I recently saw an article that said that Mothers of Children With Autism Have More Stress. To that I can only say “You think?!” It is no secret that raising a child with a child with special needs comes with added stress.  I would be quick to point out that it is worth every once of it, but that does not make it any easier.

Parents of special needs children sometimes have to deal with therapists, extra doctor’s appointments, more meetings at schools, and, in some cases, stares of people who just don’t understand. I had a friend, who is the mother of a child with Cri Du Chat, tell me that she gets so frustrated at mothers who complain about their children having a low grade fever or on how long it takes them to get one typically developing child ready for the day. She has to tube feed her son, give him his medications, dress him,  make sure that his special inserts for his shoes are put on properly and be out the door before 7 in the morning.  She often laments that those parents don’t realize how easy they have it.

Reading this article and reflecting on some of my other friend’s experiences only reminds me on how important it is that we all take care of ourselves. If we are stressed out and on the edge of jumping into the loony bin, we need to take a step back and do a little something for ourselves for a change even if that little something is shutting yourself in a closet with your favorite snack or locking the bathroom door and taking a long, hot bath.  One particularly stressful morning, I put my kids in our playroom and hid on our stairs with my cup of coffee for five minutes. It helped me to gather my sanity and be  a better mom for the day. I encourage all of you to do the same.