Julie McIsaac
on
April 30, 2019

Who Has Time for Respite, Anyway?

If you’re reading this and your children are no longer babies, you may look back and think, “How did I do that on such little sleep?” When your kids were not yet in school but you were at work all day, how did you manage to get groceries, make dinner ,and keep the kids clean…

Mental Health

If you’re reading this and your children are no longer babies, you may look back and think, “How did I do that on such little sleep?” When your kids were not yet in school but you were at work all day, how did you manage to get groceries, make dinner, and keep the kids clean and generally happy?  Now add in doctor’s appointments, therapy, special ed meetings, researching a nutritionist or behavioral support at home. If you have a partner, you have a relationship to tend. If you have a home, you have general tidying or maintenance. If you have a job, you have external demands and possible stress. When you think so much about your child’s needs, it’s easy to put our needs as parents last. Sometimes that’s ok. But if it happens over and over and over again, your well dries up. If you have nothing left to give, how can you support your child?

Respite.res·pite/ˈrespət,rēˈspīt/1. noun, a short period of rest or relief from something difficult.

If you are wondering if respite is for you, chances are the answer is YES.

Chances are you will look back in a few years and wonder, “How did I do it?” So why not give yourself the best chance to be your best self? For me, I am a parent to my kids in the various ways that they need me (mostly). I love being a parent.  Being a parent pushes me. And sometimes it’s really difficult. Sometimes I look back and I think, “That was really hard!”, though in the moment I didn’t pause to think that it could’ve been any different. When I’m in it, I don’t always recognize it as really hard, and this makes me less likely to ask for help. While I do think a shift is happening in our culture, there is still a tendency to take pride in doing it all on your own.  But, why?

Health insurance systems can be confusing and overwhelming. 

You probably don’t have the time to research whether your plan covers respite.  So we created a Guide to get you started. It’s free and we think it will help.  Take a few minutes to answer some questions, receive personalized information, and see what else you can get from your Health Insurance—some respite or funding could go a long way as you juggle to keep the balls in the air!

Learn more about how to make the most of your health insurance here!

  • Julie McIsaac, Ph.D.

    Child Development and Disability Advisor

    Julie specializes in working with children and families with diverse developmental profiles She uses reflective practice, emotion-coaching, play and a relationship-based framework to support skill building in the areas of emotional-regulation and problem-solving. Julie consults with families, schools and community organizations. As a parent, she understands the need to have a cohesive team supporting a child and family.

    Profile Photo of Julie McIsaac
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