Sometimes you just have to laugh at your caregiving situation. A little caregiver humor can go a long way! When my sisters and I were packing my mom and moving her from her assisted living in Georgia to my sister’s home in Pennsylvania, we created a group text called ‘It’s a great day to give care’ (this is Susie’s mantra that she adapted from Grey’s Anatomy mantra ‘it’s a beautiful day to save lives’) and in this group text there are tons of random little texts that start with ‘You know you are a caregiver when…’.
A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles. – Mignon McLaughlin
Each time I read one of the texts or added my own, I knew that smiles were occurring and the day was looking a little brighter. It’s a fun game to play when you are in the thick of some crazy, can’t make this s&%t up caregiver situation, and you are challenged to flip it on its side or upside down to discover the humor. As caregivers, we can’t change what happens to us but we can change and own how we react to situations. Choosing to find the caregiver humor in situations will help you stay sane.
Ready for some caregiver humor?
I thought I’d share a few of my favorite ‘You know You are a Caregiver’ texts that were exchanged between me and my sisters:
You know you are a caregiver when you start a 12-hour road trip and you stop after 1 mile for lunch and a potty break.
You know you are a caregiver when the first thing you think of when you wake up is where’s the oxygen?
You know you are a caregiver when you eat at a Cracker Barrel and it is a major event.
You know you are a caregiver when you pick the restaurant based on how close the bathroom is to the door from the parking lot.
You know you are a caregiver when it takes 3 hours to watch a normal length movie because of all the bathroom breaks.
You know you are a caregiver when you forget your iPad in the hotel room because you are worried about everyone else’s stuff.
You know you are a caregiver when you are in such a hurry that you put your coffee cup upside down on your Keurig.
You know you are a caregiver when it’s 1 pm and you haven’t brushed your teeth and are still in your pj’s because you haven’t had a chance to stop.
You know you are a caregiver when you find new uses for the crockpot liners, in bedpans!
You know you are a caregiver when your toilet seat is lined with Poise pads so your caree’s skin doesn’t stick to the seat.
You know you are a caregiver when the power goes out and the only thing you are worried about is how you’re going to get your mom out of the reclined position of the electric lift chair.
You know you are a caregiver when you tell your husband, ‘I got the kids their milk and insulin’ and your kids aren’t diabetic.
You know you are a caregiver when you are sharing your screen during a web meeting at work and an ad for incontinence supplies is displayed on your screen.
You know you are a caregiver when you get excited about UPS dropping a package at your door and it’s a portable commode.
You know you are a caregiver when you are so proud about ideas like making the portable potty also a desk chair to encourage your mom to write.
You know you are a caregiver when most of the time you Facetime your mom, she is on the toilet.
Take action
I challenge you to take your next difficult caregiving moment and try to turn it into a ‘You know you are a caregiver when…’ statement, laugh to yourself about it and then text your little bit of caregiver humor to a friend or relative who understands. Another option is to reflect on the crazy caregiving event you just experienced and share your ‘You know you are a caregiver when…’ in the comments below. Have fun with it!
As caregivers, we all need to laugh more.
You might be saying to yourself, ‘No doubt, but when will I have time for that?!’.
My answer is that you have to create the time. You won’t just find it. I have helped many caregivers discover their ME time opportunities with my free resource. Click here to get your free ‘Help! I need more ME time!’ resource immediately sent to your inbox.
