Staying involved with your kids when you're a caregiver

2. INVOLVE YOUR KIDS IN APPROPRIATE WAYS If you bring your children into the caregiving equation, they’ll feel included and valued — as long as you don’t overdo it. “Look for who in the

family can give support and relief with physical and emotional labor,” says Nancy Schlossberg, professor emerita of counseling psychology at the University of Maryland and author of _Too

Young to Be Old_. Rather than saddling young kids with hard-core caregiving tasks, allow them to entertain an older family member with funny stories or by playing cards or watching a movie

with him or her. With teenagers, you could let them choose how to help out, perhaps by picking up medicine at the drugstore or bringing the loved one a meal. When kids do chip in, give them

praise for their actions. 3. GIVE KIDS A CHANCE TO VOICE THEIR FEELINGS Acknowledge that they’re not getting as much of your time and attention as they used to or that you’d like to give

them, and “allow them to express their anger or resentment,” Schlossberg says. Keep them in the loop about what’s going on with the caregiving situation, without overwhelming them with

details. And let kids share their unvarnished feelings. Allowing them to vent will dissipate some of their frustrations, and you may discover a relatively easy solution to something that’s

been bothering them — if you can discover what the problem is.   4. DEDICATE TIME TO EACH CHILD Every week try to spend one-on-one time with each of your kids “so you can reassure them that

they remain foremost in your mind while you’re helping Grandma or Grandpa,” suggests Eve Markowitz Preston, a psychologist in private practice in New York City who serves mostly older adults

and often makes home visits. By devoting weekly time to do an art project, go shopping, play, talk or simply hang out with each child, all of them will get the message that they are still a

priority for you, that you love them and that some semblance of normal family life remains. _Stacey Colino is an independent, award-winning writer specializing in health, psychology and

family issues. Her work has appeared in dozens of national magazines as well as websites and books._