It’s the easiest to flight train a clipped bird when it’s at the fledgling age because it naturally wants to keep trying.

An older, clipped bird, will give up much faster from past bad experiences failing, which is why it can be so important not to let the process become negative in any way or harmful to the bird.

It’s going to try really hard to fly because that’s what it’s meant to do.

And it’s not going to understand why its wings are not working the way they should.

So, keeping the encouragement up throughout is paramount.

I always come back to this analogy when thinking about my own experiences with my daughters, both with their clipped wings and desperately wanting to leave the nest and fly.

Our daughters, Katie 25 with cystic fibrosis, and Lucy 24 with Dravet syndrome, have both fledged and are attempting to live their own lives with their clipped wings.

Luckily, neither of them perceives that they shouldn’t have the same opportunities as everyone else and both work really hard within their own limitations to make the most of everything they are offered.

The prospect of enabling our precious offspring to leave the nest came with a whole swathe
of new concerns.

Negotiating adult services and fighting for their right to independence was all consuming.

Granted, the necessity for regular respite and that this disheveled exhausted parents has dissipated.

But trusting that they are safe out there is a total minefield when we have very little control over what happens and we certainly don’t know the safe route to tread.

Our nest is now empty, which comes with much joy and much sadness.

There are still many obstacles and decisions to be made in the future.

We will to be guided by our resilient daughters and make sure that their best interests are always at the forefront.