I can see it both ways , now. But it took me caring for another persons child for me to SEE it. I was a nursing mom. I left my child with my mil for some alone time with Dh. I gave her a bottle a few times before leaving her so it wasn't cold turkey, BUT she didn't want to take it from mil easily. Mil was nervous about it, and dd DID catch on, but was difficult. My thoughts were that dd would give in and finally take the bottle from her. NOW though I can see just how problematic it is for a caregiver having been in a care givers shoes

As an analogy, I never did realize the challenges of being a pastor to a church until one pastor appreciation service. The church invited a different pastor to come and speak for it. His focus? The things your pastor won't tell you. He went on to discuss the things we as the congregation didn't know that our pastor has to deal with. One example was a personal one in which he and his own wife was in the hospital as she was having their first child. Supposedly a very joyous moment in their lives. BUT, on another floor was a family from their church who's mother was in the process of passing away. That family was grieving and in complete despair. He was going from floor to floor trying to comfort and trying to rejoice. A pastors life is not as easy as some might think.

I think the same goes for caregivers in a way. Often parents don't recognize the hardships and challenges they face because they've never been in thier shoes.

Reply