When you’re parenting a child with OCD, how can you make sure you’re taking care of yourself?
Parenting a child with OCD is exhausting. Both mentally and physically.
Trust me, I have been there, so I know first-hand how tough it can be.
Not even a quick trip to the supermarket or having lunch with friends is guaranteed to last its course.
Because the minute you get that dreaded call from your child sobbing when OCD has decided to show up and wreck their day…
All of your plans get wrecked, too, and you end up dropping everything to jump to OCD’s attention.
Does this sound familiar?
Here are 5 things you can do to look after yourself and stay sane when parenting childhood OCD.
1. Soak In A Bubble Bath
Relaxing in a hot bath with a book in hand or listening to some background music can provide a much-needed break from the challenges of parenting OCD.
Even just taking a short break away from the stresses and worry of living with OCD can have a massive effect on your overall well-being.
And can help recharge your batteries and restore calm before the next OCD meltdown (and battle).
2. Go For A Coffee
Having a coffee out can be challenging when faced with parenting a child with OCD, so it can be easy to put it off.
And, let’s face it, with the price of coffees nowadays, the last thing you want is to be halfway sipping through your latte or cappuccino only to have to leave abruptly then if your child is having a meltdown and needs your immediate attention.
But there is a solution to this.
Matter of fact, I can think of two.
Option one is to ask for the remainder of your coffee to be poured into a takeaway cup so you can take it away.
Option two is to invest in a cheap coffee machine to relax and have a coffee of your choice at home.
I have used both options as a means of providing some much-needed distraction from the chaos of OCD.
Here’s a video that I made demonstrating the coffee machine I purchased.
3. Confide In A Friend or Family Member
One thing many parents do when parenting a child with OCD is to keep it secret.
This can be for a number of reasons, including:
- Feeling ashamed or embarrassed that you missed signs of OCD in your child.
- Feeling guilty that you may have passed OCD on to your child.
- Wanting to protect your child from being judged and being labelled as ‘going mad’.
Whatever the reason, parenting childhood OCD can be a very isolated and lonely place.
That’s why it’s important to find trusted family members for friends to confide in and offload.
But be careful to choose wisely, though.
Because the last thing you need is someone who will criticise or judge you.
Or someone who will act like a ‘know it all’ and start lecturing you.
Choose someone who will sit and listen without judgment.
Talking can be powerful and lighten the load more than you can imagine.
So, I would urge you to give it a go.
If you can’t think of a family member or friend to confide in, then if funds permit, investing in a counsellor can be powerful, too.
4. Take In Nature
Going for a walk or a ride in the car to the countryside or coast can provide much-needed escapism and calm from the chaos of parenting childhood OCD.
Especially when OCD meltdowns erupt.
Going for a quick change of scenery and taking in nature can work wonders in restoring some calm and normality.
And can help make compulsions less stressful on your return, too.
5. Create A Playlist
Music can be a powerful way of reducing anxiety and letting off some steam (or tears) depending on the mood and stresses of the day.
With this said, try creating a playlist to play at various times.
I had a few.
I had one to suit different times ( and moods).
I had a playlist for:
- Times when anxiety was likely to peak. On the school run, for example.
- When I needed to let the tears flow.
- Getting calm, ready to do compulsions.
- Distraction ( and a singalong) when going for drives in the car.
- Times when I needed to let off some steam.
This concludes my top 5 tips on how to stay sane when parenting a child with OCD.
If you would like further help or advice on parenting childhood OCD, I have created free and paid resources on my website.
Click on the link below for further details.
