Many Autism parents don’t get breaks very often. Our lives are incredibly stressful because it’s 24/7 and sleep is often in short supply. Respite shouldn’t be a luxury, it’s a necessity but unfortunately, respite is often out of reach or unavailable.

My wife and I can go a good while between breaks but we are very lucky to get them. We have very supportive family and that’s truly something to be grateful for.

We had one such break last night, while all three of the kids were with their grandparents. My wife and I had about 24 hours to ourselves but were too tired to actually take advantage of the time.

When the kids are gone, we probably should be playing catch up with things around the house. We probably should deal with lots of things that have fallen by the wayside throughout the week.

The reality, however is that we are completely exhausted and end up getting something eat before crashing for the bulk of the time the kids are gone. Some may say that we should use our time a little better and perhaps they’re right.

Unfortunately, that’s just not the way it works out. I wish things were different and maybe someday they will be, but my life dictates that when we do get a break, we need to prioritize ourselves. We need to crash, rest and try to recover enough so that when our kids come home, we’re in a better place to parent, than before they left.