Moms of Special Needs Children are stressed out. According to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Moms of adolescents with Autism experience and have stress levels similar to “Combat Soldiers!”
This revealing statement is applicable to all moms, dads, siblings, and families of Special Needs Children. Families face physical, emotional, and financial demands while surviving on less sleep and less time for themselves than the average parent.
A night of uninterrupted sleep is a vague memory for many parents. Holiday time is a great time of year to reach out with a smile and a caring hand. Thank you to Snappin Ministries Special Needs Parents Network and my Facebook friends for providing me with the following insights.
What Do Moms of Special Needs Children Really Want and Need?
Time for Themselves:
- Getting their hair or nails done at a peaceful time of day.
- A night out with their spouse.
- A nice relaxing hot bubble bath without interruptions.
- A reliable and capable babysitter to allow for any of the above to take place in a state of relaxation.
- Joyful outings with friends where the focus is on laughing!
Help:
- Help with housework, cooking, and cleaning.
- Help with meals when they are in crisis mode.
- An offer to entertain their other children when they have appointments with their special needs child.
- Help arrange them some alone time, offer to take their child/children out for a few hours.
- Snow removal/yard help.
- Carpooling.
- Companionship and an occasional check-in of “How are YOU doing?”
Gift Baskets:
- Self-indulging ones made just for moms with no time on their hands, bath/shower items, or even special treats baskets.
Gift Cards/Certificates:
- Gas Station gift card to make sure they have a full tank in times of emergencies.
- Therapeutic massage or spa day.
- Dinner certificate/card to their favorite restaurant.
- Pharmacy gift cards, such as CVS.
- Supermarket gift cards to pick up items quickly.
Smiles: So simple and FREE! Smile when you see a parent and child in a store, restaurant, or playground. Instead of grimacing or staring at an outburst or melt down, give a sincere and understanding smile.
Stress Free Kids founder Lori Lite is a freelance blogger, social media strategist, parenting expert, and successful entrepreneur. Her line of books and CDs is designed to help children, teens, and adults decrease stress, anxiety, and anger. Ms. Lite’s books, CDs, and lesson plans are considered a resource for parents, psychologists, therapists, child life specialists, teachers, doctors, and yoga instructors. Lori’s award-winning books received national attention on Shark Tank and her sort-after accessible tips have been featured in hundreds of publications including CNN Living, Real Simple Magazine, USA Today, Family Circle, Working Mother Magazine, and Web MD. For more information visit Stress Free Kids and for daily advice follow Lori on Twitter and Facebook.
