January with Hands & Voices is here to support you and your family as we move further into a new year.
#TogetherThursday this week is about self care. What does that look like for you? For your DHH child? Lets break it down in 1, 2, 3
- For every family, what we often overlook is taking care of ourselves, how can we provide the best model for our children if we try to “pour from an empty cup”?
- The American Academy of Pediatrics discusses the importance of Self Care and making a plan for it: Link
Key Take aways: Life is messy, there is the ideal plan for self care, and the reality plan, sometimes you have to do the reality plan, cherish the ideal plan, make sure you have some time for both.
- If you’re a parent, and you’re overwhelmed, what are your needs? What do you need? What are some areas of yourself that may need more attention so that your DHH child can see you at your best and you can be that advocate you want to be?
- PEP, Program for Early Parent support discusses various kinds of self care needs: Link
Key Take aways: There are physical needs, social-emotional needs, intellectual needs, and spiritual needs, are you doing small things in these areas for yourself?
- We’re all living through various levels of unprecedented times. Parents are really shouldering the brunt of the responsibility of managing everything from Distance Learning with DHH children, specialists, to doctors appointments, evaluations or lack thereof. What can you do?
Cincinnati Children’s has resources for you: Link
- Key Take aways: One of my favorite articles from PBS linked in the Cincinnati Resources- YOU ARE ENOUGH: Link
Ultimately: You are doing the best you can. Everyday take care of yourself a little bit because you do so much for your DHH child.
Together we can,
Ms. Leslie