♥ Respite:
- “providing temporary care in relief of a primary caregiver”
- “a period of rest or relief from something difficult”
Therapeutic respite is used to:
- allow parents to have normal adult relationships
- give parents and healthy siblings a much-needed break
- allow healthy siblings to get in some Mom & Dad time
- lift the burden and help the child continue toward healing
- motivate the child to appreciate and reach toward parents
Respite is a huge and very valuable part of the healing process for a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder. If you as a parent are too exhausted and emotionally burned out, you will not be able to give your child the amount of help and love they need.
If your child needs an attitude adjustment, respite is a great place for them to sort out their feelings and work through and solve problems.
The goal for your child while in respite is to work on being respectful, responsible, and fun to be around, practice life skills, write about their feelings and how to handle them in an okay-way and to motivated them to get well and be a family-kid.
While in respite there will be:
- a therapeutic (healing) environment
- no bonding activities
- no extra privileges
- tight (controlled) structure
“Parents are the center of a child’s universe. When parents forget to take care of themselves, falter and wear out, the family wears out. And the children go nowhere.” (Foster W. Cline, 1996)
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” Anne Frank