We are sharing this helpful article from the My Child blog on www.cerebralpalsy.org, originally published Feb 14, 2017.
______________________________
Raising children can be a full-time job. Many parents appear
to have it all together, other’s not so much. Habits can create a better
routine for behavior which leads to a better grip on the life you and your
child lead. Do you have positive and helpful habits when it comes to being a
parent of a child with special needs? We give some ideas for helpful habits
that will make parenting and helping your child much easier.
Maintain Support Systems
Parenting can be hard at some points and you shouldn’t have
to face it alone. Maintaining a support system that you can turn to will make
you feel less alone on your journey. A support group can
provide you with resources to help you and lend a listening ear. A support
group of parents who are on your same journey may give you ideas to tackle a
problem differently. These support groups can be found in a Facebook community
or found offline. A parent should have a support system not only found in a
support group but also with friends and family. Do you maintain
friendships? Keeping close friendships can help with your health and overall
happiness. Friendships are there to support you, share special moments with and
can help you vent when times are hard. They provide a life outside of the
home and can create better connections in your everyday life. We are all busy
so you may go periods of not meeting up with your support system. Keep
connections alive by taking time to stay connected with a quick phone call,
email or text. If you are always the first one to reach out, do not let that
stop you.
Do Your Own Homework
Become an expert when it comes to your child’s special
needs. Conduct your own research often when it comes to the latest developments
and findings. Not only by reading the latest articles online about programs and
therapies but by being an investigator in their daily life as well. Keeping
tabs on what is happening in your child’s life leads to a better understanding
in what you and others can do to help improve it. It can create better
discussions on what can be done for your child in school, the local community
and to their health. Decrease gaps in parent-teacher relationships by meeting
more often with your child’s educational team to have greater knowledge about
what your child is learning, areas they need to further develop in and to aid
in building stronger ties with your child’s daily environment.
Take Time Out
Everyone needs a break from time to time. Make sure you are
taking time out for yourself to recharge. Carve a spot out each week for you to
do something you enjoy. Are you keeping up with your self-care physically and
emotionally? Being a parent can sometimes mean putting your child’s needs
before yours. However, you can not be your best when you are running on empty.
Physical self-care includes getting enough sleep, eating healthy and receiving
regular medical care. You may have a lot of doctor appointments for your child
but that doesn’t mean that you should be neglecting your own health. When your
health suffers or you become sick, the ability to take care of your child will
suffer as well. Emotional self-care includes working on relationships, saying
no to extra responsibilities, spending time with individuals, enjoying a hobby
and giving yourself quiet time.
Create A Safe Environment
Creating a loving and supportive environment will positively
impact your children forever. Do you encourage your child or praise them? This
will help them develop a healthy and positive attitude and self-image. Gossip
about your child so they can overhear. No not the bad gossip, let your child
overhear you the next time you tell a grandparent on how well they did with
their latest school assignment. When your child talks to you do you listen and
provide helpful feedback? Children need to feel safe when confiding in you. So
they will feel it is okay to come to you when something is really troubling
them. Be sure to take their feelings into consideration when providing
feedback. Give them a safe environment free from negative criticism and they
will feel more comfortable in opening up to you when things go wrong or a
challenge arises. The way you speak to your children provides them with an
example on how to treat others and how to treat themselves. Show your children
that you care for them even when you disagree with their behavior.
Becoming a parent can change you drastically. Your life and
your habits focuses in on a singular purpose, your child. It creates a tighter
bond that you ever thought possible. Life with a child can be meaningful, fun
and chaotic. However, you should never get too busy to take time out to care
for yourself or carve out a spot from your day to make them feel important.
Creating helpful habits can improve the bond with your child, a better
understanding of their education and a healthier lifestyle for yourself.
Post a Comment