Time for me: A cup of coffee….

I mention my favourite coffee chain drink in my twitter profile, much to my husband’s amusement (it’s a massimo decaf skinny mocha by the way), its come to represent more than just a cup of coffee over time.

“Me time” or time for me and me alone…can be infrequent when parenting and especially when parenting special needs children, there are constant demands on time, using “refereeing” and negotiating skills, on preparing the meals in a specific way, of adhering to the routine that is so vital to autistic children. Not to mention the many additional meetings and phone calls with professionals, some of which can be challenging.

By the end of the long summer holidays, I was really craving ten minutes, with cup of coffee in that burgundy takeaway cup. It’s always a takeaway cup by the way because they’re easier to move quickly, less likely to spill and my children and hot drinks in a china cup wouldn’t mix well.

A cup of my favourite coffee doesn’t just represent a drink, to me it’s a chance to unwind, to reflect, to (maybe) catch up with social media, to write one of the many blogs in my blog traffic jam. It’s a chance to be “me”, not just D’s or T’s mumma or someone’s wife. Me.

Our local coffee shop is very much a “sanctuary”, a place where either if I’m on my own, with a friend for coffee or with the children, we all feel comfortable. There’s always a table available, soft music in the background and they make a mocha just the way I like it. I’ve noticed that quite a few parents from D’s SN school go there with their children too, the “sanctuary” feeling obviously isn’t just restricted to me.

I asked other special needs parents on twitter how they make use of their “me time” if (and it is a big IF) they are able to and the results were surprisingly similar:

“The crossword and a hot chocolate, me time is never guaranteed in this business”

“Loud music, through headphones and coffee, lots of coffee”

“Sewing, singing and coffee”

“I read, every single night, it’s the only guaranteed me time”

We’re all seeking our little bit of downtime in the same way, a few minutes here and there of (relative) peace and reflection are often just enough to recharge those batteries that have so much usage during the time we spend with our children.

That is why this cup of coffee is so much more than just a cup of coffee..

How do you get that all important “time for me”?

Jeanette AM

Sometimes I feel like a brand but I'm me, a commuting career woman in a previous "life", now a stay-at-home Mumma to two wonderful children, who just happen to have autism too. One at each end of the spectrum, one diagnosed at 4.5 years old and the other, very recently at 10.5 years. I blog to raise awareness and acceptance of autism for them and everyone connected with the autistic spectrum (there's an ever-growing number of us!) Very humbled to have been shortlisted in the Brilliance In Blogging awards for my website. That would be me, @AutismMumma aka Jeannette

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