly normal experiences for parents, but there are other circumstances you might have to face that are more complicated and harder to navigate. If your child is diagnosed with a condition like cerebral palsy, it can be overwhelming. While your child can still have a perfectly happy and healthy life, they will have more challenges to overcome than a child who does not have the condition. If your child has recently been diagnosed, below are some tips on how you can support them as a parent.

Keep Them Active

Cerebral palsy affects a person’s mobility, coordination, and sometimes it can also impact their speech. Your child will have to take part in regular physical therapy sessions to keep their muscles strong and healthy, but this can be uncomfortable or painful at times, which can put them off taking part in these exercises. While this might be difficult to witness as a parent, you must encourage your child to continue with their therapy both during their sessions with a physiotherapist and at home with you. You should also encourage them to take part in activities they enjoy recreationally and to get them out of the house as much as possible.

Stay Positive

A lot of people with cerebral palsy might go through periods of depression because of their condition. Having limited mobility and/or struggling to communicate can be frustrating, and sometimes it might feel pointless to try. Depression is something that everyone experiences at one time or another in life, but try to help your child remain positive about their future and seeing all the good things they have to be happy about.

Counselling

While it’s easy to say remain positive, the truth is you will feel overwhelmed at times as a parent, and you must get the right support so you can help your child. If you are struggling under the pressure of caring for a child with cerebral palsy, talk to a professional counsellor or join a parent’s support group to vent your frustrations and ask for advice. You might even want to consider getting a counselolr for your child if they are struggling with depression themselves.

Legal Advice

Cerebral palsy might be caused by an infection that the mother had while she was pregnant, but it might have developed due to an injury during your pregnancy or childbirth. If you have experienced the latter, you might be entitled to compensation if you can prove that the injury before, during, or after the birth was avoidable. If you can prove this, the compensation could help you cover the extensive costs of meeting your child’s complex needs – from specialist equipment to a range of therapies, care and home adaptations to give them the quality of life that they deserve. Find cerebral palsy solicitors whose expertise in birth injury could help you identify if you have a claim and win your case in court.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, use these tips to help you support them as a parent and carer.