Couple who are both BLIND reveal what it’s REALLY like to raise two young kids without sight – detailing the ‘nonvisual ways they ensure their safety’ – as they fire back at critics who say they’re not fit to be parents
- Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, 41, a writer from Omaha, Nebraska, lost her vision in her early 20s after she caught an undisclosed viral infection
- She married her husband, Ross Michael, who is also blind, in 2006, and the two have welcomed two sons, named Declan, 10, and Duncan, five, together
- While taking care of their boys without being able to see has its difficulties, the couple has come up with methods to keep track of them
- They put bells on their ankles, use child harnesses, and do ‘verbal and physical’ checks on the kids every 10 minutes
- Bridgit explained that she also uses her sense of hearing, explaining that if she ever notices a ‘noise out of place’ it can ‘alert her’ to something being wrong
- Bridgit admitted that other moms and dads often question their ‘ability to parent’ – and some have even asked her if she’s fit to be a mother
A couple who are both blind have opened up about how they raise their two young kids without seeing, explaining that they’ve created ‘nonvisual ways’ to ‘ensure their safety’ – despite backlash from other parents who have questioned their ‘ability to parent.’
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, a 41-year-old writer from Omaha, Nebraska, lost her vision in her early 20s after she caught an undisclosed viral infection.
However, she ‘adapted and adjusted’ – and her disability hasn’t stopped her from accomplishing her dream of becoming a mother.
She married her husband, Ross Michael, 41, who is also blind, in 2006, and the two have welcomed two sons, named Declan, 10, and Duncan, five, together over the years.
And while taking care of their boys without being able to see has its difficulties, the couple has come up with methods to keep track of them – like putting bells on their ankles or using a child harness.
A couple who are both blind have opened up about how they raise their two young kids without seeing, explaining that they’ve created ‘nonvisual ways’ to ‘ensure their safety’
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, a writer from Omaha, Nebraska, lost her vision in her early 20s after she caught an undisclosed viral infection
She married her husband, Ross Michael, who is also blind, in 2006, and the two have welcomed two sons, named Declan, 10, and Duncan, five, together over the years
‘When we decided to start a family, the fact that we are blind was not a deterrent,’ Bridgit explained in a recent essay for Insider.
The mother-of-two explained that she uses her sense of hearing to make sure that Declan and Duncan are safe, explaining that if she ever hears a ‘noise out of place’ it can ‘alert her’ to something being wrong.
Every 10 minutes, she said she also does a ‘verbal and physical’ check on her kids.
Bridgit admitted that the boys are like ‘two sly foxes,’ and often try to sneak treats since they know their parents can’t see them.
She added that they have to work even harder than normal parents, but said she doesn’t regret a thing.
‘Parenting is challenging. Parenting with a disability is no exception and brings unique challenges,’ she continued.
‘We’ve never been able to sit back like other parents. Even now that they’re older, I have two sly foxes. They need supervision, and I can’t do [that] visually.
‘But at the end of the day, this is all an inconvenience, not a struggle – and certainly not a life-shattering situation. A major inconvenience, for sure, but just that.’
According to the writer, her sons are totally accepting of their disabilities.
‘My boys see me as their mom. My blindness is not startling or disturbing; I’m not different to them,’ she said.
But while her kids are supportive, Bridgit admitted that other parents are often judgmental – and some have even asked her if she’s fit to be a mother.
‘What’s more frustrating are the attitudes my husband and I encounter about nonvisual parenting,’ she continued.
‘Like the woman across the street who grilled my grandparents about our ability to parent. She noticed I was pregnant and wondered if she should call the authorities.
‘My boys see me as their mom. My blindness is not startling or disturbing; I’m not different to them,’ she said. Bridgit is seen with her husband, Ross
But while her kids are supportive, Bridgit admitted that other moms and dads are often judgmental – and some have even asked them if they’re fit to be parents
‘These mindsets are my obstacle. Dealing with these attitudes every day is like pushing through quicksand,’ she added. ‘I’m not broken. I want to be accepted as a mom’
‘Or the runner I passed while jogging. I stopped after a mile to sit for a few minutes, rubbing my pregnant belly. She approached and asked if someone like me should have a baby.
‘Or the fellow mom on the playground stalking behind me. When I turned to say hello, she asked if my kids are safe.
‘These mindsets are my struggle. These mindsets are my obstacle. Dealing with these attitudes every day is like pushing through quicksand.’
She added that ‘regardless of how she acts or presents’ herself, she is viewed as having ‘no agency,’ and urged others to treat people like her as equals.
‘I’m not broken. I’m not half a person,’ she concluded. ‘I want to enter a space and be accepted as a mom, a woman, and a human.
‘I don’t want to always cling white-knuckled to my agency, forcing others to see me as a whole person.
‘This is the challenge of blind parenting in a world programmed to assume that seeing is the only way to exist.’
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