Mourning the Loss of a Little Girl..An Outpouring Love for Mikaela Lynch.

Parenting has to be one of the most daunting and hair raising experiences one can take on. We are constantly making choices that we think are the right ones. We are judged, criticized and sometimes shunned for the choices we make. Parenting is hard enough and shouldn't have that added stress. We all do our best with what we have. Even the best of parents have slip ups. Remember that. No one is perfect.

This week many of us parents of special needs children mourned the loss of one little girl. We mourned  along with her parents as we knew this could have happened to any one of us. We do everything in our power to keep them safe especially the ones who have the wanderers. It is every parent's worst nightmare when their child wanders off. Whether it be in a mall, crowded place or simply just out the front door. We do everything. Pad locks, harnesses..and still the need to wander is so strong it still happens. So if Parents still are doing everything in their power to prevent this from happening, why are they being so harshly judged? By the outside world that doesn't live the lives of others?

It bothers me that social media has taken this tragic death of Mikaela Lynch as a platform to blast the parenting choices of Special Needs Parents. One fine example can be found on Twitter, by a "Reporter" for the Examiner.com. Who, I might state is not a parent. But this person felt the need to rake Mikaela's Parents and every other special needs parents out there over the coals for doing what she thought was bad parenting. If this is the kind of negativity that is happening over at Examiner.com, then no thanks. Many outraged parents have already contacted this publication. They can be reached at contactus@Examiner.com or click on the button below. This is just another fine example of the ignorance that is out there when it comes to Special Needs.

Personally, I have two children that wander. One of them, who darts off like a rocket. If I put him in a harness, I get judged for being not letting him be a child and that he no better than a dog. But if I don't he is all over the place and considered a terror. So what do we parents do? There is no right or wrong answer. We do our best. As that is all we can do. Ignore the nay sayers and the haters. Know that you are doing a good job.

To Mikaela Lynch's Parents, We are with you. We, the parents that have special needs children understand.We are mourning right along side you. You have the support of all of us.

And to the haters, the ignorant and judgmental, before you start critiquing the lives of others, you better make sure you are perfect yourself. While you are busy making assumptions and misconceptions, the skeletons in your closet are slowly coming out. Don't underestimate the fighting spirit of parents that have had to fight for their kids since the time they were born.