The demands of providing around-the-clock care for children with special needs can be quite overwhelming, especially if the care required is intense. The wear and tear caregivers suffer is often overlooked, even more so if that caregiver is a relative, particularly if they are a single parent.
To help relieve some of the stress and provide respite for caregivers of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, PTS Support for Exceptional Children provides a monthly event for participants called It’s My Night. On It’s My Night, parents drop their children off at the PTS office for a few hours of engaging activities and social interaction while parents take the time to rest, relax and recharge. It happens the last Friday of every month.
In addition to offering regular respite, PTS also hosts events to help bolster the self-care and self-esteem of caregivers. One such recent event was a “Seeing the Beauty in Me” makeover and photoshoot for mothers. Devoted parents who frequently find themselves last on their never-ending lists of to-dos were given the opportunity to receive a new hairdo, makeup and take glamorous photos. It was a fun-filled day designed to help caregivers feel good about themselves and have time set aside just for them.
For more information about PTS events for caregivers, visit the PTS webpage.