When we think about challenges, happy is often not a word we would use with it. Challenges usually stretch us, we might be happy at the end when we’ve gotten through it, but to be happy while in the challenge is difficult. Raising a child with Down syndrome definitely comes with it’s challenges but some of these challenges are challenges that ALL parents face. Whenever we face these types of challenges, it’s always a reminder that Hope really is just like every other child. We may face the challenges a little later, or a little differently, but essentially they are the same.

Take bed time for example. Lately bed time has been a HUUUUUGE challenge for us with Hope. We put her to bed, give her a kiss goodnight, say I love you, make sure she is tucked in nicely, give her a doll to cudde and walk out the door. 2 mins later, as we sit in the lounge room settling down to relax, we hear little footsteps coming towards the room. Sure enough, Hope appears around the corner shortly after with a big smile on her face. So we send her back to bed, tuck her in, give her a kiss, say I love you, give her a doll to cuddle and walk back out to the lounge room. It takes less than 3 minutes before we see her little self coming around the corner, once again.

This happens, over and over again, causing Ben and I to be quite frustrated. After a few times, Ben will often stand in the bedroom door way and tell her to get back into bed as soon as she starts to climb out. Sometimes, there’s tears because she really doesn’t like being told off, but other times, there’s just giggles. She thinks it is hilarious and it becomes a game just adding to the challenge.

We went through a similar phase with both Lincoln & Alexander, as I said, it’s a challenge that many parents face. However, the fact that it reminds us how alike Hope is to all the other kids isn’t the only thing that makes us happy. It is the fact that it’s also a reminder about how far she has come. A year ago, Hope wasn’t able to get out of her own bed safely, now she’s getting out and walking herself through the house without problem. She’s showing a growing personality, which also brings a smile to our face. So as frustrating as it is to have to put her to bed multiple times every night, and no idea how long this phase will continue, I’m happy to have this challenge and I look forward to more as I know there’s going to be plenty more challenges, like this, to come