Public Scrutiny CDLS blog Challenge!

Heidi from God's Grac in Practice set this challenge!

We have all dealt with public scrutiny when out and about with our childwith CdLS. Tell us about your most memorable experience (good, bad, funny, ordownright strange)

Well most of our funnier episodes ofpublic scrutiny have happened in a cafe or supermarket! Remember our trip to the Supermarket just a few Saturdays ago?

Many times though we have been reduced to tears in cae situations....tears of laughter that is!
Rosie found it really hard getting used to not fitting intoahigh chair...many a time after she was really too big we were tricked cagoled, badgered, into letting her get into one. However it was always much easier to get in than to prise her out...and there liesthe issue of public scrutiny....trying to prise the poor disabled child out of the too small chair that those selfish parents had foolishly put her into! Because of course by the time our family has finished in the cafe no one who was there whilst we were insisting she could not have a high chair was there towitnes the result of being persuaded to let her!

Rosie has developped this amazing strength in her legs....if she wants them bent noone and nothing will straighten them...if she wants them sraight the same applies to bending them! She then when being removed from a high chair will bend her knees and lockhe feet under the footrest! lifting her fromher armpits means you lift the wholechair...so one person takes hold of feet to encourage them forward whilst another lifts the top, heads bang across the front of the chair as the pair of adults involved are forced together by the action of Rosie simultaneously bending at hips and knees!

At this point the subtle glances, tuts andfrowns around us are replaced with mutters and stage whispers, usually alluring to the stupidity of putting such a child into the babychair! David at thispoint allows the public scrutiny to gethe better of him and starts tolose patience...firs shoutingatRosie to getout or stop there! Then just walking off and leaving me to try and extracate her on my own....neither of these ever proves terribly helpful!
One day tired of the comments, looks and insinuations of the onlookers I just laid the chair on the ground with Rosie laying on her back feet through the chair! I pointedly looked to the loudststagewhisperers and loudly exclaimed...she got in there on her own she either gets out or stops there! within 10 steps rosie was beside me with a cheer from the onlookers!
Using that tactic the next few timesand Rosie stopped gettnga high chair.....instead shelines them all up... It has become her new obsession no more climbing into the high chairs she pulls them all into a line down the narrowest part of the cafe!

the new battle though is now getting her back into her wheelchair to go home. yesterday saw S and I in tears of laughter whilst attempting to do just this inTescos. We were very relieved to see the public scrutinisers also being totaly amused by the whole situation. First lift your child into chair...move harness over head to secure behind back...said child simultaneously melting down and through the bottom of harness slithering over the foot rest and onto the floor! Next lift her from floor backtochair....legs then firmly clasp around yours locking her feet together causing you to lay across child as you seat them in the chair....if you forgot the breaks the chair moves away at this point and you and child slither unceremoniuously to a heap onthe floor! Teamwork has to be the way forward here... so one adult clasps the topend the other clasps from knees other smallchild holdschair and is ready with harness.......onthe third attempt we manage to outwit Rosie and get harness over head, waist srap fastened and tackle the ankle huggers the Public Scrutiny is suitably impressed with our efforts and cheers our success! Rosie meanwhile leansbackwith huge grin and royal wave as we head out to the Bus! two wheelchairs two overflowing trolleys and a huge dose of exhaustion!

Public Scrutiny???? Or is it just we are the unpaid enertainment for those shoppers wholive far too mundane lives?

hugs