Homeward Bound has empowered my family and me to continue forward in a positive direction with this long and challenging journey of parenting. Not just the parenting of a child who has had challenges, but any child.
The most difficult thing my husband and I ever had to do was to send our son away. The feeling of sadness is still in the forefront in our minds. As we healed and got ready to bring him home, new emotions surfaced. New questions arose like, how do we keep this wonderful momentum going? How do we keep the changes we made at home going forward? We had many fears and concerns. When we heard about HB I thought why not give them a call. After my conversation with Tim, I felt better than I had in a long time. HB provided my husband and me with the confidence to bring our son home knowing, that we had support in place for the whole family.
The first and most powerful tool was our home visit. With the help of HB we became more comfortable in being more open with others by speaking to the school, his therapist, friends and family. No one likes ghosts in their closets. My son stood in front of a room full of people and told his story, answering questions about his experience away. The room was filled with much love, tons of laughter and many tears. I believe this was a great beginning. We were given tools, suggestions and ways of doing things better.
With direct access to our coach, I always had someone to talk to in the moment. This is huge. No matter how small the issue, the phone calls put things into perspective, helped me calm down and go forward following the plan. I’m not going to lie, it is hard when something triggers you and you want to revert back to the old ways that did not work. Having direct access gives you a place to go to take a deep breath. It is great to talk with someone that you respect, that is not emotionally charged and that has the knowledge and empathy needed to help you make it right.
It is a lot of work and continues to be challenging. However, let me tell you how rewarding it is when you meet a challenge with success. I use to feel lonely because no one knew what to say to me or how to help us. Now I am not so lonely and there is greater harmony in our home. HB is having a cheat sheet to parenting in your back pocket.
Lisa Lee
New Jersey
