Contributed by: Terry Matlen, ACSW
Years ago, I found myself in a conversation with a mom
whose husband and two high schoolers had ADHD. This woman, a
professional working part time in a highly competitive medical
field, obviously had her hands full, keeping on top of things. Yet,
when she spoke of her daily challenges, she had a smile on her
face. I asked her how she was able to juggle all these things
without having a nervous breakdown and she said simply, "I take a
vacation ever couple of months to re-charge."
Now, I don't know of many people who can afford
the luxury of going on vacation that frequently, so I quizzed her
about how she did this. Her response made a lasting impression on
me.
She explainedthat in order to take care of her
family, she had to first take care of herself. So...every couple of
months, she booked a room at a local hotel, which happened to be
connected to a large mall. Since she always "vacationed" on a
weekend, her husband was able to take over the parenting duties in
her absence. She spent the weekend relaxing and shopping, sleeping
in, eating out and basically, re-charging. She said it was cheaper
than going to a psychiatrist where she would only spew out her
frustrations over and over again each week. This way, she saved
money, and after a couple of days, felt renewed and able to face
another few months of "ADD insanity." The added bonus was that her
husband had the opportunity to not only connect more deeply with
his children; he also got a taste of the difficulties his wife
experienced in taking care of their daily needs. Their marriage
strengthened in the process.
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