As you become a parent of young children, you may start to find that your own parents begin to need more help.
However, the balancing act of looking out for and effectively parenting both your own kids and your parents can be extremely difficult, especially if your parents do not live with you.
Therefore, to make sure that you can juggle both sets of dependents, here is a guide to some of the steps that you can take to make life easier for you.
1. Look at Senior Living Facilities
If your parents are struggling to look after themselves and you believe that you can no longer give them the amount of care that they need, there is no reason to feel guilty or ashamed.
Instead, you should investigate senior living facilities that could give your ailing parents the 24/7 care that they need in a place where you know they will be looked after.
Whether your parent needs a nursing home or an assisted living facility, you should look at the options that are available at Rosewood Senior Living in Visalia, California.
2. Create a Schedule
However, if you want your parents to age in their own home, you should consider creating a schedule.
This schedule can allow you to put aside a few hours of your day to help your parents with the daily chores that they struggle with around your own childcare commitments.
If you are struggling to follow this schedule all by yourself, you should consider enlisting other family members to help you, and split the care of your parents between different relatives.
3. Prioritize Important Events
One of the most upsetting parts of looking after your parents is the fact that this can often mean missing out on important events in your children’s lives.
Therefore, to ensure that you never have to skip a school play or parents’ evening again, you should make a list of the events that you cannot bear to miss, and ensure that you prioritize these.
For instance, you might look for help from someone else who can look after your parents on that day.
4. Get Your Kids Involved
It can be difficult to juggle spending time with both generations, though, so you should try and get your kids involved in your parents’ care.
For instance, you can take them with you when you visit your parents and encourage them to spend time with their grandparents, such as by watching a movie or chatting with them.
This can then ensure that your kids never have to leave your sight, even when you are focused on your parents.
5. Make Time for Yourself
You will only be able to provide good care for both your kids and your parents if you are healthy yourself.
Therefore, you should make sure that you take time to relax and unwind from your responsibilities.
You might have to hire a babysitter for your kids or book your parents into respite care to do this.