Living an Active Life While Raising a Child with Cerebral Palsy
Raising a child with cerebral palsy (or any other life-long disability) can be amazing, rewarding, infuriating, and exhausting and sometimes, it can feel like it’s the most thankless job, globally.Cerebral palsy affects every parent differently but for most parents, its overwhelming, resulting in stress that can lead to stress-induced health problems.
Staying active, and the top of the game does not just help the parents, it also enables your child to grow with a sense of victory. An active parent raises a confident child. Here are some ways for a parent to stay active.
Team Up
It takes a village to raise a child with cerebral palsy. Find your tribe and share your load with the other parents who have children with cerebral palsy by organizing regular playdates. Such play dates will enhance your child's social life and also give you a break from overwhelming responsibilities.
Scheduling regular play dates may lead to new friendships for you and your child. Additionally, being with other parents helps you learn more, and develops into a source of moral support when life gets hard. However, the team up groups you join should be of trustworthy people, and your child should enjoy the play dates like you do.
Keep Your Child Busy
Enrolling your child in different extracurricular activities benefits them while giving you some down time for a few hours. Enroll them into after-school programs and weekend day fun activities at places that cater to children with disabilities. Such places could benefit your child by giving them an interest in a new hobby, getting a new best friend and loving the beauty of the outdoors. It allows you to take a break from parenting responsibilities for a few hours and just chill out. Check out the children museums, parks departments, zoo, and library or ask other parents.
Eat Well
Taking care of a child with cerebral palsy can be very time consuming, leaving little time for healthy food purchasing and preparation. While it is tempting to turn to frozen and fast food, keep in mind that healthy nutritious meals help you to stay active and keep you sharp. A well-balanced diet daily helps to sustain your body energy levels, thus keeping you active during the day and giving you better sleep at night. Choose foods rich in complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and high in nutritional value. Here are a few examples:
Complex Carbohydrates:
Eat whole-grain bread, starchy vegetables, and pasta. Complex carbohydrates give you the energy to work and may also boost your serotonin (a neurotransmitter) hence giving you a calmer effect.
Calcium:
For calcium, eat lots of leafy vegetables, milk, cheese, dairy products, and soy products. Such food gives you stronger bones, helps your nerves, muscles, and heart function properly. Also, a calcium-rich diet may help you reduce anxiety and tension.
Healthy fats:
For healthy fats, embrace eating foods rich in Omega-3s such as seeds, fish, and nuts. Omega-3 plays a role in keeping the body running smoothly by fighting against anxiety and depression. Also, it keeps stress hormones at a manageable level.
Plan a Family Vacation
Many parents of children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities tend to shun from taking a family vacation due to mobility concerns. However, such fun and active trips leave the whole family rejuvenated and closer. Start with road trips, for shorter and practical holidays together. To make road trips more manageable, make frequent stops. This reduces frustration, boredom and allows everyone to rest and stretch out.
Additionally, have a packed cooler for your child if they have a special diet. If traveling by plane, check out with the airline about their policy on accommodating special needs for optimal comfort. Always ensure the hotels have the right facilities for your child before booking. If planning to visit game parks sign up for the “Access Pass” that provides free access pass to federal owned parks for children with disabilities. Keeping the child active and comfortable during the holiday will ensure that everyone has a great time.
Pamper Yourself
Parents take a lot of time and energy to ensure their child with cerebral palsy has a comfortable and active life, but often neglecting their own well-being. Never underestimate the power of relaxation and happiness that comes from spending time, money, and energy on you. Whether it’s going to the gym, shopping, spa, and saloon or doing something for yourself, it keeps you rejuvenated and active.
Exercise
Exercise gives you physical endurance that keeps you active to run around, taking care of your family and your child with cerebral palsy. However, it has other health benefits; exercise releases neurotransmitters and endorphins, hormones that regulate your mood. They lift your spirits by starving off frustrations and anxiety of raising a child with cerebral palsy. Moreover, exercise may change the brain structures making you more stress-resistant and able to cope better with the daily grind. You can buy a few DVDs and work out from the comfort of your home, renew your gym membership, and start walking around with your child. Embracing an outdoor lifestyle helps you and your child to remain active in an exciting and fun way.
Have interesting activities together
Having fun and exciting activities with your child with cerebral palsy creates a strong bond while keeping you active. Play pool games together since water acts as a buffer that decreases the stress on the joints while strengthening the muscles. Take painting classes together to help you release tension while helping your child work on their motor muscles.
Keep yourself engaged
When confined in one location, engaging in things that keep your mind active and relaxed is vital. Embrace technology to help you keep in touch with others, play games on iPad, listen to music, watch movies online, read online gossip, and laugh. Reading books, magazines, novels, and keeps your mind active, thus preventing overthinking and stress.
Take a Deep Breath and Learn to Let Go
Breathing exercises, meditation, and the steady movements of yoga keep your focus away from the stressors of the day while keeping your body fit, active, and flexible. Simple breathing exercises like inhaling through the nose eight counts then exhaling eight counts keep you relaxed.
A parent of a child with cerebral palsy can become overprotective, becoming the do-it-all person. Ask for help when everything becomes overwhelming, let your friends and relatives and caregivers help to lessen the burden.
Safeguard your Love Relationships
Having a child with cerebral palsy doesn’t mean you neglect your significant other. Plan time together with your spouse by doing fun things like taking a leisure walk, going for dinner, listening, and dancing to music. Spending some alone time having fun with someone you love helps you get through the difficulties of raising a child with cerebral palsy. Keep your sex life active since it helps to lower stress levels, and focus on creating a stronger bond with your partner. This reduces the level of anxiety and improves your overall health.
Living life as a parent of a child with cerebral palsy doesn’t have to keep you defined, sad, and lonely. Choosing to streamline your life by staying active while loving your child should give you amazing moments of watching him grow and learn. Ensure you apply some of the tips above to live an active and healthy life.
