Special Needs Parenting Corner
Lessons From One Mom’s Journey: Self-care is not a luxury; it is a priority!
June 25, 2015
What is the most important piece of your child’s treatment plan? In my opinion, your own self-care! In general, parenting is one of the toughest jobs there is; parenting a child with special needs is even tougher. Take the natural worries that a mom has for her child, and times them by 1,000. Take the countless responsibilities that a mom has on her plate, and triple them. Take the financial burdens a family faces, and quadruple them! Take the strain that raising kids has on a marriage and inject it with steroids… And that is how I felt at the beginning of my journey of being a special needs mom.
I am a mom raising two boys with challenging needs. After 7 years into my journey, I am so happy to say that I now see the blessing in my boy’s “unique wiring”. Put simply, being a special needs mom has made me a better person. Raising children with special needs has humbled me, forced me to be less judgmental, less self-centered, more accepting, more loving, and most importantly – it has brought me closer to God. However, it took 5 long years for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I personally know so many other amazing special needs moms that have been riding that storm much longer! Along those initial years of my journey, friends would often comment, “I don’t know how you do it – you are a super mom!” To all my fellow special need moms out there, let me tell you this, super mom does not exist! How did I “do it”? I handled it like so many other moms who are raising kids with special needs handle it – I dropped the self-care. I poured everything into raising my boys, and left nothing for myself, and ultimately, I paid a heavy price. Eventually, I burned out, gained 50 lbs., and slipped into a functional depression. That was two years ago. Today, through the grace of God and the help of some amazing friends, family, and professional support resources – I can now say my life is more joyful than it has ever been.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have some very rough days, but the difference is, today I am more resilient. Today, because I put God and self-care in the center of my life, I am better able to rise above the daily stressors. Please make the time to take care of yourself; have faith, exercise, eat right, sleep enough, carve out special time with friends, do what brings you joy, and find a support system. I truly believe that it “all works out” in the end, but the road is long. Parenting is a marathon not a sprint – so please make the time to take of your self!
If you are a mom looking for support for your journey, you can either read Jen’s personal blog at JenGentile.Com or sign up for her free resilient parenting workshop on 6/10 at JenGEvents.Com.
