Okay, so the big boffins have come up with a monetary figure that they say is a relative amount of cash we will spend on our children until they reach 18. That amount is £200,000 according to the Guardian newspaper.
£200,000 maybe on the average child. But how much more on the special needs child?
And I am not talking just about specialist equipment (which I am always being told is available via the Occupational Therapist, but as we are still on the waiting list to actually have a first meeting with one it is easier, but not cheaper, to buy the stuff yourself), rather I am talking about the replacement items of everyday household use, the re-decorating, the food (such as the very expensive Gluten Free items - cost twice as much, why?!)the accidents that need cleaning etcetera.
I have had to replace lamps, rugs, carpets, bath towels, windows, doors, televisions (he smashed the flatscreen with his fist and it split and went green), oven doors and washing machine doors (he stood on both to reach a higher level in the kitchen and they snapped off and needed replacing), repaint over ink drawings, repaint a whole room and on and on.
Once, we had just repainted the lounge in a boring but easy cream colour. To our stupidity we did not take the paint pots to the shed and lock them away, we put them in a cupboard. J found the paint pots one very early morning and proceeded to repaint our extension/brick built conservatory. The colour obviously did not appeal to him in there and so he opened the tin of Dulux, poured it onto the hardwood floor, and stepped into the cold and gloopy mixture.
He then made footprints all over the downstairs floor. He spread the paint over to the cupboards and created a marbling type effect, he then thought that the patio double glazed double doors needed to stop letting light in and so painted them to cover up the whole panes of glass.
This was all done 2 days before we were due to have a house warming party (well 9 months late!), and I was 12 weeks pregnant with W.
We spent the whole day with turps and wipes, bin bags and fumes.
We had to remove the cupboard doors and repaint them.
We turped and scraped the windows.
I was not allowed near the turps as I was pregnant, and so when I say 'we' I actually mean 'he', the hubby. He spent ages and ages trying to make it look half decent again. With my verbal direction (sarcasm intended) he did a good job.
J can easily waste a whole loo roll in one go - by tearing it up and chewing bits and putting the rest in the bath, sink or toilet.
He rips and tears photographs.
He breaks photo frames and ornaments.
He chews towels and makes them threadbare.
He has urinated on carpets that then needed to be deepcleaned.
He has over flowed water and caused ceilings to drip and bulge.
I could go on and on (and on).
I know there will be some do-gooders out there who will suggest that we could have done X or Y. That we should have made sure he did'nt have access to X or Y.
But really, take a minute. If you have children yourself, are you telling me that every minute of every day you are watching your child? And by child I mean over 5 years of age, not a baby or toddler.
When J is on a mission he is on a mission.
He clocks where things have been put but makes no clue to this.
It is fact. Children that have learning difficulties cost more. Financially, emotionally, socially, spiritually, morally and physically.
But boy they do make great stories to tell!
