Parents sometimes need a break

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One of the benefits of running Affinity

Consulting out of my home is that when 

kids and teens come for Respite time they are joining a family in a family home.

Our guests arrive with their pj’s and pillows for overnight visits. When guests come they quickly learn the routine of the family, everyone participates and helps out with chores appropriate for their age, we use the playroom often, play board games, go shopping, cook food, etc......

Sometimes guests come for a few hours, others for a week stay and some have 

come for a few months of care. It all depends on what the parents want and need.

Sometimes parents need a rest or a break that we can plan for and other times emergencies hit and Respite is available at a moments notice.

Some parents find the demands of raising a child with special needs exhausting and need to have a break and re-group knowing that their child is well cared for and having fun. Let's face it parenting is the hardest job there is and add some extra stuff to that and anyone would be exhausted! I know when my son was smaller I was exhausted!

When my son was having a “dark time” I had no one to turn to. I had workers who came to the house and as long as I was there to provide support to the worker we got through. I had a few friends that played with him for the day but by the time they returned him I knew that look on their face of pure exhaustion! I don't ever want a family to feel as isolated as I did so my door is always open!  Anytime you need a break, I can look after the kids. Bring them in the “dark days” and know that they are safe and there is the possibility of them having fun. There is no judgement here to needing a break, as one mom to another, I have been where you are now.

The maximum number of guests at a time is 5. When there is a group here we all sleep in the playroom together. Everyone picks their favourite spot to sleep whether it is in the hammock, the ball pit or just on the plain old floor with a mattress .

When there is just one guest they sleep in the guest room on a really cool raised bed platform built by my son and one of the teens who was here for Respite. (they were both really proud of what they built for the kids they built the same bed in my son's room).

When kids are here for extended times but I still have individual sessions or clubs running they are in the playroom playing and hanging out in the background. Sometimes when it is beneficial to the group or session they join for short periods to add to the learning of social and communication skills.