Navigating the path of parenting a child with autism can be as unpredictable as it is rewarding. That's why I've dedicated this episode to the unsung heroes—parents just like you and me—who face the daily dance of balancing self-care with the needs of their exceptional children. I open up about the mountains and valleys of this unique journey, offering heartfelt strategies for self-preservation amidst the beautiful chaos. From harnessing your inner strengths to creating a nurturing space for your child to thrive, we'll explore how celebrating every victory, big or small, can refuel your spirit and keep you grounded.
It isn't just about parenting, though. In the cozy nook of our second segment, I share the unexpected joys and profound connections forged through the simple act of podcasting. I'll recount a particularly moving exchange with a young student that brought home the impact of sharing our stories. These narratives are the threads that weave us closer, fostering a community where support and understanding are just a play button away. So, wrap yourself in the warmth of shared experience and be reminded that you're not alone on this journey. As we part ways, I send you off with the hope that today brings you a measure of peace and an abundance of blessings.
Navigating the path of parenting a child with autism can be as unpredictable as it is rewarding. That's why I've dedicated this episode to the unsung heroes—parents just like you and me—who face the daily dance of balancing self-care with the needs of their exceptional children. I open up about the mountains and valleys of this unique journey, offering heartfelt strategies for self-preservation amidst the beautiful chaos. From harnessing your inner strengths to creating a nurturing space for your child to thrive, we'll explore how celebrating every victory, big or small, can refuel your spirit and keep you grounded.
It isn't just about parenting, though. In the cozy nook of our second segment, I share the unexpected joys and profound connections forged through the simple act of podcasting. I'll recount a particularly moving exchange with a young student that brought home the impact of sharing our stories. These narratives are the threads that weave us closer, fostering a community where support and understanding are just a play button away. So, wrap yourself in the warmth of shared experience and be reminded that you're not alone on this journey. As we part ways, I send you off with the hope that today brings you a measure of peace and an abundance of blessings.
Hi everyone. I hope you're having a blessed day today. Today we're going to talk a little bit about the parents and living with a diagnosis. If your child has been diagnosed or you even suspect, it doesn't have to be through a testing or anything that they may be on the spectrum. We're going to talk about what it means for you. How are you going to take care of you? Usually women they tend to want to take care of everybody in the house, which is good. It's not a bad thing. We're mothers and grandmothers and things like that, aunts and uncles. We need to take care of our loved ones, but we also need to take care of ourselves.
Speaker 1:
Alright, so there are going to be many challenges that are going to come up, but you are strong. Build on your strengths. Number one Build on what you know to help your child. Everyone has special strengths and you're not no exception. Consider how your skills and talents can help establish a supportive household for your child. Maybe you're good at visually thinking or designing, or maybe you're good for focusing for long periods of time or a good at good problem solving. Use those strengths to create out of the box thinking to overcome challenges around the house, especially with our children that are on the spectrum.
Speaker 1:
We need to be able to be able to think outside the box, connect with other people and make make sure you have time for you, and I know we get busy. You have maybe other children or In a husband or a wife at home and you need to be able to. You're trying to do all of it. You're juggling all day long. You know, go in here, go in there, it's this gun, what is supper, who's gonna eat, who's home? All those things come up and then you have an autistic child that is somewhere on the spectrum that needs a lot of extra help from you, and so you have to take care of you first, or you're not going to be able to do without anybody else, and it's important. So how do we do that? You got to build in every day Something that is for you, even if it's 10, 15 minutes here and there, if you read the Bible. Take that time in the morning. Take 10 15 minutes in the morning. Just sit and meditate, think about you, just relax. You know how you teach your child to breathe in and breathe out, how to calm down. You need to do that too Breathe in and breathe out. Take that time for you. Maybe it's going for a walk in the evening. Have somebody else Handle the situation for a few minutes. Just take a nice stroll outside would be Very rewarding and helpful.
Speaker 1:
Be patient with yourself and your child. Be willing to accept that you have have plenty of time to grow and learn. They don't have to be perfect and you don't have to be perfect. Just relax and accept who they are. I I had a parent once say that once they relaxed and and just accept their child for who or she is, that that child was happier, that that child was able to Relax himself because, like I said before, they pick up on our stress, our frustrations.
Speaker 1:
If we're not patient, they're not going to be patient, they're going to get frustrated because they don't understand and they don't always have the words to explain it. So we have to give them time to learn and grow, just like you have to. You're learning too. It's not just they're learning, but you're learning how to deal with them. So you got to give yourself some time to learn and grow along with your child. There are many places agencies, facebook that have parent groups and that where you can bounce off different things, different things you, maybe your child did, or funny things they said, or just what's next in in their lives. Acknowledge their growth and acknowledge that they and give them praises and praise yourself too. You know we want to praise our children as they accomplish things, but we need to take some praises too, and you know you are a strong person and you're going to make it through this.
Speaker 1:
It's difficult, I know there's a lot of situations where you think, oh, what do I did wrong? You know what am I going to do? I just don't have all the answers. Nobody expects you to have all the answers and none of us do. I don't care how long you've been in this field, it we don't all have the answers. There's not one size that fit all.
Speaker 1:
Every time I come across a child that will has autism, they are totally different. Each one is different and each one is Special and ever and in their way, and they learn differently. And I my job when I tutor Kids, which I do. I have a few of them right now. I'm like on my fourth time retirement. I just didn't want to get out of the field. I was one of those teachers that loved teaching. I loved being in the classroom, but it was time, and so it was time to move on and but I still wanted to be Involved with kids. So I started tutoring and I've learned a lot from the kids, and each one is different and each one has their little quirks, and just like we do. It's just that they learn differently and they think differently than what we do, but it's okay.
Speaker 1:
Um, the one thing that I really really love about autistic children or children on the spectrum is their love is so pure they're, so they don't judge you on the way you look or anything. They just judge you on who you are. If you're kind to them, they'll be kind to you too, and I know we have children that have behavior issues and they're not so kind. But Remember, there's always a reason why they are acting out, so we have to find out. What is that reason? Why are they doing it? Their behavior it has a Reason why they're just not doing a. They're doing it for a reason. Is it sensory? Are they on overload? Do they need to Just have a break? Are they Not feeling well and not now, not knowing how to tell you? There's so many things out there.
Speaker 1:
But anyway, back to what I was saying please take care of you, go out to dinner once in a while, maybe even by yourself, you know, just to get away or go for a drive. Don't turn on the radio, just listen to the rubber hit in the road and just Drift off not drift off too far if you're driving, but you know what I mean. Just get away for a little bit, take a backseat to to life a little bit, to give yourself that extra time. Maybe it's just go sit in the park and sit at a picnic table for just 10 to 15 minutes here and there. But Remember you are strong, you can do this, and I Know life throws us some punches and we're not always ready for them, but but we can. We can make this be journey be good and exciting and rewarding.
Speaker 1:
Working with our, with our kids. Find out what your strengths are, how can you help them and connect with other people. And to help you find out what your strengths are. Sometimes we don't see it ourselves and we have to kind of look around a little bit and figure out. You know, what are my strengths, what can, how can I deal with with this? Hey, with this situation? Okay, that's all for right now.
Speaker 1:
I'm gonna do another one pretty soon. I hope you're enjoying my podcast. Like I said, I'm new to this so I know there's a big bumps in the road and stuff. I wanted to end with a little story and I said this in the other one, so I'm gonna do it again, just in case nobody has. There's a little girl and she asked me. We were at lunch and she asked me she was my student and she said when does your mommy live? And I said my mommy lives in heaven. And she said well, you didn't want to go and I said no, I'm not gonna go right now. I Just love that story, but I have other ones that I'm gonna share with you and I hope you're having a blessed and good day. Thank you for listening and I'll see you next time.