We are meeting our potential respite family for the second time tomorrow. They've been arranged through Family Link and we've already been to their house once. We've been offered 2 nights a month and it will replace the 3 hours a week we were getting from Direct Payments.
We have been so conflicted about getting respite. On the one hand we asked for it because of the lack of sleep; Seth frequently wakes in the night. Sometimes he will just chat to himself, sometimes he will be laughing and sometimes he will be very upset. I think that since it's been realised that he has fits during the night and is on medication, his sleep has improved but it can still be quite unsettled. So, getting a couple of nights decent sleep - even the potential of going away for a night - is amazing. More than that, it's the idea of having a morning to ourselves. To be able to eat breakfast without having to feed and care for another person at the same time. Wow! We get really excited about the prospect.
But, leaving your child with another family? Especially a child so vulnerable is ridiculous surely!
This couple has been offering respite for children for years and they are experienced with children with a range of different needs. I was a little put off when I was told that they would only offer us a family who had downstairs accommodation and this couple were the only couple who had downstairs accommodation (so not much choice for us, then. You can say no to these but we don't know when anyone else suitable will come along!). However, they seemed really nice and we felt reassured.
So, now they come to us for a second visit. We've started properly thinking about what we can do with a night without Seth. But the reality? How do you do that?!
We have been so conflicted about getting respite. On the one hand we asked for it because of the lack of sleep; Seth frequently wakes in the night. Sometimes he will just chat to himself, sometimes he will be laughing and sometimes he will be very upset. I think that since it's been realised that he has fits during the night and is on medication, his sleep has improved but it can still be quite unsettled. So, getting a couple of nights decent sleep - even the potential of going away for a night - is amazing. More than that, it's the idea of having a morning to ourselves. To be able to eat breakfast without having to feed and care for another person at the same time. Wow! We get really excited about the prospect.
But, leaving your child with another family? Especially a child so vulnerable is ridiculous surely!
This couple has been offering respite for children for years and they are experienced with children with a range of different needs. I was a little put off when I was told that they would only offer us a family who had downstairs accommodation and this couple were the only couple who had downstairs accommodation (so not much choice for us, then. You can say no to these but we don't know when anyone else suitable will come along!). However, they seemed really nice and we felt reassured.
So, now they come to us for a second visit. We've started properly thinking about what we can do with a night without Seth. But the reality? How do you do that?!
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