This is why the practice of self-care is so important. Sadly, statistics show that autism parents tend to have higher levels of stress and depression. What worries me the most is the lower quality of life autism parents and caregivers have. We need to take care of ourselves first in order to improve our quality of life. If you're concerned about your mental health, please seek professional help.
Trust me, Dave and I have struggled with this a lot. We have no family close by, so we needed to get creative with spending time together. we started doing dates when our kids are at school. We also try and spend about 30 minutes together before bedtime just reconnecting after a long day.
Self-care for Parents with Special Needs
Posted by Jenn Eggert
Self-care for Parents with Special Needs
Being a parent or caregiver of someone with autism can be one of the most rewarding but difficult jobs we have ever had.
There are so many amazing self-care strategies for parents with special needs.
Please remember not everything fits for every family and you need to find what works for your family. One I have to do every time before bed is read for a while. It helps me unwind and refocus. Here are other couple ideas:
- Go get a mani or a pedicure.
- Take a nice bath after bedtime or while kids are at school.
- Go for a walk or exercise.
- Cook or bake. For me, baking is a huge stress reliever.
- Call friend who understands the most of you. They understand and have often been where you are.
- Find a hobby you enjoy.
- See a counselor or therapist.
- Join an autism support group.
Try to find a way to schedule self-care activities into your daily routine.
Please remember not everything fits for every family and you need to find what works for your family. One I have to do every time before bed is read for a while. It helps me unwind and refocus. Here are other couple ideas:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JENN EGGERT
is a 35-year-old mother of two. Jenn's daughter, Ryley was disagonsed with autism at the age of 4. Jenn is also the host of our weekly Facebook Live show, Ask an Autism Mom.