The St. Michael's House Social work department in the North, North East and South Dublin regions have been running sibshops for many years. In Goatstown, Sibshops have taken place on an annual basis and this year we celebrated its eighteenth birthday.
A recent Ballymun based Sibshop was celebrated over the Easter break 2019 with 40 children in attendance. It is hoped that the Sibshops will ran twice a year organised through the Social Work Department and facilitated by a mixture of clinical team members. For the first time, Parents enjoyed an information session and follow up evaluation/feedback sessions.
Thank you to Domino's Pizza in Raheny and Fire house Pizza in Ballymun for their generousity at the recent Easter Break sibshops.
What are Sibshops ?
A Sibshop is a structured ‘fun day’ for siblings of children who have a disability.
It provides an opportunity for siblings (usually between 8-12 years) to meet each other, to realise that there are others who experience similar situations as themselves and to meet some of the clinicians working with their sibling.
Through activities siblings can experience and develop an understanding of the issues that may affect their brother/sister. A favourite is always the ‘obstacle course’ –designed to test perception, agility, communication ability etc.