One of my biggest fears is placing too much responsibility on my neurotypical daughter.
I want them to be compassionate but not parentified. Understanding but not burdened. Kind but not self-sacrificing. I have been through all this as a teenager and young adult in a household without any neurodiverse individuals and till date I carry a lot of traumas which always haunt me.
We talk openly in our home. About differences. About boundaries. About how everyone deserves support.
I remind my daughter that being a sibling doesn’t mean being a caregiver. That it’s okay to step away. That their future belongs to them.
Autism may be part of our family, but it doesn’t get to define anyone’s limits.
