Children with serious mental retardation.

A child who, for example, is a half or two.year does not know how to sit, which shows little interest in people or things, is a more serious problem. He will have to be cared for like a baby for a long time. He almost does not notice the surrounding and therefore can receive less attention from the family, and the family can give him less. Of course, there is no universal recipe. Everything depends on the degree of backwardness, on the temperament of the child, on how it affects other children in the family, whether it will be possible to find children to play with and activities that are feasible for him, is there a special class in the local school where hecould have done if there was a suitable boarding school nearby. But most of all depends on the mother's ability to take care of him, on how much he tires her physically and emotionally. Some of these questions can be answered only when the child becomes several years older.

Some mothers are balanced in nature and easily cope with the care of a mentally retarded child. Such a mother finds the opportunity to take care of him so that it does not tire her. She rejoices at his good qualities,] her difficulties do not upset her, and she does not give whole to the cares of the child. Other children in the family take an example from this. The child who is accepted by the family wakes up the best qualities, and this gives him a good start to life. In this case, the child is better to live indefinitely at home.

Another mother, also devoted to the child, feels that she is experiencing increasing tension and is becoming more and more irritated when she has to pay special attention to the child. This can affect her relationship with her husband and other children, and even children may upset the presence of a mentally retarded child. In this case, the mother will need the help of a social worker. This will either change for the better the attitude to the child, or will allow to arrange the child so that it would be better for everyone.

Finally, there are mothers who are able to take care of a mentally retarded child without experiencing tension and even with joy. An outsider may notice that the devotion of such a mother to a child prevents her from taking care of her husband, other children, her own normal interests. Ultimately, it is harmful for the whole family and even for the child himself. Such a mother needs to help maintain a sense of proportion and acquire other interests.