One of the things that occurred to me is that there’s really no one good, central resource for a list of events that are coming up for parents of children with special needs. (Every group seems to have a superset of their events and a few other groups, but… not all in one place) So I’m going to try to remember to post something at least once a month with what I know of, and… well, if any of my readership knows of additional events, please feel free to let me know and I’ll add them.
And, because not everything revolves around our children with special needs, I’ll post general-interest parenting things here too, if I’m attending (with or without the kids).
Wednesday, June 16, 12:30 PM – The Arc Baltimore’s Moms Understand (II) support group for mothers of adult children with disabilities. This is the adult-children equivalent of the group that my wife attends monthly, at the Arc’s offices in Towson. FREE.
Saturday, June 18, 1 PM – Baltimore Dads Group Fathers’ Eve Happy Hour (no kids or moms) at Skipjack’s in Parkville. This is a great local group for fathers that does events once a month or so, and while we’ve been the only family with special needs so far at the events, we’re certainly welcome there. This is a social event for the dads to get together and spend some time, and it’s pay-your-way, gents. 😉
Tuesday, June 22, 4-7 PM – The Arc Baltimore Family Networking Picnic at Meadowood Park in Lutherville-Timonium. The Arc holds this picnic annually, with food and games and the like for families with children with disabilities, and it’s a great place to not only meet other families who are dealing with these issues, but it’s a lot of fun to boot. You might recognize the family on their event information page… just saying. FREE (registration required).
Thursday, June 24, 6:30 PM – The Arc Baltimore’s Dads Talk support group for fathers of children with disabilities. This is the group I attend every month. Childcare is available – the Monster and R will be there – if you RSVP in advance, and they feed us. FREE.
Sunday, June 26, 11 AM-4PM – Autism Society of Baltimore-Chesapeake’s 40th Birthday Bash at the B&O Railroad Museum. I’m sure most local parents have known about this museum – it’s a really fun place to visit, independent of the weather – and ASBC is celebrating their 40th birthday there, including a ride on the Mile One Express! FREE (registration required).
Sunday, June 26, 2:30 PM – Pathfinders for Autism’s Safety Day at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Ambulances, fire trucks and police, plus useful resources for families with a member who has Autism. FREE.
Sunday, June 26, 5:30 PM – Pathfinders for Autism’s night at the Aberdeen Ironbirds, Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Registration is closed, but keep your eyes on their page for future events – in years past, they’ve had tickets for most of the local minor league baseball teams.
Wednesday, July 6, 6:30 PM – The Arc Baltimore’s Moms Understand (I) support group for mothers of children with disabilities. This is the group my wife attends every month. Childcare is available – the Monster and R will not be there, since they stay home with me – if you RSVP in advance, and they feed you. FREE.
Thursday, July 7, 7-9 PM – Autism Society of Baltimore-Chesapeake support group meeting at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital. When my wife’s able, she attends this group – it’s a fabulous place to meet up and network with other parents of children with Autism, as well as to get useful information and education. FREE.
Saturday, July 9, 9 AM-1PM – Parents Day Out @ St. Matthews. Four free hours of respite! The Arc Baltimore and volunteers from the church will watch your children, do arts and crafts and generally make sure that you have a few hours to go do whatever it is that you want for a few hours. The Monster and R will be there, because the wife and I have other things to be doing. If you’re nervous about sending your kids, read this post. FREE (registration required).
Sunday, July 10, 10 AM-2PM – Parents Day Out @ Miracle Temple. Four free hours of respite! Yes, you get two opportunities in July for respite from The Arc, and it’s one of those rare Sunday ones! (Our kids will not be at this one, because, well, I’m going to be elsewhere…) FREE (registration required).
Sunday, July 10, 10 AM – Baltimore Dads Group Play at the Park at Honeygo Run Park (no moms). There’s a playground and hiking paths and a decent sized field. Come out and let your little ones run around for a bit, while you get to network with other fathers. FREE.
So get out there and do stuff for yourselves and with your kids!