5 Tips to Ensure Self-Care for Special Needs Parents
Parenting is hard and stressful under the best of circumstances, but parenting children with intellectual and developmental challenges is a different ball game all on its own. Caring for a child with special needs can quickly become a full-time job and an exhausting one at that. Without the necessary support, parents can very easily experience burnout.
Juliann Garey, journalist, novelist, and clinical assistant professor at NYU, reports that parents of children with special needs are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and marital problems.
It is therefore easy to understand the importance of self-care.
Here are our top 5 tips to ensure you as a parent of a child with special needs are also meeting your own needs.
Make a habit of scheduling “me” time
You’ll want to find uninterrupted time for yourself. This will look different for every individual as we all unwind and relax in different ways. Maybe for you, it’s going for a jog, reading, cooking, or journaling.
However your “me” time looks, make sure you actually make the time.
These moments allow you to clear your mind and to refocus on your goals and objectives as a parent. During this time, focus on you. Fill your cup because how can you keep giving when you’ve got nothing to give?
2. Find Your Tribe
People near and dear to you may not necessarily always know how to help and encourage you. Relationships with parents who have special needs children similar to your own are therefore invaluable.
Sharing your joys, struggles, and your journey with these parents can help you with stress management. It can also help provide you with peer support, counseling, and therapy. It is so refreshing to meet with people who get you, people who can relate to you, encourage you, and advise you.
Hold these friendships near to you and make it a priority to meet up, even if it’s just through text message or a video chat.
3. Your marriage matters
You need to pay attention to the most fragile relationship of all, your marriage. Ensure you spend time together as a couple, doing something you both love. Make sure during this time together, your focus is on one another and not your child. Let this be how you spend the bulk of your time together.
Dr. Cindy Ariel, a US-based psychologist who specializes in working with families of special-needs children says,
“I encourage parents to take little breaks such as when their child is in a therapy session or in school.”
Make time thereafter to discuss the needs of your special needs child. Ensure you are united in your goals and that you have a structured plan moving forward.
4. It takes a village, but you need to ask
They say it takes a village to raise a child and this couldn’t be more true. Family plays such a vital role in supporting and understanding your needs as a parent to a special needs child. Not only immediate family but extended family too.
When it comes to family, voice your needs and be specific. This may be the only way you are going to get the support you need. If it’s a meal, a night out alone with your spouse, or a trip to the grocery store for you…say it.
5. Sibling support
The siblings of your special needs child can play an important role in helping you help your special needs child. It is important all of your children understand, support, and love their special needs sibling. This will be of great help to you as you navigate your way as a family through trying and testing times.
We hope that these tips have been helpful to you!
If you are a parent to a special needs child or know of someone who is and who needs support, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
