National Carers Week

This week is National Carers Week in Australia. It's a full moon, I'm feeling punchy, and I thought these were some fun facts worth sharing: 

-There are over 2.8 million Carers in Australia.

-They provide 36 million hours of UNPAID care and support every week. 

-The value of that unpaid care is $1.1 billion per WEEK.

-The maximum Carer payment of $797.90 per fortnight works out at just under $2.40/hr for a 24/7 job. 

So please, share your memes about people bludging off your tax dollar. "I didn't mean you.". Perhaps not, but you meant thousands of people just like me.

"Like" posts saying we should all have a cashless welfare card because we have no right to manage "taxpayer" money. 

Ignore our pleas for meaningful supports when you deliver an NDIS plan. Slam those who dare appeal or complain for being "greedy and ungrateful" or for "rorting the system".

Boast that children with disabilities access mainstream schools, then consider 15-20 minutes a few times a week adequate support. 

Force families to prove over and over again that their severely disabled adult son or daughter isn't capable of working. Just for fun, suspend their payments if they can't provide the evidence you need within 2 weeks.

We don't want thanks. We don't want pity. We DO want respect- for those we love and care for, and for ourselves. Most of us would do it all again in a heartbeat. 

It's not our caring load that destroys us. It's a system and a society that treats our loved ones and what we do for them as less-than. 

Happy Carers Week.

World Teachers Day

Facebook tells me today was World Teachers Day. Ours' are so great they got 2 weeks off to celebrate! 😜

In all seriousness though, I've watched my boy grow and thrive under the teaching of some of the most skilled, compassionate and creative people I've ever met. 

I'm no teacher, and I'm always fascinated at the methods used, to help him towards what they know he's capable of. The amount of thought, knowledge and planning that goes into a single lesson is mind boggling, and I know they never switch off- they're always thinking of their students, they genuinely care about our families, and they're always striving to learn and develop themselves too.

I've seen my Bubbly One go from an anxious little boy who was so very aware of his limitations that he'd run and hide when something new was presented, to a boy who loves to learn, has real friends, and who is comfortable in his own skin. A boy who is reading, and typing- and who argues with me on his device like the 8 year old he is!

A few years back all I wanted was my boy to be happy and safe, but these amazing people knew he was capable of so much more, and they've taught me that too, along with a host of other things no parent training course possibly could. They are like family and we owe them so very much. 

Quite a few follow this page too, so if you are reading this, take a well earned bow, a high five, a big Bubbly cuddle, or raise a glass. We love you guys and we're so very thankful for each one of you! 💙💙