Your job as a parent often means juggling a lot of different things at the same time. This can be even trickier as a parent of a child with special needs. Because they take more of your time and energy you may feel you are neglecting the other siblings. They are all your children and you want to do what’s best for them. How do you manage it all?
The University of Michigan Health System has a great article located here.
Here are some excerpts:
“What’s the upside of growing up with a sibling with special health or developmental needs?
Siblings of children with special needs have special needs themselves. Their sister or brother with special needs will get a bigger share of attention. While having a special needs sib presents challenges, it also comes with opportunities. Kids who grow up with a sibling with special health or developmental needs may have more of a chance to develop many good qualities, including:
- patience
- kindness and supportiveness
- acceptance of differences
- compassion and helpfulness
- empathy for others and insight into coping with challenges
- dependability and loyalty that may come from standing up for their brother or sister.
What kinds of difficult feelings might a sibling have?
Your child may, at times, have trouble coping with being the sibling of a child with special needs. They may have many different and even conflicting feelings. For example, they may feel:
- worried about their sibling
- jealous of the attention their brother/sister receives
- scared that they will lose their sibling
- angry that no one pays attention to them
- resentful that they are unable to do things or go places because of their sibling”
One of the keys for parents is to make sure they are aware of the individual needs of each child. If you can’t find a way to meet these needs, consider some professional counseling to help your child cope. Stress levels can raise too high in a child and affect their eating and sleeping habits. They may need to talk to someone who can help them cope with difficult situations as well as help them find answers to their own difficulties.
One of the most popular parenting tips is to give ‘alone time’ to each child. Because your child with special needs may often get more of your time, this ‘alone time’ is specifically centered on each of the siblings. Take time to do hobbies or interests with them that are special to them. Let them make a memory of having their own time with you so they can look back on it in the future when they need to.
For the medical needs of your child at home, consider pediatric nursing care. This will also have the benefit of freeing up some of your time to spend with your other children.
If you are considering Pediatric Home Health Care Monroeville PA, please call and talk to the caring staff at Extended Family Care of Pittsburgh at (412) 693-6009. We will answer all of your questions.
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