>> Amy: Respite is giving children and parents
a break, literally. >> Kim: There’s so many things to manage
and so and you get exhausted. >> Rosemary: You get so engaged, so involved
in that world that it’s really hard to step back and say I need a break. >> Maria: Well, I think respite care can be
extremely powerful for a family. It gives the mom or that dad just a little bit of time
off. >> Chad: What’s really critical is to have
someone that you trust, that you know, understands the care needed for your child. >> Amy: You know trusting someone to
take care of your child when you do it all the time is a big barrier. To see that hey
there’s people you really do care for me to care for my child. That is a huge step
for a family. >> Maria: It took me a while to accept respite
care even though I knew it was available to me because I thought, will this person really
tend to them.
Will they feed them when they are supposed to feed them you know. >> Rosemary: You can do it gradually so that
you come to have faith in that person and that situation as safe and good for your child. >> Maria: I’ve seen moms just take a nap,
you know, I remember the first time that they took Joe. All I did was go grocery shopping
without having to worry, you know, that my son was gonna have an accident in the store
or you know pull something off the shelves. I think respite care is easier for families
when they can choose their own provider, train their own provider.
>> Rosemary: Networking is a great way to
find other respite providers. >> Amy: Most children with special needs either
sees a speech therapist or a physical therapist, they always have links to respite providers. >> Mary Jane: We can get so overloaded taking
care of our children we can forget to take care of ourselves. Time to rest. Sometimes
parents need a break, and know that it’s okay to take a break and take some time for
yourselves. >> Chad: It’s important to take time whenever
you can to just step away and make sure that you focus on your marriage. It’s important
that you find time to laugh together. To kind of remember what’s important about your
relationship. >> Kim: Try to take care of yourself and take
time with your husband. Go on dates. Cause we are trying to..
