"A waiting person is a patient person." - Henri J.M. Nouwen

Argh! Have you ever felt impatient at a red light, or irritated at the end of a long parent-teacher meeting? You're not alone.

Patience can feel scarce when you don't have control over a situation. When you're a caregiver for someone with autism, it can feel like a slew of frustrations accumulate at the worst moments. Finding a tiny bit of control can bring us patience later.

Control might look like self-care: a walk around the block, getting up early for 15 minutes of alone time, spending time each week encouraging other struggling autism parents or starting a gratitude journal. Don't let anyone (including yourself!) make you feel guilty for taking care of yourself.

Here are recent conversations from MyAutismTeam:

• "Being Sarah's mom is hard and exhausting. Yet it's also filled with priceless moments of her saying, 'Can I give you a hug mom?' Honestly 4 yrs. ago we thought hearing her talk would never happen. That sure puts the moments of frustration and stress in perspective."
• "I find myself second guessing my plan when it doesn’t go well. I remind myself when we fail at things we learn how to fix those mistakes and grow. I have to be more patient too."

Have you found ways to take back control and practice patience? What do you do to be more open to self-care? Share your insights in the comments below or directly on MyAutismTeam.com.