Parental Stress Management
By Michael Burke
Parental stress management in families where a child is diagnosed with special needs
It is well known that being a parent is stressful.
There are many contributors to parental stress in todays society. Parents must manage stress from many factors which may include work, school, finances, friends, other family members, social media, personal expectations and perceived expectations.
Add a child with a disability and previously managed parental stresses may become overwhelming, effecting all facets of their life.
I am not qualified to provide individual solutions for stress management, but I know there are many individual and programs that claim to provide strategies and solutions for effective stress management. Some of these strategies and solutions are based on academic research, others are individual thoughts and some are founded on popular ideas with no theoretical basis or long term proven results. I can only advise parents to be aware and evaluate these solutions for their specific circumstances.
What I will advocate for, is access to support services for families caring for children with special needs. Support for individuals is backed by academic research and therefore government funding. Lavender Co. offers support to individuals with special needs for short terms, overnights, and permanent placements. There is a lot of research confirming that out of home support for individuals with special needs reduces parental stress. With a loved one supported out of the home, with an organisation that is NDIS registered, contactable, ethical and familiar, time may be allocated to other priorities.
Yes, this is only one facet of parental stress, but eliminating one stressor does provide opportunity for parents to prioritise other concerns.
With Lavender Co., knowing your loved one is supported by skilled and experienced staff, will allow you time to prioritise other issues and potentially alleviate parental stress.
Find out more about how we can help you by emailing hello@lavenderco.com.au or calling us on 1300 LAVENDER.
Michael Burke
Founder of Lavender Co.
