This week is VBS, which is of course a wonderful time of year for moms all over the country. 
We get five wonderful mornings to ourselves, to think and pray, clean and organize, or run errands without carting the younger set of kids around with us. At least, some moms find freedom in VBS week. I always approach it with a bit of trepidation.
For me, VBS week means getting to the church early to find out who the crew leaders are. It means selecting one (if I know them) or pulling the children’s pastor aside and asking him to select one, very quickly, for my son. Pastor D1 knows who works well with D1 and who doesn’t. I know which teens work well with him and which wouldn’t be a good match. We must have a conversation about it, or it will not be a good experience for my son OR his leader/s.
Last year I got to handpick his crew leader, a 15 year old youth group student who D1 absolutely LOVES. It was probably the best VBS EVER for him. They had a lot of fun together. It was so great, in fact, that D1 invited Q to his birthday in August, AND Q CAME! It totally made my son’s summer.
The partnership between a family with a special needs child, and their church, is huge. We have to be able to work with them, and they with us. We need to have good communication regarding our child. What are your child’s strengths and weaknesses? What personality types does he just NOT do well with? Who do you know of who really cares about her and knows how to work with her? These are such important things to consider when signing your special needs child up for a VBS.
This year, D1 was assigned to a lady I do not know, but Pastor D1 and she both assured me that she knows my son and my son knows her, and she understands him. I didn’t even have to deal with the question “So what’s wrong with him?” As always I get a bit nervous this time of year, but as usual, our church is wonderful about making sure that my son’s needs are considered.
Every family is different. What do you do about VBS?
I’m glad you wrote about this. My friend has a special needs son and is still trying to find a church that will accept him. She has been through 5 churches.
Thankfully, my dd does well with most anyone.
Oh, today while mine were at VBS, I had a chance to go and get an iced mocha and a white chocolate rasberry scone with some friends. That was nice.
Margarete recently posted..School Room Pictures
Hi Dawn,
We have had good experiences and bad experiences with churches and our special needs children. Currently, we are doing church at home and it is working for us.
I am glad that you found a church that works for your family.
Blessings
Honey
Church at home wouldn’t work very well for us. Too many distractions of the everyday variety. And churches are for fellowship! We love our church family so much.
I volunteered during our VBS this year. My dd was out of town so she didn’t get to go. I haven’t ever done the drop her off and use the time wisely I always stay and help. I am glad that they found someone that will work with him. I hope that David has a great week at VBS!!
I am stopping by from Monday Mingle. Sorry its a couple of days late its been a bit hectic around here this week.
Cherees recently posted..Something exciting is coming
I have many years of VBS volunteering under my belt. Now that the first round of kids are teenagers, I am very involved with the youth group and not involved with Children’s Ministry at all. My husband helps out with Royal Rangers on Wed. nights with the boys though. I love the youth group. VBS is my week off.
Hi! I’m following you now from Bloggy Moms! My kids are not old enough yet to go to our church’s VBS program…but I would imagine it is a huge ministry to moms too!
Blessings! ~Kimberly
http://www.stinkerpinker.com
Dawn…saw you on BloggyMoms and so glad I did. My son has autism and it was a great struggle to find a church where we felt comfortable-all of us. It is encouraging to see how well your church fits your family and vice versa. God is good…sometimes we just much practice patience, faith and hope…and always pray. So good to meet you!
Aly: Yes, I just joined BloggyMoms today! I’m so glad you stopped by. I will hop over and check out your blog when I have time a little later this evening.
It’s nice to meet you!
LOL…I’m the crazy woman that runs all the crafts for VBS! It is the craziest, most stressful, and one of the funnest things I do all year! No free morning for me…
Just popping in for my weekly nag about hooking up for the kinderGARDENS series…enjoy your mornings free! Kim
the inadvertent farmer recently posted..kinderGARDENS week 14 Corn- Sunflowers and Flags!
Ack! You’re one of those!! =) I was the crazy woman who put together the family picnic on Friday afternoons. I rented the cotton candy machine and snow cone machine, enlisted teens to run them, coordinated the cooking and bunning of 300 hotdogs, etc. There were a few years I was a crew leader too (I took a group of 10 kids through all the daily activities) but I preferred to do the behind the scenes stuff. Crafts? Ah, at home with my kids, not with 150 VBSers. lol Have fun!!!