Summer Health Tips

Day by day the temperature is rising steadily and the sun rays are no more soothing in fact the levels of discomfort are now going to increase till it rains. In short winter is coming to an end and summer has already begun to shine and days are getting longer. With Summertime once again; its vacations, outings, natives so on but it also means summer-specific diseases such as diarrhoea, dehydration, fevers, arthropod-borne diseases etc.

Dear Parents,

Here are some health tips to help make this summer, healthiest for you and your child.

1.       Avoid getting out from 10 am to 4 pm: The sun is very harsh in this time. Scorching heat, pollution, dust will make you exhausted and irritated so it is better to plan your travel in early morning or late evening hours. Schedule the doctor’s appointment or therapy session for your child accordingly.

2.       Drink enough fluids: In summer, the body loses more water so everyone needs need to drink enough water. Keep yourself hydrated is the general advice for summers. Avoid carbonated drinks as they make one even thirstier. The healthy choices could be coconut water, lemonade and fresh fruit juices.

3.       Wear light clothing: Avoid dark shades of colour for clothing as they absorb more heat. Wear light clothes of heat friendly fabrics such as cotton so that you feel comfortable. Full sleeves clothing will help you protect from sunburns.

4.       Vaccinate: Protect yourself and your child against chickenpox, typhoid, hepatitis and the flu by taking the vaccines for these diseases. check your child’s medical record for booster shots and consult your paediatrician about which vaccines you may need.

5.       Freshen up the diet: Encourage yourself & your child to eat nutritious food that will strengthen his/her immunity. Freshen up the diet with fruits & vegetables; avoid spicy, oily stuff. Cook food thoroughly especially meat, poultry and eggs.

6.       Maintain hygiene: Make sure that your child washes his/her hands thoroughly and regularly especially before & after meals. Prevent food poisoning by maintaining clean & hygienic conditions preparing and serving food.

7.       Use Sunscreen: Apply sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15 repeatedly in 4 hours to avoid skin damage.

Special Need Mom.

Mother is just another name of love. Probably calling out for our Mother is the first thing we learn in life. No one in our lives can ever replace her warmth, love & sacrifices. We all admire her for the tireless efforts she takes to make a heavenly place called as “home”.

Being a mother is a lifetime role a woman fulfills; the selfless way she takes care of each & everyone in the family is truly admirable. Having her on our side to love us, protect us, nurture us & take care of us makes us all happy.

Parenting is the major focus of a mother’s life. They are under a continuous scanner because relatives, neighbors, few family members too relate all the sorts of attributes of a child’s behavior to good or bad parenting. Parenting in itself is a tough challenge and a very difficult journey. Having a Child with Special Needs makes the journey a bit more difficult & challenging. Being a Special need parent requires a bit more of everything i.e patience ,love ,empathy ,resourcefulness , finances ,energy and so on .All Parents with children with special needs have a unique & demanding journey of their own. They have their own varied sets of issues & solutions too. Although they suffer the same plight to some extent they all have to figure out situations all by themselves.

Being a Special Need Parent is at times a very heart-breaking & overwhelming experience. For Mothers’ its more difficult to go through it all owing to their more sensitive nature towards their child. As mentioned earlier every parents journey is unique but there are certain common feelings to which Special Need Moms’ can relate themselves too.

Special needs Moms’ life can often be lonelier & isolating that others. They are so busy taking care of their child, his medical appointments, counselors, therapy sessions etc that they really don’t really get much a time for themselves, going out, relaxing etc. They gradually tend to shift their focus from their own needs to the child’s making themselves feel more isolated & lonely in due course of time. They have to work hard to create a balance & preserve with other family ties’ examples their marriage, other kin relationships etc. They worry a lot almost about everything and overthinking at times adds up to their stress. Their health both physical & emotional often suffers in the journey. With so much of stress and busy routines they end up neglecting their own diet & illness, but that’s not correct you need to be healthy in order to take care of your child. Moms’ break down emotionally, they feel very hurt if their child is mistreated or bullied by anyone.

Above all they are the true warriors, they fight all the odds & situations life puts in front of them and they never give up. A tiniest development in child’s medical condition or even half spoken words of the child or just a hug from the child feels like a gift to her. All she wishes to see and hopes that her child becomes a successful adult in his/her life and can take care of themselves.

A Mother is a blessing God bestows upon every child. Love & respect her all the time because her love has no equals. 

Parenting Tips for Managing Cerebral Palsy

Parenting is a big challenge in itself and if you have a child with special needs then the journey becomes even more difficult. We do understand the fact that dealing with your own feelings, stress & other issues along with catering to child with special needs especially Cerebral Palsy is not at all easy. However, the fact cannot be ignored that your child is looking for acceptance and the emotional support from you first. It is the home from where it all begins, It’s important for any with special needs to have the input and support like the parental and familial relationship, the emotional wellbeing and friendships in the same way other children do.

Here are few tips that will help you to overcome your day to day difficulties:

Acceptance of your Child’s Condition: Accepting the situation that your child is not like others will help you and your child as well. The sooner you accept would be better for both. It will help you to come to terms with life and moving on with your child’s life, your family life and your life too.

Cerebral palsy cannot be fixed, but the other associative problems can be. You definitely have to plan up for therapies for your child but Don’t go around chasing after every surgery or therapy or experimental treatment in the hope that it will make your child “normal.”

You might unintentionally end up in making your child realize that he/she is not good enough.

So it’s important to give up the grief and see possibilities. Concentrate on your child’s abilities, don’t give up on your child’s dream & future just because his/her physical condition.

Make your home and vehicle accessible: Make accessibility a priority when you have to buy or rent a new place or vehicle. Even in the existing place do make arrangements if you can. It will help your child to learn and manage things on their own over a course of time.

Engage directly with Your Child: It is important to engage directly with your child-talk to them directly about things; Having personal conversations & contact with children with disabilities makes them feel accepted and encourage them to speak up their feelings & emotions.

Be Organized: soon after diagnosis of CP, the daily routine of yours’ will be shuffled.  Having well planned schedules for therapies, doctor’s appointments and routine chores would be helpful. It will not only reduce your stress but will also keep everything else in your life in order.

Take Care of Yourself: Looking after a child with Cerebral Palsy takes time and energy so it is important to take care of yourself along with your child. Include proper nutrition, sleep and exercise as part of your daily routine.

Ask for help: It should be accepted that dealing with a child with Cerebral Palsy means you may need help from time to time. Seek assistance from other family members or friends or you may also hire a caregiver if required.

Talk to people: The entire process & the tight stressful daily routine might often get converted into frustration or emotional set back. Talk to counselor or a friend who would listen to you, so that you could speak up. Talking helps ..it will make you feel better.

Manage Finances: Catering a child with special needs especially CP can cause immense financial strain on families. Hence having a proper insurance plan to cover all medical expenses, well planned sessions of therapies, applications for Governmental assistance & various Schemes may prove helpful.

Let Your Child Socialize: Socializing will help your child meet people, be happy and will help him relate things. Teach them what they have in common to other children and that they have equal potential as other kids. Encourage family bonding by active involvement from everyone.

Prepare Your Child to be independent: Children with special needs can have a dignified life with proper education, job and family. Educate your child, help them in developing their intellectual abilities, assist them in securing a job and encourage them to lead a normal life.