If your child has recently been involved in an accident, or if they have suffered a loss of mobility due to a chronic health condition, you are probably wondering what you can do to help them adjust.
You and your family members – particularly your child – may also be battling with feelings of helplessness, frustration and sadness during this difficult time. There’s no denying that it can be heartbreaking to watch your child having to adapt to a new way of life, with a limited ability to move about and do the things they should be able to enjoy at their age.
However, while it can be easy for both your child – and yourself, for that matter – to feel discouraged or downhearted, it’s important to focus on the positives as much as possible. In other words, don’t dwell on what they can’t do; concentrate on what they can do.
Finding constructive and proactive ways to help your child regain their confidence – and their independence – will help to improve both their mental and physical well-being. With your help, not to mention the assistance of some all-important tools and equipment (and probably a healthy dash of creativity into the bargain) you can help your child have enjoyable and stimulating experiences regardless of their current struggles.
Keen to get started? Read on to discover some helpful and easily achievable ways to help your child to regain their confidence after losing their mobility.
Table of Contents
Modify Your Home To Make Getting Around Much Easier
Arguably one of the most important things to do to help your child cope with their loss of mobility is to make some changes around the home that will make their life easier.
The precise nature of these changes will depend on your child’s unique circumstances and their range of mobility. However, some possible alterations you can make include swapping their current bed for a specially designed adjustable bed that makes it easier for them to get in and out. You can also invest in ergonomic chairs, which will provide them with the physical support and comfort they need.
Modifications in the bathroom will also be beneficial, and in fact may be essential from a safety standpoint. Installing a shower chair and a grab rail will make it easier and safer for your child to have a wash.
Help Them To Regain Autonomy With A Mobility Aid
Ensuring that your child doesn’t lose their core strength and their muscle condition is of prime importance – and so is encouraging them to move about and maintain as much independence as they can.
To boost your child’s confidence when it comes to moving around, it is a good idea to find a mobility aid that they feel comfortable using. While a wheelchair will be necessary in more severe cases, another helpful and versatile option is the rollator.
These carefully designed mobility aids provide confidence-building stability and manoeuvrability, allowing their users to walk more often – and further – than they may otherwise have been able to. Rollators such as the aids designed by Rollz Mobility also offer tailored support for people with various requirements and disabilities, giving them the confidence and freedom they deserve.
While introducing a wheelchair, rollator or another mobility aid is sure to give your child greater independence, you should be prepared for the fact that it may take them a little while to adjust. They may also feel self-conscious initially when it comes to using their aid out in public. It’s important to reassure them and help them develop their confidence and capability while using the aid when they are out and about.
Encourage Them To Keep Moving
Even when they are sitting at home, your child can still keep up their muscle strength with some simple seated exercises. You can find a wide range of enjoyable and stimulating seated exercise videos for kids available online, including adaptive yoga and higher intensity cardio workouts.
There are a number of important benefits to these seated exercises. These benefits include improved flexibility and an increase in bone density, as well as enhanced motor skills, better sleep, and stronger muscles. If your child is struggling with constipation, which can be a common side effect of a loss of mobility, these exercises can also help alleviate the symptoms.
Find New Ways To Channel Their Energy
While your child may not be able to do all of the activities they used to, it’s important to focus on the wide variety of pastimes they can still take part in and enjoy. These can include:
- Drawing, painting and trying out different crafts.
- Going swimming.
- Learning how to horseback ride.
- Exploring accessible local attractions.
- Writing a blog or making their own TikToks.
- Learning how to cook.
- Helping in the garden.
- Learning how to sing or play an instrument.
- Playing with Lego.
- Playing Bocce.
These are just a few of the many fun new activities your child can try which will lift their spirits, teach them new skills, and maybe even help them to form new friendships.
Give Them the Freedom To Express Their Emotions
We all know how brave, adaptable and resilient kids can be. However, there will undoubtedly be times when your child becomes angry, upset, or frustrated by their loss of mobility. This is an entirely natural and understandable reaction, and while you may be tempted to try and jolly them out of their low mood, it’s important to acknowledge their feelings and allow them to express their negative emotions.
Giving them the freedom to express themselves however they see fit – by talking, shouting, crying, writing or drawing – will make it easier for them to process their more difficult feelings. It will also show your child that you are there to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on whenever they may need it, and that all feelings are equally valid. Your child should never feel like they have to put on a brave face or suppress how frightened or upset they may be feeling on a particular day.
A Final Word
Helping your child adjust to their loss of mobility will undoubtedly be a difficult and challenging experience for both you and your child.
However, by doing your best to keep a positive mindset, and by showing them all of the things they can still do and achieve, you will help them to regain their confidence and develop more independence. As a result, they will hopefully go on to enjoy many happy experiences, despite their physical limitations, and develop a profound faith in their own abilities that will stand them in good stead for many years to come.
