Fatigue Makes Cowards of Us All The above quote, one of many that I came across online, is so true. When I became a parent, and began feeling my child’s pain and stress from pain that was not my own, I felt sick to my stomach every single day. Just being with a child who is experiencing a lot of pain, whether it be emotionally, physically or mentally is draining, to say the least. One of the most difficult parts of life as a parent, for me, has been being my child’s punching bag. The child may throw his or her anger at me, but in turn, I end up being more angry, hurt and upset, as I feel like they are taking all my strength and energy. The cycle continues on and on as we have to continuously try and overcome what we all face as humans. The fatigue. So I found a way to get back in control. I did what I had to do and realized I had to fight my way back up, rather than wait for my child to fight me back up. That doesn’t mean I will always win. That doesn’t mean my child will not win at some point and time in their life. What it does mean is that I am in control, and with that, I am able to fight through the exhaustion that accompanies the fatigue, in order to gain back a piece of myself that I may have lost along the way. In summary, fatigue can be difficult and exhausting. When a child’s daily challenges take their toll, parents too can feel the fatigue of life. However, I encourage you to take steps to fight fatigue that comes as a result of your parenting role and keep your sense of humor! I, too, struggle with my humor, however, there is always something more important to do at hand that needs immediate attention, which usually makes me laugh as well. Do you have any fatigue fighting strategies that you use in the face of a child’s challenge? Or do you battle fatigue every single day in your parent role? Post navigation I LOVE the way you have summed up things in a very simple and clear way. It was very well done. Sometimes I feel like just keeping my mouth shut about a situation that causes our energy to drain is better than complaining about it. It is hard when someone is putting a load on our back but like you said, “we will lose or win it”. In fact, I just recently had a situation with a family member where I had a difficult time dealing with and I was able to pull up the strength and wisdom that I didn’t even know I had. I was really upset but I knew I was being drained and for the first time I was able to ask for help without being guilty, because I finally had help. Thanks for this. I needed this post right now and your words got to the heart of it. Thank you for this post! I love the way you have explained this so well. I’ve been married for 7 months and my wife has been battling depression since she was 13. It has really affected me in a way that I hadn’t even considered. We’ve had a lot of discussions regarding this and we finally figured out that we’ve gotten to the point that she’s comfortable enough with herself to talk about what’s really been ailing her. I’ve also learned to deal with my own depression and the fact that this may be more hereditary in my family. Thank you for sharing your experience. It really helps the people that may be going through something similar. I encourage you to keep going. It may take time to really make changes, but the changes are already making a difference. Keep trying to be that little light that shines in this world! You’re doing great! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this, it’s nice to know I am not alone in the struggle. My daughter is 2, and like your son she cries often. When she is crying it feels like I have been fighting with myself with a boxing match with her… I can never win and have always gotten tired and have ended up crying too. This last week has been very hard for me. But I realize that I am stronger now that I wasn’t when my daughter was born. I’ve been reading quite a bit lately on “How to be a parent”, and while it’s informative to some degree, I often wonder if this isn’t just the same advice passed on from generation to generation. We have the same responsibilities our parents have had – but we also have so many more options. Being a parent is not something you can escape, and I think it’s easy for me to forget that sometimes. Thank you for the perspective, though – “There is not a parent who never wanted to just crawl into bed with their kid and sleep.” I needed that! Great post. Thank you for such a wonderful and honest post on this very real and often misunderstood topic! I’m amazed by the wisdom you share here. What a terrific way to look at and deal with the fatigue involved in raising a child with challenges! So many people just don’t understand the true toll that raising a child with special needs can take, and it’s refreshing to read about how you’ve worked so hard to find ways to manage fatigue as you raise your special needs child. You’ve captured the essence of what every parent of a child with special needs is going through. Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying something so many parents often need to hear! I hope all the parents out there who read your post feel you, feel affirmed in your own experience, and realize they are not alone! You are not alone in the trenches. XOXOXO Thank you for this post. A couple of weeks ago, I came across this article from another blog, and I totally agree with you: “As a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, I often think about what is happening with this amazing little boy. And I’m always amazed. Cerebral Palsy affects this child’s movement in amazing ways. Yet, he can still walk, he can still function. What is more amazing is that he can do it with the same personality he always had. Not better, not worse. Just the same. Maybe he doesn’t have the best speech in the world, but at least he can use words, and he knows how to make a statement. He’s not the best behaved child, and his mommy says he sometimes gets frustrated that he can’t do something. But guess what? He understands his frustration because he can look at a situation and understand what has frustrated him. He’s not the best behaved child, and sometimes we need to remind him of the rules of conduct. And while he may not always be the nicest to his siblings, you have to remember that his mommy taught him well. We are raising someone who understands the rules of our society, and while he may not live up to what he should, he knows the rules. How great is that? He may not be able to express himself in words so well, but you get my point. He’s still a great child. And his mommy and I know that.” I love that! For us, all of those things can be true about our son. And those are some of the things that I have been thinking about a lot lately. Thank you for sharing yours. You bring up a lot of good points! Hi Jennifer! I’ve missed hearing your wonderful voice! I’m glad you are back and that this post