To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who isn’t walking aged 5. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who isn’t talking aged 10. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who can’t feed themselves yet. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who has just been told by a doctor that their development is years behind their peers. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who goes to special school. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who can’t read or write. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who has complex medical needs, a dual diagnosis or behavioural issues. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

To the mum of a child with Down syndrome who may always be fully dependant on them. Your child is not less and you are not failing them.

Dear mum of an adult who has Down syndrome who doesn’t work, is fully dependant and always will be. They are not less and you did not fail them.

We don’t need to prove to the world how capable our children are. We need to stop celebrating when our children reach milestones at a typical time, like the more “normal” they are the better. We don’t need to feel sorry for or pity our children because they can’t do things that society has decided they should.

What we need to do is let our kids be exactly who they are meant to be and in their own time. We need to accept them for them and let that be enough.

Dear parents of children with Down syndrome. We don’t need to prove to the world how normal they are or how they are really just like everyone else.

What we need to do is show the world that different is ok.

DIFFERENT IS OK