Galway Advertiser 1990/1990_02_15/GA_15021990_E1_008.pdf 

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Share with Someone Special
Are you an average family with the usual ups and downs? Do you sometimes wish you could help others, but don't know where to begin? Well, here's your chance. The Brothers of Charity and Galway County Association for Mentally Handicapped have just launched their 1990 campaign to recruit families in Galway for their Home Sharing scheme.
They a r e seeking "or dinary" families in the community who will take a child with mental han dicap into their home for a short period of time i.e. a week or two during the summmer holidays/at weekends during the school year. They are also seeking families in the city to host a child f r o m M o n d a y Friday during the school year.

LEARNING I N THE HOME
The home is the first learning environment. The child learns in the first place from its mother - even as it lies in her arms being fed and talked to - and from those other people who take an active part in the life around it. From them it learns to love and respond, to listen and com municate, to look at colours and shapes, and slowly imbibe the realities of the world. The value of watching, listening, playing and just being around people must never be under-estimated.

SEAM AMD AMM
GIVING A LITTLE LOVE
When Anne and Sean Sweeney of Ballinfoile Park read an advertisement for Home Sharing in a local newspaper they turned to each other andother children leaving said "We'll try sees Th it." e i r only daughter the centre, she gets upset '
Aoife was one year old then and they felt it would be good for her to get to know other children. " A n g e l a " a moderately handicapped ten year old was the first child to ar rive. She stayed for a week initially. She was v e r y withdrawn and refused to communicate. Then one night Sean and Anne Sweeney overheard her playing with their daughter. H e r laughter filled the room. She had settled in at last. Angela returned several times during the next year and a half for weekend breaks. She was one of six children wheo have stayed on and off w i t h the Sweeneys. w e ' v e been told says Anne Sweeney. The benefits of HomeSharing are many. Sean and Anne say there is a great sense of helping so meone, giving a little love. " T h e i r needs are not hard to m e e t . T h e r e w a s nothing w e weren't able to handle. " T h e hardest thing to know was if the child was happy or needed something." The Sweeney children, Aoife and Paul, have gain ed from the experience too. " T h e y are not jealous and don't mind sharing their home with others. They no longer see people with mental handicap as strange. They have developed a great accep tance of people who are a little different." Sean and Anne feel it is important to emphasise that the Home-Sharing team provide an excellent back-up service."You don't feel trapped at all. The team is at hand if you should have any worries. We see ourselves doing this for the future." Mary Hearne, Home Share T e a m points out that the programme is aimed at g i v i n g the child a c h a n c e to e x p e r i e n c e another family and gear ing him towards independence.

In order to accomplish the seemingly enormous SWEENEY task of teaching a child about life it is not necessary to be an incredi ble text-book parent. In fact, it has got m o r e to do with being natural and generous with your child by loving and having an in t e r e s t in h i m , than anything else. R e m e m b e r to share your feelings and doings with him so that he may experience them and later reproduce them. During the day all sorts of adventures take place in a toddler's life. A fire engine speeding by or a big barking dog will spark off his imagination and he will want to share his ex perience with anyone who will listen.

ice-cream cone or he m a y want to talk about the shops, the c a r s and anything else of interest he passes. In the supermarket, he counts the apples and learns to spot the subtle differences on the labels. Once home, he will enjoy emptying the shopping b a g s , s o r t i n g out the groceries and chattering constantly. In all this the toddler looks to his parents for reassurance and guidance. He listens to mum and dad, copying their sayings and askiii j innumerable questions. With this his verbal abilities increase, and so does his general knowledge. H e helps with the household chores, lear ning to run simple messages and generally being a little helper in the home.

Make Friends
The scheme is now in its sixth year and to date 69 families hosted a total of 46 children. Twenty children are at present availing of ongoing breaks throughout the year. The scheme offers the child an opportunity to ex perience another family and make friends, give the parents a well earned break and the host family a chance to know a child with mental handicap. Home Sharing can be challenging but it is very rewarding. A preparation course and expenses are available and the Home Sharing team provide full support plus a 24 hour on call service during placement. If you would like to host a child with mental han-

Verbal Abilities
On the way to the shops he might see a sign for an

While all this goes on, he feels very important and loved, and he develops a great interest in life. Fathers in particular, often need to be reminded to show affection to their children and take an in terest in them. Of course they are interested, but they m a y not show it becuse they somehow feel that the c h i l d cannot understand them when they cannot speak fully and so don't bother. Teaching your child re quires time far more than it does money. Look at pretty pictures together in books and magazines and stick them into scrapbooks or on the wall wwhere the child can see them. Sing little songs as you work around the house ( g o on! it can be fun.) and get him to clap and bang things in ac companiment. Sing and dance with him in your arms - children love that.

MARY HEARNE
dicap or learn more about the Scheme, come along to the information night at the Salthill Hotel on Tues d a y F e b r u a r y 20th at 8.30pm or the Imperial Hotel Thursday 22nd at 8.30pm. For further information contact Mary Hearne, The Halls, Quay Street. Tel. 67291.

Ongoing Stay
" M a r y was another ad dition to the family. Deaf, dumb, and mentally han dicapped she first came for two weeks. Her stay has been ongoing. " I t w a s difficult at first," recalls Anne Sweeney. " W e had some sign language bat M a r y had no interest in anything. She just sat in a chair and stared into space all d a y . " Staff at the residential centre where M a r y lives, have noticed changes in ber since she stayed with the Sweeneys. When she

A little b i t o u t o f t h e way...

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An attractive IS year old boy needs weekend care. He lives in a group home five days a week but due to family circumstances, spends weekends in a crisis centre. He is a bright, chatty boy, well able to read and write. He likes watching television, drives in the car, and playing pool and space invaders. On first meeting him, he m a y be nervous, but as you get to know him he will relax.

The H o m e Sharing Team are looking for a family with children who are older than him or a couple with no children. They must be patient, car ing and consistent to help him o v e r c o m e his in s e c u r i t y and a n x i e t y . Ideally, the family should l i v e within a ten m i l e radius of Galway city. For further information contact Mary Hearne, The Halls, Quay street. T e l . 67291.

...but w e l l w o r t h the visit! TAMES D A V O R E N
Y O U R FAMILY BUTCHER
SHANTALLA ROAD, GALWAY. TEL: (091) 21635