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Raising a child with Down syndrome looks very similar to raising a typical child. Here’s a glimpse at a day in the life of Blake.

Transcription:

 

“Whose truck?”

“Dad’s truck.”

“Daddy”

“Every day, this house is loud unless the kids aren’t here.”

“You gonna get ready, Blake? And go to the park?”

“So a basic day in the life of Blake…It’s a pretty typical day. Get up and watch cartoons, and go to school and, you know, cause your siblings problems…”

“Does he annoy you Kaleigh?”

“A lot.”

“If he, like, breaks something, and Mom comes in the room and says, ‘who did this?’ He’s always like ‘Debba-dee.’ Cause my name is Kaleigh, so then, he makes it ‘Debba-dee.’ And then he blames it on me, so he’s just like, ‘Mama, Debba-dee, no.’

“That’s true.”

“Very true.”

“I’d say, raising Blake…He’s just like any other little kid, you know?”

“He loves anything that requires pushing, pulling, running, any heavy work, any loud noises, very sensory seeking. Standard boy stuff.”

“Yeah, he’s got his tough times. Because, you know, his receptive skills are a lot better than his expressive skills. On the same token, I feel like I have it every day with him, even though we can’t use words as communication, I really feel like I understand what he’s saying. I look back and say, ‘Oh, I’d never be who I am without Blake.’”

“No, me neither. And I see that with his siblings.”

“He understands what love is, in that, he’s very loving and compassionate towards people. And he knows how to say sorry.”

“And, like, his way of saying sorry- He doesn’t really say it, he just comes up and kisses you.”

“Yeah, he kind of just, like, gives you a hug and a kiss like, ‘Yeah, I know I did this wrong.’”

“You know, I don’t really know what I expect or what I wish for his future, other than peace and happiness, because he’s taught me to just kind of accept it day by day.”

“What do you wish for your other kid’s future? The exact same thing.”

“Yeah, peace and happiness, exactly.”

“A lot of it’s just the same for all the kids.”

“Yeah, they just don’t have a label of something. But they’re all still, in the same way, unique individuals. They all have their own personalities. Blake’s going to like his own stuff, and do his own thing, just like the rest of them. And I would love to know what his hopes, and dreams and aspirations are. I’m sure he’ll have some. I’m sure he’ll have many. And I just can’t wait to play a role in supporting them. I’m looking forward to that. I’m looking forward to helping him follow his dreams and watch him break down the barriers that society’s put in front of him. And he will. I’m confident that he will.”

Originally published: October 29, 2017
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