Hi Parents!
Is that you in the picture? No, I didn’t think so. Summer with atypical kids is not exactly bucolic, in fact summer with atypical kids can be quite challenging!
So, It’s finally back to school time! Is this going to be your time to reclaim your… Self? And find your mind that you said you were losing back around mid-summer?
As parents, it’s a natural instinct to put your personal needs on the back burner during the child rearing years. Certainly with atypical children, their needs become urgently front and center while parents needs get seriously back-burnered. It can lead to some stressed out parents, for sure! What parent hasn’t looked in the mirror at least once and said “I feel like I’m losing my mind!”
Now that summer is in the rear view mirror, parents have a few extra hours daily to reclaim their own lives. Or do they?
Not necessarily! It takes a conscious effort to S.T.O.P.
- Stop. Really stop.
- Take a breath. A deep one. Go for it.
- Observe. What is going on around you? Inside of you?
- Proceed mindfully
And in doing so, please take mindful stock of what gets neglected inside yourself as a harried parent. Is it that physical exam you’ve been putting off? How about your long neglected tennis game? Massage? Or…… What about your resolution to work on de-stressing?
My recommendation is to begin with examining your current stress level and consciously taking steps to work on it. For some, it can be an introduction to yoga. Or mindful meditation.
Here’s why, from one of my favorite yoga sites, which highlights the research based benefits of having a yoga practice.
(And tip: if you’re not the “bendy” type, or have physical limitations, don’t leap into doing any yoga poses without medical guidance, you might be happier with the sitting practice of meditation. More to come about the benefits of meditation as a de-stress practice.
Positively Atypical! by Dr Rita Eichenstein 