An article in the New York Times yesterday addressed the issue of finding good childcare for children with special needs. As they wrote:
“Competent, reliable baby sitters are closely guarded treasures for most parents; for families who have children with special needs (but who do not qualify for state-supported respite care), such baby sitters may exist only in the realm of fantasy. Those who need a break the most, then, are often the least able to find someone they trust to provide it.”
It’s a lot of work raising children and requires a great amount of energy to do so—even more, at times, for parents raising children with visual impairments. It’s important for you to remember to take time for yourselves, to have some rest, engage in your own special interests, or even romance, in your lives apart from your children.
Sometimes we are not inclined to trust someone else to take care of our child who is visually impaired, or we are afraid that other caregivers won’t understand our child’s special needs. Here are some FamilyConnect articles that may provide helpful tips to give to your sitters or daycare providers:
- Hand Under Hand and Hand Over Hand
- Helping Your Child Learn About the World
- Learning to Play with Toys
- Repetitive Behaviors: What Are They?
You may find other articles that are particularly relevant to whatever your child is currently working on, whether it’s brushing his teeth, becoming more independent at meals, or using the bathroom on his own.
We would love to hear your advice on finding and training a sitter. What practical and fun tips have you given your babysitter that may be helpful to other parents?