100 Ways for Special Needs Moms to Practice Self-Care

by JoleneSep 20, 2013Self-Care and Stress, Special Needs Parenting0 comments

Special needs moms need to practice self-care so they have the energy to parent well. Darla Clayton offers 100 ways for moms to pamper themselves.

Special needs moms work 24/7 caring for their kids. But, in a post at Mobility Resources, Dr. Darla Clayton makes a case for moms to make time to practice self-care. She puts it this way: It’s important to remember in all that care we are providing to others, that sometimes we need to take care of ourselves too. Just like the flight attendant reminds you every time you fly, you need to put on your own oxygen mask before you can assist others.

100 Ways for Moms to Practice Self-Care

Clayton (she’s a clinical psychologist and mom of a son with special needs) then suggests 100 ways for moms to practice self-care. Here are 20 of her suggestions:

1. Go for a walk.
2. Nap. (Either when your kiddo naps, or whenever you can steal a few minutes!)
3. Put on makeup and do your hair. Make yourself feel beautiful.
4. Listen to an audiobook in the car. (You can use the OverDrive App to download audiobooks to your smart phone from the library for free!)
5. Sneak in and hold your little one while they sleep.
6. Snuggle with your kids.
7. Skip cooking and order a pizza.
8. Call your best friend.
9. Reminisce with loved ones.
10. Say yes to fast food (every now and then).
11. Say no to over scheduling yourself.
12. Sing.
13. Dance around the house to your favorite music.
14. Rent a movie.
15. Chocolate. Enough said.
16. DVR your favorite show and watch it all by yourself.
17. Hug someone you love.
18. Relax and be silly (roll down a hill, go on a slip and slide).
19. Laugh, hard and loud.
20. Show the kids a movie you loved at their age.

Some of those are pretty simple and most are pretty inexpensive or free. That’s cool, isn’t it?

What Would You Add to the Self-Care List?

Was your favorite way to pamper yourself on the list? If not, leave it in the comment box. We might want to try it, too.

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By Jolene

Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Sing!, the second book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in November of 2022.