SELF CARE FOR PARENTS of Teen or Adult with Autism or Mental Illness

“Wow, you certainly have your hands full!” If I had a nickel for every time I heard that expression, I would be a very rich woman!  As a parent of multiple children on the Autistic Spectrum it has been VITAL that I take time for Self Care.  I wanted to share what has worked for me in this Blog.  I would like to hear from you!  What have been your Self Care Strategies that you have found helpful as a parent?     autismcaregiver@gmail.com What has been helpful for me is:  1.       Contact with Other Parents of Children with Autism, Aspergers or ADHD.   Sharing funny stories has actually been the most therapeutic!  It has so helped me during difficult times to think, “This is not funny right now…..But when I share it with some other moms…They will find it hilariously funny and I will be able to laugh too!”  Now that is QUALITY THERAPY like no other!   Sharing similar stories with oth...

I am a mom of 4 children.  Three of them have Autism.  Most people gasp, after that statement.  I know what that is like.  When I only had one child with Autism, I remember calling a mom that I had heard had three children on the autistic spectrum .  I just had to call her, just to hear her voice.  I thought my situation was overwhelming with just ONE (so I thought at the time) child with Autism.  I could not imagine having more than one. It was kind of a morbid curiosity that I had... to find out what a person would "sound like", that was parenting three children with autism.  Forgetting all appropriate phone protocol, I blurted, "I don't think that I would still be alive, if I had THREE with Autism!  I think I would have lost it, and that I would be in the fetal position in my closet."  I was embarrassed that I could not come up with something....anything else to say to this poor woman! "Ah....If you don't mind my asking...How...