Moms, parents, and caregivers – this one is for you!

Did you know that on average, we have 30,000 thoughts per day?

For parents of young children, many of these thoughts are focused on planning the day ahead.

 

• • Where does your child need to be and at what time?

• • What do they need to have packed?

• • What homework or preparation needs to be done?

Next, there are thoughts related to general household management – the laundry, dishes, meal planning, food prep, making dinner, (making a 2^nd dinner when your child doesn’t eat the first dinner), cleaning up, and getting the kids to bed.

If your child has developmental differences, a new set of thoughts take over…

 

• • Will my child ever learn to speak?

• • What does the future look like?

• • What type of therapy will be best for my child?

• • Am I doing too much? Too little?

All of these are compounded together and can create an extremely overwhelming situation for parents, leading to stress, burnout, and depression. This is not what you want when you need to be at your best when you are the amazing super-mom to a super-child with unique needs!

Sometimes, we need to say “No”.

Saying “no” is hard to do, especially when you are a parent and you’re trying to “do it all” for your child. But if you have found your days jam-packed with racing to different therapies, school, and activities, and you find yourself stressed and with little breathing room, it might be time to say “no”. Enough is enough.

In life, sometimes less is more.

Sometimes we need a commitment-free day, or we need to take a break from therapy or activities altogether. Maybe we need to say “no” to the neighborhood book club that we secretly can’t stand, “no” to the toxic friend who always drains you, or “no” to over-involved family members who have no shortage of opinions.

When we make more time for ourselves, we get into a better head space.

And when we’re in a better head space, it becomes easier to see the path forward, to focus on the positive, and to focus on where your child IS, rather than where he or she ISN’T.

No is a powerful word. No creates the space for a yes. Yes, you are an amazing parent. Yes, your child is going to be okay, and yes, you are giving them everything they need to thrive. So stop worrying about how others may perceive a “No”, and give yourself the time to recharge so you can say “Yes” to the things that really matter!