A mum who helped out a parent who had a child with special needs at a soft play centre encouraged others to help those who are struggling.
The mother, who posted her story on the Love What Matters Facebook page on Sunday 23 July and her blog ’40 Wishes and Counting’, explained she witnessed a woman who had been at the top of the plastic slide for “hours”.
“She was trying everything she could think of to get her son out of there,” the mum explained. “He wasn’t coming down. I smiled and told her what a good mum she was and I admired her.
“I could tell he was special needs in the way she spoke to him and [the way] he responded. She had so much patience and strength.”
The mum continued: “Later we tried to get my kids to coax him into leaving. I even suggested to mum we can bribe him with a later play date.
“With tears in her eyes, she said thank you. She told me most mums look at her like she has a disease. How heartbreaking.”
The mum explained that the next thing she new, other children in the play area were offering up their help, too.
She continued: “Eventually [the mum] was able to get her son out, praising him on his good choices. So next time a mama is struggling... think about it.
“Think about what you would want to hear in that instant. Think of the courage it took. Think. Then offer kindness. It matters. Every little bit matters.”
The Facebook post had nearly 20,000 likes in less than 24 hours.
One person wrote: “Thank you for this. I’m not even a mum, but I’m so tired of women cutting each other down or - maybe worse - doing nothing at all. We need all the support we can get these days.”
And another wrote: “Mum-of-four here, three with dual diagnosis of autism. Outings are sometimes difficult, followed by stares and rude comments. But negativity only lasts a few hours, kindness lasts for days. Thank you for your compassion.”