Haylee has blessed my life for over eight years now. Eight years of wonderful memories, great smiles and lots of hugs and kisses. For over eight years we have lived with five fingers and five nubbs. We have been asked what Amniotic Band Syndrome is more times then I could even begin to count. ABS is a part of our daily life since the day Haylee was born. But there are still times I forget that Haylee only has nubbs on her left hand.

I know what you are thinking how could I forget my daughter was born with only five fingers. Well there are many different reasons why I forget. First and most important is that Haylee has adapted in ways that you could not imagine. She does anything and everything I can do but with one hand.

The second reason that I forget so much is because we don’t make an issue of Haylee only having five fingers. The less issue you make of things the less issue it really is. We don’t hid it, be ashamed of it or care what others think of it. Haylee is perfect in our eyes and does not have a disability. I believe that if you make a huge issue of the disablity then your child will also make a huge issue of it also.

Next time you ask for a hand, remember it does not matter if it is a big hand or a little hand. It is the body, mind and spirit that is connected to that hand that matters the most.

photo credit: gurms

There are many moments in a day with your child. Some involve kissing boo boos, while others are times when you need to correct them. However, there are many other times during the day when you can take advantage of “teachable moments” to share your faith with your child or teach them life lessons or other things that can help them in school and in the world.

One example of a teachable moment happened when my son was first learning about textures. He was a little confused about the differences between smooth and rough. We were in the produce section of the grocery store when it struck me. I was a pineapple and an apple and knew what I had to do. We went to the pineapples and let him touch them and then went to the apples and did the same. Then, as we placed each in our shopping cart, we compared them side-by-side. It did not take long, just a minute or so, and he finally could grasp the difference between smooth and rough.

Teachable moments can happen at any time and any place. As parents, we need to look around for those moments each day. Just a little moment here or there can make a big difference in the life of your child. These moments can strike you while at the store, waiting in line, doing chores together, or even in the car!

Sometimes your children will have something on their minds and for some reason, they need to talk to you about it while you are driving. Take advantage of that time. You are their captive audience, but they are also yours. It is a great time to share and talk. So, turn down the radio and tune into each other. You will be amazed by what they want to talk about and you will have a great opportunity to share with them and teach them a little more about life.

About the author:    Alicia H. Tucker is a homeschool mom of three, after having taught in public schools for over ten years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Technology. She is a freelance writer and is currently working on writing her first book.