What to give parents? Time.
Time off. Time alone. Time together. A "date night" or "date day," it does not matter. It could be a regularly scheduled time, or not. It could be whatever works, and when. (If babysitting is a challenge, for example, you could take a vacation day while the kids are in school and go to a movie matinee.)
One suggested activity for this time: that it has nothing to do with autism. No discussion about evaluations or individualized education plans, or services or therapies or schools, or advocates or anything related to developmental delays.
What to do: something that requires getting out of the house. Go to a movie, or a museum. Eat at a restaurant. Take a walk. You don't have to go far. Just go.
One potential outcome: There are several, actually. It's possible that parents could find a moment to relax. It's possible that if mom and dad go out together, they will reconnect on a different radio station than what's routinely buzzing at home. They could discover something enjoyable, like that movie mentioned above. And, depending on the parents and how long the respite is, they could realize that they miss their children and want to see them again.
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1 comment:
Well said! I hope readers forward this to relatives & friends who can provide respite. But the take-a-day-off-from-work idea is a good one, too.
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