Tips For the Caregiver - Taking Care of You

To care for yourself is easier said than done when you are the caregiver of a seriously ill child. Add to that other children, a spouse, cooking,cleaning,laundry,appointments, pets, church, other family members or an outside job and taking care of you goes to the bottom of the list. Here are a few tips to put you at the top again without feeling guilty.

1. Delegate.... There is no rule that says you must do it all, whether you are the mom or the dad. Let others help, delegate smaller age appropriate jobs to the other siblings, and divide chores with your spouse. And that includes the care for the sick child. No one person can do it all.

2. During times of acute illness, have prepared or prepackaged meals on hand in the freezer. There is nothing wrong with a frozen pizza on occasion. Or make simple meals like scrambled eggs and bacon or pancakes. Have fresh fruit on hand too, for a quick pick me up and an easy snack for you.

3. Do household bills on the same day each month instead of several times a month. When your child has been ill, the days and weeks run together so it is easier to plan on one day for bill paying. You are less likely to miss a bill and it is less stressful.

4. Plan to handle emails, phone calls, and other household business the same way... on one day each month or one day each week. Assign a spokesperson for the family for the other times during the month saving your time for your child or for rest for yourself.

5. Utilize the social service department of your child's hospital and don't let pride get in the way if your family needs something extra. Social workers are trained to help families deal with the stress of a chronically ill child and they can meet with siblings, help find financial solutions, and liaison between family and friends.

6. Leave the guilt behind when you have a few minutes to yourself. Enjoy a hot bubble bath, savor a meal prepared by someone else, or just be content when another has cleaned or done laundry, even if it is not up to your standards.

Give yourself permission to relax or read or just sit quietly listening to the birds a few minutes everyday. It will go a long way to keeping you sane and refreshed.

For more information on children coping with illness or death and dying issues, or health and safety tips for children visit http://heartfeltwords4kids.blogspot.com
Visit http://www.freewebs.com/heartfeltwords4kids/ for an interactive website where kids can blog or read articles geared towards them.

Terri Forehand is a pediatric critical care nurse and freelance writer. She has a passion for kids of all ages, especially kids who are fighting against tough illnesses and diseases. Visit her blog and website for more information. She is currently working on fiction for kids.

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