Talk to me about respite, how does it work? Who is eligible?

[MegaLegs]

I feel bad writing this but I'm sure it'll help me feel better.

I have four boys 8,6,4 and 2. Lovely, all of them but hard work and that's without adding the fact that DS4 is becoming much more demanding.

He has GDD, not walking but cruising for England and tall enough to reach top of units, turn taps on, kitchen table etc, a whole new world has appeared to him and I can't keep up, having to re baby proof but on a higher level!!

He spends his day undoing every thing I have done, travels in my wake emptying bookcases, washing baskets, unmaking beds.

His speech is delayed he has a few words and a few Makaton signs, I use Makaton with him but his basic means of communication is to say"mamamamamamamamamamama" in a whiney voice and point at me over and over and over all day long.

I get cuddles and kisses, I also get head butted , punched in the face and bitten quite regularly.

It's hard, the other three are suffering, I have been cow bitch mother from hell to them all this afternoon. DH is great does lots but I am starting to crack.

Oh, and did I mention that this all kicks off just after 5am most days.

How do you MNetters, in similar situations cope?>

Pages, of course you can get someone to take out your child but only if that is viable. In our case it is not. Our hefty non-verbal 12 year old with ASD and Challenging Behaviour and amazing physical abilities really needs to go to an appropriate setting. Even in the first days that we got DPs I used them to pay someone to look after DD while I took DS out myself as he is too difficult/unusual for most people to handle out and about. That is probably not the situation for you so you certainly could pay someone to take out your child.

Thanks Davros, see what you mean. I will give it a go.