Parents' stories shared

Katie, a Queensland mum, is hugged by her two young daughters.

• Katie, from Logan, sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident when she was 16. Read how Katie's positivity reflects on her kids.
• Kellie lives on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and is a mother of 4. 2 of her sons were born after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1999. Read what Kellie says about the special lessons she's passing on to her children.
• Rikki works and lives in Bundaberg. He is a social worker by profession. His wife Julie is a psychologist. Both are blind. Rikki also has a hearing impairment. Read what Rikki says are the key to success in raising their 2 boys.

Raising Children Network shares the experiences of parents with intellectual disability and parents with physical disability.

Kellie: a parent with a disability (MS)

Kellie lives on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and is a mother of 4. 2 of her sons were born after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1999.

MS has gradually impacted on what Kellie can and cannot do.

'It's natural instinct when a baby screams at night to jump out of bed and run. I've fallen in a heap on the floor wanting to follow that instinct but my legs haven't let me,' she says.

Of being a parent with a disability, Kellie says:  'It's okay for them to see me struggling. They know I love them. And while riding a bike and playing footy are beyond me, I'm still here for them and a great homework supervisor!

'I'm raising young people with the tools in life to be able to deal with the reality; that not everything goes according to plan in life; that we need to be ready for change.

'They're also learning the importance of having a go in life, regardless of whether they're the best at something or not.'

Rikki: a parent with disability (vision and hearing impairments)

Rikki works and lives in Bundaberg. He's a social worker by profession. His wife Julie is a psychologist. Both are blind. Rikki also has some hearing impairment. They have 2 young sons. Both boys have sight.

'The keys to success (in raising children) are supportive community and family-and good parenting skills. Every parent needs those, disability or not.' says Rikki.

'Like any new couple, we struggled in the early days of becoming parents but we learnt quickly that we need to work together.

'As the boys have grown, discipline—or how we deal with it—has become more of an issue. Whoever notices the child's behaviour, follows through with the discipline. There is no buy-in from the other parent—unless it's in a supportive capacity, backing the other parent up. Our house is a lot calmer as a result.

'Being actively involved in our church community has the added benefit of extending the willing hands to help with the kids from time to time.'

Rikki says it's also important to know how to communicate with government agencies and understand their processes—or have an advocate or friend who can support you.

'I feel for people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and don't have those same abilities,' he says.