Where do you start?

How do I help my kids thrive? How do I keep up with all the to-do list?

How do I keep up with my own self care when I have to be so so involved with the special needs of my kids?

Start where you’re at. You don’t have to wait until “Monday” or that other “someday”.

There will be some days when you don’t feel like you have it all together. You may not have all the answers to figure out how to get where you want to be, but you can do small simple steps in the moment.

As a mom of special needs, you have to throw the parenting books out the window.

So what IS helpful?

Don’t wait

If you have concerns about your child’s development, seek early intervention. Don’t ignore it. Early intervention can be monumental in supporting development.

There are a lot of free resources out there too. A lot of intervention programs are provided at no cost through federal programs, schools, and more.

Do your research carefully

Google can be very beneficial but can also be really, really dangerous. Be careful in your research, but once you have a feeling about what’s going on with your children, find some good resources. There are lots of resources online, just be careful.

Talk About Curing Autism Now (TACA) is one great resource.

Don’t underestimate the role that nutrition or environmental allergens can play into your child’s behaviors. They can potentially trigger some of these behaviors.

It’s okay to test out what kinds of foods work or don’t work. Even if your kid isn’t specifically allergic to something, it can still affect their mood or their sleep.

Never stop being an advocate for your child

You have the right to stand up for what your child needs. It’s okay to ask for grace and help.

It’s going to be something you have to investigate what’s going to work best for your family.

You know your child best. You are your child’s best advocate. You can stand up for your child, even with the doctor or other people who don’t know your child as well as you do.

Your child needs you to be their champion.

See my personal list of favorite books at www.renaefieck/personaldevelopment.com

How do you take care of yourself in this season?

Faith is a huge part – prayer and Bible study. Take the time to quiet yourself, with JUST yourself.

It can be hard, but even just going to the bathroom for two minutes or taking a “mom time-out”, set the kids up with an activity and give yourself 10 minutes. Take those little stolen moments and be grateful for them.

Find others to support you, your spouse, a friend, relative, whoever, to just give yourself a small break here and there. It’s one of the best things you can do for your family.

Even keeping an eye on your own diet can help with your mood and energy level. Make sure you drink lots of water and eat a good diet.

Find out what anchors your soul and fuels you. Regardless of if you have special needs kids, taking care of yourself is a #1 priority.

Self-care can even happen with your kids or when they are around. Find little ways to sneak it in throughout the entire day.

Sometimes just focusing on your kids, giving them a snuggle, taking the time to play with them, that can even make a huge difference in your own attitude.

Final thoughts

Own where you are right now. It might be messy, but that’s okay. Turn off social media if you need to. Don’t compare yourself to others. Live with intention and with purpose. Even in the messy moments. Get up each day and put one foot in front of the other.

“I’m going to find what gives me purpose, what gives me passion, and I’m just going to take one step forward each day. Even if it’s not huge progress. Just taking more intentional steps towards who we want to be.”

Sarah Ann

Meet Sarah Ann

Author of the blog Proverbs 31 Mentor, (previously Faith Along the Way,). Mother to special needs children with a passion to help other women/mothers thrive. Find her at Proverbs31Mentor.com, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.