'Raising A Child With Special Needs Is A Challenging And Overwhelming Responsibility'

Last March 2021, we asked our readers to submit their answers to this question: “How did Smart Parenting help you on your parenting journey?”

We’ve chosen the 10 finalists who come from all over the country. But YOU get to decide who goes home with P100,000 by voting for the story that touched you the most (scroll below to vote!).

One of the #MySmartParentingStory finalists is Melody Ann Ang Tomelden, whose child has special needs.

We asked her what kind of support she wishes from our health system for parents like her. “I wish our health system could provide therapy for free, even just for a few sessions, as this would help less fortunate parents to lessen their financial burdens.

“Also, I wish our health system could provide a higher technology for genetic tests and other cytogenetic tests to help classify the syndromes and condition of a suspected child clearly.

“Lastly, I wish that government health insurance would increase their coverage for every sickness because not all parents can afford to pay for a private HMO.”

Melody’s Smart Parenting story is about trying not to compare her journey with other moms.

As a first-time parent, I am obsessed with everything that I do for my child — it needs to be perfect. But being a parent does not come with a manual.

Browsing social media, I came across the Facebook page of Smart Parenting and its Facebook group, Smart Parenting Village, which I joined.

A background on my little family: I have a 2-year-old toddler named Xythyr. He is literally and physically a unique boy. He has a club foot, a pseudo-hydrocephalic-shaped head. He was born with a circumcised, undescended testicle and low-set ears.

Raising an average child is already hard, but raising a child with special needs is a challenging and overwhelming responsibility for a parent. I am grateful for Smart Parenting because I found a village to help me raise my child. With my son’s condition, it pains me as a mom.

Reading your articles and encouragements somehow eases my burdens and strengthens me to go along and live one day at a time. It teaches me how to love my child even more, understanding him, and celebrate his small wins.

Smart Parenting also educates me as a mom to validate other mom’s feelings instead of judging them. To love ourselves and be patient with it because we can’t give what we don’t have.

Smart Parenting teaches me to be authentic that I don’t have to imitate other moms and their parenting style because every child is different. What works for them might not work for me. Moreover, it broadens my perception in the aspect of a child’s developmental milestones. To let them enjoy their pace and appreciate them as they are.

Smart Parenting keeps my sanity as I get to interact with other moms. I realized that each of us has a fair share of our life’s struggles.

Smart Parenting hence influenced my parenting journey.

Love Melody’ story? Click her name below to vote so she brings home P100,000!

Want to read the other finalists' stories before voting? You can find all 10 entries here! Voting is until May 15.

While you can vote multiple times using this poll, the results you see do not reflect the actual validated numbers. Did you vote 10 times for one candidate? That will only be considered as 1 vote. So we highly encourage you to vote once and ask your friends to cast their votes as well.

The final winner will be based on the number of unique votes at the end of the voting period. Here's where the voting is so far according to unique votes.

As one of our 10 finalists, Melody will receive:

• An ible Airvida Wearable Air Purifier worth P8,795
• P2,000 worth of gift certificates
• A chance to win P100,000, tax-free, of course!

Submitted entries are edited only for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and formatting.

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