Parent-care

Parent-care are often neglected in the crisis settings parents can find themselves in.  Evenmore so for NeuroDiverse families, thus we really need to put in an effort to get to it for the sake of kids, ourselves and the community in general!  Here is a few pointers, but for everybody this will look different as we all have different passions, needs, cultures and believes.  Though this is not the alpha and omega of parent-care, it is a good start.

Talk to God
Spending time in Gods word, and of course everyone approach this differently.  For me, I have memorise or written down certain verses that I re-call/read during the day to calm me, encourage me and to silence me (I tend to talk before I think).  I am near a device connected to the Internet, I beam over to BibleGateway when I need to find a verse quickly!

Songs that is based on Bible verses helps me a lot too and I find when I am anchored in Him, I deal better with the stressors a day can bring.  Here are a few songs on YouTube: 

Counting ones blessings when feeling distress even though it is hard to do during stress helps to anchor one and shift focus form problem to solution.  I find it helpful to write down my blessings and then in those desperate moments reading them  out loud to encourage myself. 

Also to have a thankful heart creates a happy healthy hart, so to thank Abba Father for He has done for us, but then also to thank everyone that contributes to our lives, each day. Thankfulness is good parent-care for sure

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Venting

Venting can be healthy too, it is HOW we vent that can be unhealthy.   But I think it is important to let the heavy stuff out and it is really a good idea to learn to thank Abba Father for all He is doing for us, especially after a healthy vent session! As mentioned above, thankfulness is for sure good parent-care! 

We will dive deeper into this in one of our Zoom Continuums with an expert’s assistance of course! 

Essential Oils

Good quality  essential oils can calm the nervous system and uplift the mood. essential oils are made from parts of certain plants like leaves, seeds, barks, roots, and rinds. Different methods can be use to extract the essential oils. You may add them to vegetable oils, creams, or bath gels. Or you might smell them, rub them on your skin, or put them in your bath. Some research shows that they can be helpful, but it is best to speak to an aromatherapist or integrative medical practitioner to assist you to know what oils is best for you.  Each person’s body and needs are different.   But do make time to bath in or diffuse essential oils near a few times in a week to ensure a calm nervous system and an uplifted mood. 

If you want to obtain good quality essential oils – click here!

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Healthy Meals

Eating healthy balance natural meals, avoiding refine and pre-made/pre-packed foods, will give you stamina and energy, but also support gut health that links to mental health. Thus plan the weeks meals ahead so that you can buy what you need and make, say on a Sunday – the bulk of what you will need to make during the week. This will safe energy and time and also make it easy to feed the family in those unplanned explosive moments that every family face from time to time. Balance natural meals are parent-care!

Drink WATER

Drink 35ml x 1 kg body weight water a day, unless you are more than 10kg’s over weight or have medical conditions such as heart or kidney conditions – then you talk to your medical practitioner about the amount of water you need. However remember – a hydrated body is a healthy body and a healthy body is a happy body. A happy parent produce a happy child and therefore a happy home. Drinking water is parent-care!

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Listen to Music

Listening to music can also calm the nervous system and uplift the mood, but it can also have the opposite impact – thus we have to choose music carefully for the right moment and circumstances. I love to listen to baroque music – it is really calming and put me in a motivated mood to work/create. But I also enjoy worship music when trouble knocks on my door. Which is your favourite parent-care / self-care worship song? Mine is Amazing Grace. I understand that Amazing Grace is associated with funerals, but for me it is also a song of Hope and Courage … being lost, but now found, being blind, but now see and I always feel assured that He wil lead me while parenting my differently wired bright and quirky kid.

Declutter

Decluttering your home, your thoughts and well really all aspects of your life help to reduce stress and contribute to a positive balance environment to live, work and learn in!

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Parent-care Blog image8 for Parenting from Pluto © copyright

Friendship

For most parents of NeuroDiverse / Twice Exceptional kids, friends is a luxury!! But make an effort to at least make ONE friend who can be there for you in the harder times. But who will also understand and celebrate every victory with you! Friend-time is parent-care!

In the comment section below, feel free to tell us how you implement parent-care daily through practical things you can do.  I would LOVE to hear from YOU!

If this blog post and or any of the material on our site is helpful – remember to share the link with a friend or to your support group!

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