“I’d just really love to talk to you!” she said in her voicemail.
This was a woman calling from my daughters’ swim lessons facility. Just a day before, I’d signed all three of my girls up for a clinic on a day off of school. I noted to the woman at the front desk (who is my youngest daughter’s teacher and who is AWESOME) that my oldest has special needs and would need extra help in the class. “No worries” she said with a wave of her hand. “We can staff the class so she has extra help.”
Fast forward 24 hours to that voicemail. I figured she just wanted to understand exactly what was needed, but no big deal – all three of my girls take lessons there, they know our situation.
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I was wrong.
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The woman I called back told me it wasn’t the best set up if my daughter needed extra attention, and suggested I sign up for a private class. (Background: my child with special needs’ regular swim lessons already are private classes – cha-ching, cha-ching). I explained that I’d spoken with the woman at the front desk when I signed up and she’d told me it would be okay. And that the whole reason I had signed up in the first place is because we had extra credits on our account due to cancelled classes. And how my girls, including the child in question, were thrilled and really looking forward to it.
Swim lessons in a simpler time
Maybe it was because I’d slept badly the night before. Maybe it was because I’d just found out the next step (of many) in said daughter’s adventures in dentistry was going to cost $3K. Maybe it was because I’m so freaking tired of having to take extra steps for EVERY. FREAKING. PART of her life that I was out of effs to give and figured the worst swim lessons lady could say was no.
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Her: “We don’t have the right ratio of teacher to student to support her”
Me: “Can you change it, so she can be included?”
Her: …silence…silence…silence…”Let me get back to you.”
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We hung up, and she followed up via email not long after, saying they had an extra staff member that day they could add to the class. I thanked her for making arrangements so my daughter wouldn’t be left out once again, and patted myself on the back (kind of?) for advocating for my daughter.
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Now, I know there are some who would think I asked for too much. That it isn’t the swim lessons facility’s fault my daughter needs extra help, and they’re going to have to pay an extra staff member, which they wouldn’t need to do were only typical children in that clinic (although since I have three children in swim lessons there, one in a private lesson, I think they’re getting plenty of money from me). Where do you draw the line??
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One of my daughters’ earliest special education teachers, I think back when she was 3, told me “Never apologize for advocating for your child.”
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I’m still learning all the places that will apply.
Rocking Lion 