Cell Phones for the Kids - an Easy and Inexpensive Aid

One thing I miss about living in California is that no one there had basements.  Now, I actually love having a basement where I can send my kids downstairs to play with their friends while it remains quiet in the main part of the house.  I also love that because all of their toys are downstairs, they aren't strewn all over the house - so it's easier to keep the house generally clean.  The problem that I have with basements is the entry way steps that come with every house!

What this means is that I am unable to access my neighbors front doors.  Why might this be a problem on most days?  Well, my kids love to play with their friends.  What to do when it's time for them to come home for dinner?  I can't just knock on the neighbor's door and get my kids.  So, our solution has been to get the kids a cell phone.  This seems to be quite effective.  At least one child always has the cell phone so that even if they aren't together, they can fetch each other.  They are really good about keeping their phone charged and on so that I can contact them whenever needed.  So, while they may seem too young to have their own cell phone, it works for our family.  It also serves as a great communication tool when they can just text or call me if they need anything when we aren't together, and it gives me peace of mind when they are riding their bikes or walking to and from school.

My kids have a basic cell phone (the least expensive I could get at the time) with a slide out keyboard.  They have NO data access, but unlimited texting.  I cannot imagine giving my kids unlimited internet access on their phones, nor the ability to send pictures to anyone besides myself.  Eliminating data has allowed me to restrict both of those options without having to pay for any kind of parental control plan.  They also have a warranty plan for any accidents that may arise, but after just over one year - the phone is holding up well!  This is the phone they have:

Do your kids have a phone?  What do you allow them to use it for/have access to?

Air Travel

So I am going to Alaska in a couple of weeks for some work training.  They are sending my husband with me to assist, which is super nice and so greatly appreciated!  However, I have not been on a plane since I was two.  I am so paranoid that they are going to damage or lose my wheelchair!

We always hear stories about people losing their luggage.  We had one friend who went to San Diego for a week and didn't get his suitcase until it was time to go home.  What if the airlines lose my chair?!  What will I do? 

Also, I understand that they have an aisle sized chair to get on and off the plane.  What if I need to use the restroom while I'm there?  Will my husband have to pick me up and take me?  The restrooms are tiny on a plane....  Do they have handicapped restrooms and does that aisle chair come with the plane just in case?

These are all the questions running through my mind.  If anyone has answers, let me know!  I will update after the trip:)

Steering a Wheelchair with Your Tongue?!

Yep.  New technology is allowing people with spinal chord injuries to use a magnetic tongue piercing to control an electric wheelchair.  The user has to wear a headset to detect the movement.  Apparently the idea is that the tongue is not easily tired and not generally affected by spinal chord injuries because it has a direct connection to the brain via a cranial nerve.  Check out this article for more!

Less expensive car repairs

Let me start by saying that our van is 10 years old and has seen many better days.  With that being said, we have had a chronic problem with the automatic sliding door since day one.  Had I known what I do now, I would have turned it in for Lemon Laws, if that were an option.

For the second time in as many years, the plastic chain that runs along the bottom of the door track has broken into about 5 different pieces.  I have made many a phone call and I found that the local conversion place wanted to charge me $130 for the part plus labor totaling about FIVE HUNDRED dollars!  What?!  I asked why so much for the labor?  I was told that it would be roughly three hours worth because they would have to remove the door panel in order to install the piece.

OK, so the panel has to be removed.  Never mind the fact that this part looks like it just plugs in on both ends and "voila" it should be finished.  That means that I am now being charged $123 per hour for labor!  Again - What?!  

My personal mechanic (for non conversion repairs) naturally tells me that this is ridiculous.  Even the local Mercedes dealership only charges about $90, according to him.  So I took the car in to my local body shop.  Guess what?  He only charges $40 per hour for labor.  Guess what else?  The part is a Chrysler part - not a conversion part: and for the record, it is $130.  

So to make a long story short, I have now just saved myself $250 (if it really does take three hours of labor).  Thankfully, my part is on order and I am hoping to get the repair next week.

The moral of the story is: Check with your local mechanic (or body shop) before going to your conversion shop. You may save yourself a ton!

Raising kids to have positive self-esteem

I have often wondered if my kids will be made fun of because their mom is in a wheelchair.  So far, this doesn't seem to be an issue, but my oldest is only seven.

I believe that raising kids, disabled or not, with a high level of self esteem is critical.  My parents always told me that I could do anything that I wanted, if I put my mind to it.  They never treated me with "kid gloves" or discouraged me from trying anything simply because I had a disability.  I was in Girl Scouts, school plays, piano lessons, played the clarinet in the high school band, etc, etc, etc.

I think that raising all children should be this way.  If your child wants to participate in soccer, but is incessantly clumsy, let him play anyway!  Encourage them to have fun and enjoy the time outside.  He may just surprise you and grow to be an excellent player.  However, if he doesn't, it's most important that he made friends and had fun doing it.  Most coaches and teacher will encourage the same.  Along the same lines, if my daughter (5 years old) decides to do her own hair, I often will let her leave it in just the way it is.  I tell her how good of a job she did and let her go to school.  It may not be nice and high or pulled perfectly tight, as I would do, but she is proud of the work she did.

I guess the point of my story, is encourage your kids - don't DIScourage them.  They are stronger than you think!  As long as you help them to maintain a high sense of self esteem, they will pull through all of those awkward stages in life.

As a parent (disabled or not), you need to follow the same advice.  When you see something that your kids are doing that makes you proud - remember that they are a product of your great upbringing!  If you continue to be upbeat and hold your head high, so will your kids.

Your children will adapt to your disablities - no matter what they are.  If you are the parent of a disabled child, do not cater - instead push them to be all that they can be!  Sure, you can make adaptations, but make them so that the kids can do things on their own.

For more interesting reading, check out this great blog article from a fellow blogger.

Handicapped Parking

Growing up in California, I rarely had a problem finding a parking space.  There were usually plenty of spaces, and they all had a nice sized loading zone (some larger than others).  On occasion, that loading zone may be on the opposite side of what I needed, but that was easily fixed by parking backwards in the spot.

Since moving to Utah, I have noticed that this is something the state is definitely lacking.  Sometimes, there are not enough spaces.  Most often the spaces are narrow and the loading zone is no more than 3 feet across.  This may seem like a decent amount of space to exit your car, but if have a van with a lift or ramp, as I do, there is barely enough room to get that ramp out - let alone manuever the wheelchair off of it.  On the rare occasion that there are an abundance of spots to park, there are many spaces without loading zones at all!

Hmmmm....I think I may start looking into the laws here to see what I can do.  Anyone from other states have similar experiences?

Accessible Cars

Why, oh why must accessible cars cost so much?  We have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan IMS conversion that we purchased new.  Needless to say, this has been our primary family car for nearly 10 years now, and it is in desperate need of replacement.  The door has never quite worked properly; and in this cold Utah weather, it certainly hasnn't gotten any better.  Our goal is to try and make this one last as long as possible, praying that the engine won't give out on us after 146,000 miles.  Then, we would like to try and pay CASH for the next one.  Now, we are not a rich family, so this feat of saving around $50,000 is going to take a lot of time, energy and discipline.  Anyone have any ideas on how to cut the costs?  Buying used is not an option - they usually have high mileage and are not very cost effective...  I have thought about purchasing from a company that converts used cars after market, but I honestly don't think that the quality of the conversion is as good as the vehicles that are converted as new.  Is there any assistance out there for purchase that I don't know about?