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How do you handle your own stress as a caregiver, especially when your body seems to be working against you?

In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I’m talking about caring for the caregiver and why it matters for co-regulation with our children. Parents of kids with disabilities carry an extra layer of stress on top of everything else life brings, and our bodies keep the score. I share what has finally started working for me after years of trying, and why taking care of yourself is one of the ways you take care of your child.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The books that have shaped how I think about stress, the body, and regulation
• How chronic caregiving stress shows up in our bodies, especially as we age
• Why intentionality and “enjoying the process” have changed my daily routines
• How simple mantras can help both you and a dysregulated child
• The practices that help me most, from meditation and yoga to breathwork and rest
• A mindset shift that helps me appreciate the person at the center of the work
• How our own regulation affects our children’s regulation

Caring for yourself can feel like one more thing on a list that is already too long. But our children regulate based on us, and the connection between caregiver and child is real. When you make time for your own wellness, you are not taking something away from your child. You are helping them.

I’m not a doctor or a psychologist, just someone who has read a lot and lived a lot. If this resonates, start by noticing: your child’s regulation, your own, and what your body is telling you.

I mention my friend, @KaraRyska, over at The Special Needs Mom Podcast in this episode.  I also mention a few books.  They are Mindset (Carol Dweck), The Body Keeps the Score, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Atlas of the Heart (Brené Brown), and Fire Child, Water Child (Cowan).

Listen now for an honest conversation about caring for yourself so you can show up for your child.

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