Taking time for yourself is easier said than done. I am sure everyone is guilty of not taking enough time for themselves and I am definitely guilty of it myself. Since I not only have to worry about making sure the kids are looked after, but I also have the much more difficult task of making sure Shawn is looked after. It is not as easy as having a mother or mother in law come and stay for a few days, like you could with the kids. It is much more complex and detailed because Shawn has a very busy therapy schedule, personal support worker schedule, medication schedule and just the necessary skill to be able to transfer him and tend to any required medical and personal need at any time. I have to make sure trained personnel are with him during the day up until he goes to bed. For any overnights that I am away, we have been fortunate that family members and friends have stepped up and helped out. Most of the overnights have always been to attend one of the kid’s out of town sporting events or a weekend trip to visit family just a few hours away. Just recently I took a long overdue “respite” vacation with one of my closest friends and my daughter. As much as it was wonderful to get away and de-stress, it was only a couple days in that I really missed Shawn and the boys and couldn’t wait to get back to them. It feels like the amount of preparation and planning it takes to get away for some respite time may not be worth it. However, I think without a break and alittle time away I would most definitely suffer from some caregiver burnout. Plus it makes me miss them that much more!