There Is No Shame in Asking For Help

There is no shame in asking for help. 

We live in community, and at the core of a successful community are relationships built upon networks of interdependence. Yet, for so many, asking for help is hard.  

We are bombarded by images of how to raise our children to be independent, but independence does not mean solitary. The secret no one shares is that knowing how and when to ask for help is a sign of true developmental maturity.

There is no shame in asking for help.

We see images of super-parents, mothers and fathers who seem to have the incredible ability to work, raise children, maintain a home, volunteer to coach sports, lead scout troupes, join the parent associations and still put dinner on the table every night. The secret no one shares? The parents who “do it all” are really the ones who don’t; they delegate responsibilities and know when to find support.

There is no shame in asking for help.

So what can this mean for the disability community? Teaching children to be their own advocates and empowering individuals to be able to share what they need is critical. Yet, I have also heard the frustration of family members who feel that they always have to ask – for help, for accommodations, for inclusive opportunities. Constant and consistent advocates may find themselves wishing that, “Just once…I won’t have to ask…(the school, the doctor, the synagogue…)” So what happens when you grow tired of asking?

What does it take to strike the right balance? 

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