AUTISM AND SELF CARE FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
Parents often live in constant fear about what will happen to their Autistic Child when they die, I was exactly the same, whilst over the many years I had studied and read so many books about autism and attended so many courses and trained with so many autism specialists and professionals, nearly all the focus was on treating the autism. There was very little focus on self-care for carers and parents or ongoing support and advice to assist us to deal with the many fears and challenges we face daily as parents or carers of children/adults with autism or other special needs or disabities.
Parent and careers often feel alone, unsupported, isolated, overwhelmed and just exhausted, those who have given up careers and dreams to be a full time carer are particularly vunerable.
Personally and thankfully, I realized if I did not start taking better care of myself, I could become very ill.
I often hear people say my kids come first, in the past I would say the same, but I want to leave you with a new saying.
WE ALL COME FIRST AND LOVING AND CARING FOR ME IS THE HIGHEST THING I CAN DO FOR MY LOVED ONE´S
It finally dawned on me the importance of taking care of me and that:
LOVING MYSELF WAS LOVING MY CHILD
TO LOVE AND CARE FOR MYSELF IS NOT SELFISH
I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY NO
I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY THIS IS TOO MUCH I CANNOT DO ANYMORE
IT IS OK TO SAY I NEED TIME OUT OR TIME OFF
