Special Needs Mom and Dad Burnout is REAL!
I have watch my cousin who is a mom of 3 little young handsome boys two of which have Autism and Speech Disorder feels burns out daily. Her daily schedule consist of getting up at 5:00 am every morning followed by getting the boys off to school by 8am that consist of three different drop offs because they all go to different schools.
While they’re in school my cousin rushes back home to work for home doing her managerial position online at home dealing with frustrated people online all day. After her shift is over with at 4:30 pm she rushes to her car to pick up all 3 of her boys who are at all different schools due to their special needs every day only to repeat the cycle again the next day.
I’m not saying that if you’re a parent of a child that doesn’t have a disability that parenting isn’t hard because everyone’s parenting styles are different and everyone has different living situations. What I’m saying is that I know special needs parenting is REAL! and that special needs mom and dad burnout is real when parenting a child or teen with special needs. So I came up with a list of tips that could help reduce for parents of children with disabilities after watching my cousin do her daily routine.
6Tips On How To Beat Special Needs Parenting Burnout!
Get Caregiver Assistance
Getting caregiver assistance is when you get help from an organization or medical facility that provides daily living services such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, paying daily bills, and many other things to assist the person with a disability. By obtaining a caregiver for your child that takes off a lot of pressure for you as a parent. When the caregiver is present you can go shopping for your home or run other errands. There are also states that pay you to take care of your child as well such as Texas.
Do Mindfulness Yoga or Exercises
Doing mindfulness activities with your child everyday can be a great activity for building a positive and strong relationship. When doing mindfulness yoga and exercises we help to destress our bodies and free ourselves of anxiety and stress. My cousin does yoga and walks with her boys every weekend to stay active and fit. Just check out one of these mindfulness videos down below that you can do at home with your special needs child.
Plan a Mini Family Trip
Going on family trips doesn’t have to be expensive and I know that planning as a special needs parent can be very tricky. Which is why I’m telling you another way to stay sane as a special needs parent and not become stressed is by planning a MINI family vacation which can be a weekend trip to the park for camping or a day at the beach/waterpark that includes some cool water activities such as swimming or tubing. You can even have a backyard BBQ and invite other special needs moms and dads over for a fun playdate.
Playdates for you child
Playdates are really cool! not only are you making great parent friends when finding other special needs parents needing playdates but also your child is enjoying their day by playing and meeting new friends as well. Try Meetup a website that finds other people who share the similar interest as you. You can look up a special needs parenting groups or playdates on the website and find out where other special needs parents are taking their kids to enjoy some fun outside of the home.
Pampering after DARK
I have always taken the time out to pamper myself after a long day after work by pampering myself with a long hot bath, scented candles, and some yummy food at night. Another way to help keep your sanity is to pamper yourself after dark while the kids are sleeping with some good music, snacks, and other essentials such as subscription box for a night filled with relaxation and fun by yourself or with your partner.
Check out these popular subscription boxes and services below that are great for using at home when you have had a challenging day that lead to burnout.
Get to work in your PURPOSE!
I would say that my favorite thing to tell people on how to keep their sanity and refrain from burnout in almost any situation is to get to work in your PURPOSE! Do you know your life’s purpose? Do you know what your gift is to the world? Working in your purpose is a great way to keep your sane. I know that my purpose is working with children but especially advocating and working for children and teens with disabilities which is the reason why I started this blog in the first place.
Sit down in a quiet place and really think about what you’re good at. Maybe you’re good at making people laugh, designing T-shirts, making planners, or coaching others. Whatever you can do the best with the least amount of effort that is your purpose in life. When we work in our purpose in life we are fulfilled with joy and energized and ready to take on the day.
Some days are harder than others but as the end of the day nears we always have our why and what to look forward to in the near future. Check out this mom blogger who runs a 6-figure blogging business and and also mom to two twins at home. Her story is amazing of how she started blogging (working in her purpose) of helping other moms become financially free with starting their own blog at home to stay at home with her kids.
Although everyone circumstances are different I’m hoping that you can do at least two out of the six things on this tip list and that you can also share with others.
