1. Make a Self-Care Plan

You must take care of yourself to effectively create an environment that supports your child’s healing, and to maintain a healthy home for the rest of your family. This is not about ‘putting the oxygen mask on first” - you are flying the plane! Self-care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. It is not easy to prioritize your own needs when there are so many others’, but it is an absolutely essential part of the process of caregiving and healing.

Creating a self-care plan before you need one helps you make (and model) healthy choices. Proactively caring for your own needs will ensure you have the energy and spirit to care for your child and family, and will help prevent ‘burnout’ and ‘compassion fatigue’.