Me time? You’re kidding, right?

I think ‘me’ time goes out of the window a bit when you have children anyway, but when you have a child with additional needs it’s a whole new ball game.  Finding a babysitter?  Pah!  You’ve got to be joking!  In order to look after Little H, you need to be:

~        trained in basic life support, and be prepared to use it,

~        trained and prepared to use a bag and mask,

~        trained in administering emergency rescue medications,

~        trained in administering oxygen

~        trained in NG tube feeding

~        know him well enough to recognise quickly when something’s ‘not quite right’ and recognise very subtle seizure activity

~        and most importantly – nerves of steel

There’s also the three year old Cheeky to contend with if that wasn’t enough.

Funnily enough, we don’t get too many offers of babysitters!

So, my husband and I have nights out separately.  I genuinely think I would go mad if I didn’t get out occasionally, it’s just a shame we don’t get to do it together.  We are still waiting for support from the Complex Care nurses (four months later ...) and have just started spending time at our local hospice so there is a real possibility in the future that we may get to spend time together, if we are brave enough to leave H in somebody else’s care that is!

For me, spending time away from the house doing ‘normal’ things saves my sanity; even if it is something as simple as popping to the supermarket without any children in tow. Wow, what an exciting life I lead!  More interesting ‘me time’ is spent drinking copious amounts of wine with friends (often), going to yoga (sometimes) or zumba (rarely).  OK, so most of my free time, when I’m being me and not just ‘a Carer’ is spent drinking wine, but hey, it works for me!  :D

What about you?  How do you spend those precious hours off?

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