Keeping in touch with your disabled brother or sister
It can be hard for siblings to keep in touch with their disabled brother or sister, particularly if their brother or sister has sensory and/or learning disabilities. Here are a few ideas that siblings have shared with us that are working for them. How do you keep in touch with your brother or sister? Share your ideas with us by emailing info@sibs.org.uk
Ideas for video calls:
- Catch up over meal times – have a virtual breakfast, lunch or dinner together
- Sing one song a day together – work your way through a favourite album or playlist
- Dance or make up your own fitness workout that you can both do, such as chair exercises
- Buy two of an item (such as bubble mix) and send them one. Over the video call, blow bubbles together
- Read them a favourite story, or make up stories together
- If a live call is hard, try recording short videos or sound recordings and sending them back and forth to each other
Ideas of small things to send in the post:
- Postcard with a word or picture on it that makes them laugh
- Favourite printed photograph of the two (or three or four…) of you as siblings
- An item of clothing that might bring comfort, such as a scarf that smells like you
- Wrap up a favourite bar of chocolate
- A sensory item, like soft scented hand cream
If you’re both able to, here are some other ideas of free things to do online together:
- Live streams at wildlife parks, zoos and aquariums
- Virtual theme park rides
- Museum tours
Research about keeping in touch
We know that many siblings will relate to some of the content in this research report, which includes sibling experiences
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