Self-care for parents is important as it is a demanding role. For parents of children with disabilities, all the normal challenges of parenthood can be amplified. It often requires an extraordinary amount of time, energy and emotional resilience.
The demands of caring for a child with a disability can cause self-care to slip down one's list of priorities. However, taking care of oneself is crucial for personal well-being and also essential for being the best possible caregiver of your child.
In this post, we'll explore the importance of self-care for parents, common barriers parents face and practical strategies for incorporating self-care into daily life.
Self-Care For Parents Matters
Self-care is often considered to be selfish acts. The reality is that it is crucial for maintaining physical, emotional and mental health. For parents of children with disabilities, stressors and challenges are unique and can be constant. Without regular self-care, these issues can lead to burnout and depression. Even physical health problems may arise.
Prioritizing your well-being is taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself, it is easier to take care of others. This is because it allows you to maintain the strength, patience and mental/physical energy to support your child effectively.
Common Barriers to Self-Care
Even though self-care is very important, many parents have a hard time incorporating it in their routine. The following are some common things that make barriers to self-care:
Guilt- A lot of parents (especially mothers) feel guilty when taking time for themselves, believing that every moment should be dedicated to their child.
Lack of or No Support- It can be hard to get away from your children for a little while if one doesn't have reliable support.
Time Constraints- The responsibilities that are involved in caring for a child with disabilities can take up a lot of time. This means that self care might be put aside.
Mental Health Issues- Parents dealing with a mental illness (i.e. anxiety or depression), may have issues prioritizing self-care.
Financial Issues- Parents experiencing financial strain might have trouble affording self-care items and services (i.e. home gym equipment and childcare).
Practical Self-Care Strategies
The following are some strategies to getting some self-care in on a regular basis:
Keep It Simple- Self-care doesn't have to be elaborate and expensive- just simple things can make a big impact. Examples of this includes reading a good book for 20 minutes, taking a walk while listening to a interesting podcast and doing some yoga.
Mindfulness and Meditation- These are great for emotional health even if they are only done for a few minutes. There are many wonderful YouTube videos that provide guided mindfulness and meditation. The Mindful Movement channel is a great choice in particular.
Engage in Creative Activities- Doing creative activities can relieve stress and be a great way to express oneself. Examples include painting, drawing, writing and playing an instrument.
Prioritizing Physical Health- Caring for one's physical health is important as good physical health helps with the ability to provide care for others. This includes getting workouts in (they don't have to be long!), eating healthy and getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Make Time for Relationships- Making sure to stay connected and spend quality time with a partner, family and friends can be very beneficial. It can keep you from being isolated (which can happen as a parent of a child with disabilities) which in turn helps one emotionally.
Find Professional Resources- Seeking professional help is a form of self-care. The emotional and mental aspects of being a caregiver for a child with disabilities can be really hard to deal with. Because of this, finding a counselor or therapist may be what a person needs to cope. There are usually low-cost mental health services that one can find as well as online therapy sessions.
Respite Care- Having respite care take over might provide some short-term relief and the ability to recharge oneself. There might be local services that provide this kind of care or one might have to budget for a respite caregiver and train a person in on how to care for their child with disabilities.
Remember Your Strengths- Caregivers of children with disabilities have a lot of strengths because what they go through on a daily basis. It is important to always keep that in mind and give oneself credit for the hard work that is done each day.
In Conclusion
Self-care is a necessity, especially for caregivers of children with disabilities. By implementing some or all of the practices I outlined- caregivers can build the strength and resilience they need to navigate the challenges they face. Once they care for themselves, they are better able to care for their children.
Since Forward Leap accepts children who are neurodiverse, I felt that this post was important for potential parents/caregivers that their children. Contact us today if you are interested in what this program has to offer your child!
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