Grandparents and Extended Family Members

It takes a village to raise any child, and many of us are lucky to count grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and others among our villagers.  Recognizing that grandparents and extended family members needs are slightly different, but not less important than those of the parents, MDSN is in the process of forming a list of grandparents who would like to serve in an outreach capacity to other grandparents in Maine.  If you are interested, please complete the contact form below.

If you are looking for information to help support your loved one with Down syndrome and other family members, we encourage you to read the links below and to search through some of the other pages of this website for facts, resources and other contacts that may be helpful.

 

Your Loved One is Having a Baby with Down Syndrome – When you learn that someone you love is expecting a baby with Down syndrome, you naturally have concerns, and wonder what to say and do. This book will help you through your initial, normal reactions of sadness, shock, and worry, and give you the information and perspective you need to welcome a baby with Down syndrome.

Grandparent Stories – This article outlines some additional grandparent resources and also shares perspectives on how grandparents can play an important role in supporting both their children and grandchildren.

Positive Support (Includes Sample Letters of Thanks) – This article shares the positive support new and expectant parents have received from their loved ones and offers ideas from other parents about what they found helpful.
What will baby need? (It’s a Baby Shower!) – This article includes a list of baby shower items recommended by other moms for babies with Down syndrome to celebrate and prepare for the birth of your little one. Some items are typical for any baby, and others are items moms found particularly useful for their baby with Down syndrome.

 

How Do I Talk About Down Syndrome? (pdf)-Many of our members who are extended family members themselves have found this brochure, produced by the Illinois parent group, Ups for Downs, to be helpful to distribute among family and  friends.  It can be a good place to begin important, but sometimes difficult, conversations