Being a Disabled Parent

So its the summer holidays and you have your children bouncing around ready to enjoy the, ahem, weather, but wait! You're a disabled parent! What on earth were you thinking!!
I'm Matt, its the summer in the UK and I have my allotted time with my two amazing 7 year olds. What to do? How do people manage trips, wheelchair friendly and interesting for the children too! Packing up the car, travelling, a!l kind of usual day to day stuff! As a single dad with no one to help, apart from child bribery, it can be tough! Especially when your ex scrutinizes everything I do with my two (and criticises, no matter)
So we're off to an adventure park today, I just wanted to get a flavour out there of peoples experiences, good and bad, and will check in later with an update on our outing!!

Good luck my friends

So the adventure park was a disaster, in that I was informed it was open, however, apart from the communal area being used for a drumming group, it was closed! So, quick thinking and after getting the scooter back in the car we headed to the lovely seaside town of Sidmouth. Great place for parking, wheelchair friendlyish and disabled looks, plus, they have a cool play park at one end of the prom, which easily burns up a couple of hours, not forgetting factor 50, of course! Then ice cream and a wander.
The intention was that we were going to have a day mooching and playing, then at tea time get fish and chips and eat them on the beach, or as near a scooter can get. However my 7 year olds were knackered by three o'clock so we decided to head home and get f&c nearby. This we did and turned out to be a really good day.

Today's frolicks was weather dependent, so the mutual decision was made to go to Exeter museum. Got there and parked in one of two disabled bays attached to the museum, you have to book prior or hope no one else has booked a space.
The building is very well accessible, the down sides being the disabled looks on the lower level were jam packed with able bodied people who couldn't bear to walk an additional 10 or so metres, plus the hidy-hole situation and outward swinging door fiasco is never lost on some people as they stand and gawp, apparently trying to help!
However, saying all that, we spent hours there, my two were highly amused and interested, lots of discussions about dead animals, flint, fish, the lot!
The cafe there is, well, looks nice and they make a reasonable coffee but the children's menu is literally an adult 'something' but cut in half, so my two had a child's toasty, literally a slice of bread cut in half, and not brilliant either. They certainly didn't cut the damn price! Oh the ambience!

Overall a good day though, knackered children who were equally entertained and educated.

Wow you have more energy than me and I haven't got kids unless 2 furry small animals that go meow count?! They are my kids and are well known as 'The Kids' to my friends. They talk back and keep me on my toes when I'm well!!

LOL Matt! Quite the adventure. The part about the toast and price had me laughing. I always enjoy the U.K. language Terminology as well. Very expressive and entertaining. You certainly have your hands full. But what a blessing at the same time to be able to manage your busy parent lifestyle and all that comes with it. Hats off to you... brilliant Matt! As far as ex,s go....well, they are Exs for a reason right!? Most people now a days have a hard time just managing themselves, let alone being a single parent. So give yourself credit for never giving up! Keep that open spirit of yours...Personality is worth more than GOLD! There is opportunity to learn something in every circumstance. Like, I won't be buying any toast if I visit U.K. .... ~

Of course the furry ones can be considered children! Its the law!
Our cat is a huge part of my family, in fact he's now taken to following my daughter around, I mean, how cute is that!? Unless, of course, having a giant black cat scares the heck out of you.

Thank you Scholar! I'm glad you are well tuned into my humour, it often confounds many!

The thing is, my ex taught me we regarding planning and generally looking after our children, obviously, as she knows absolutely sodding everything! And at every point of contact between us, namely when I pick them up or drop them back, she will remind me on the finer points of being a good parent and how obviously evil I am as their daddy! Secretly, I enjoy this.
Doing fun stuff with my children is just bliss, as is not living with my ex (again, really!?) simply because my house is regularly turned into a place of fun and chaos... And then my children turn up!
I just remember not doing much when I was a child, too, and I like the three of us to go out and have fun. They grow too quickly, before !long it will be uncool to go out with their daddy!

Your welcome Matt! One would like to think they know "sodding everything ", but keeping an open mind to learning something new is a true life skill that escapes most people if they allow bitterness to rule their hearts. There is so much to be grateful for...counting blessings usually over rides the challenges we face. I appreciate your humor Matt. Keep up the great work. And yes, Spend all the time with those lovely children now, I will let you experience those teenage years and tell those fun stories in years to come.

I totally agree, I love learning from my children, they teach me so much and surprise me greatly with their insight into everyday life. Teenage years, hmmmm, just remembering what a complete pain I was does not bode well. However, they are different so embracing the future and what that brings!