A Different Perspective on Mother’s Day

12.5.2024

Author: Shiri Ben-Arzi.

Mothers are considered the ultimate, selfless, nurturing, and loving caregivers. This week, people around the world will celebrate International Mother’s Day. I want to take this opportunity to raise awareness about parents of chronically ill children and children with special needs.

In addition to usual parenting responsibilities, these parents deal with unique challenges such as doctor and therapy appointments, medical treatments, and hospitalizations, watching their child struggle with school issues, social stigma, and financial issues, and explaining the health challenges to those outside the family.

All these are done while keeping a job and maintaining a family routine.

Caregiver parents experience extreme stress, yet research shows that with the proper support and help, this stress can be intervened and reduced.

Here are 6 tips to help parents start to reduce stress:

These might seem easier said than done at first, but please consider the air safety rule about putting on your oxygen mask before helping others.

 

• Take Breaks. Schedule times when you can get away while a family member, friend, or medical practitioner stays with your child.
• Eat Right. Don’t skip means. If you’re going out, take nutritious snacks with you, like fruit, granola bars, sandwiches, or nuts. Accept friends’ offers to bring you homemade food and help out.
• Exercise helps clear the mind, boost energy levels, release endorphins, reduce cortisol, and improve sleep. Protect time during your day to move your body.
• Organize. Keep all the information about your child’s condition in one place, including medication schedules, nutritional guidelines, important phone numbers, and insurance information.
• Accept Help. When someone offers help, say yes, and when someone asks if they can do anything for you, answer truthfully. A little help goes a long way.
• Get Support. Whether it is a support group, a social worker, or a caregiver coach, it is vital to get the emotional and mental support needed to maintain resilience and get beyond the feeling of isolation.

Caregiving is not a destination. It is a journey.

We are called upon to become caregivers but rarely have the time or opportunity to prepare and get trained.

This is why we created the Caregiver Coach training program.

 

If you feel called to be a caregiver coach, visit our website to check when the next course starts – https://landing.mci-il.com/caregiver-coach-training/