Caring For Yourself So You Can Care For Your Child’s Special Needs
Top 5 Self Care Tips for Parents
1) Build community with other parents of children with special needs
2) Do the things that fill your cup so you don’t end up burning out
3) Lean into the challenging moments - these are fertile ground for actualizing your human potential
4) Celebrate the big moments - the ones a parent of a typically developing child Might take for granted
5) Your child is marching to the beat of their own drum, so make sure you do, too!
“Sing like no one is listening, love like you have never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.”
-mark twain
Living Like It’s Heaven On Earth
When i see my son bouncing around the playground like he is dancing to music only he can hear, i clearly see him as my teacher.
There is such joy in the present moment — in the feeling of these moments, and in how we cope with the feelings of these moments. And the only way I know how to be fully present in these moments is to allow myself to be seen.
By not making myself small I more fully experience all of my own emotions; when I lean into them, and I don’t shrink from them, it tends to transform into my heart bursting with love. And then here I am, feeling that I am riding the outer limits of my human potential.
Do you think the mom in this picture is worried about how she looks with paint on her face? Maybe, but I like to think she is more tuned into joy - her own essence - in this moment captured on her daughter’s face, and in their shared experience.
Stories of Hope
While every moment with your child is filled with unique possibilities, some truly stand out. Moments of connection may come in the form of an unexpected hug at the end of the day, grabbing your hand to lead you to a desired location, looking you right in the eyes to demonstrate interest in you or what you are doing, or beginning to communicate with you in any number of ways.
When my child reaches for my hand, I hope to reach back and connect around whatever is being expressed, but I know I am not as capable if I am not taking really good care of myself. The above tips are just a starting point.
