More Than Just Caregivers

At-Home Date Night, Self Care & Family Boxes for Caregiver Parents

Heather Chamlee, a neurodivergent mother of neurodivergent children, was losing connection with her husband because of the everyday struggles they endured. She found a way to strengthen her marriage and wanted to share that with fellow caregiver parents. More Than Just Caregivers provides at-home date nights, family activities, and self care boxes so that we can all flourish in our relationships, even when we feel like we can’t make the time due to our daily demands.

Relationships are difficult on any day of the week—whether romantic relationships, familial relationships, friendships, or our relationships with ourselves. As life pulls us in all different directions, our relationships sometimes fall to the wayside. We end up feeling disconnected from the ones we love most, and even ourselves. This tends to be even more evident in caregiver parents.

Heather and fellow autism mom, Jamie Lin Brown, became friends during Jamie’s “Intentional Autism Mama Retreat.” At the time, Heather was contemplating what career moves to make next, and starting her own business was at the forefront. Heather and her husband were known for making time for date nights together to strengthen their bond in the chaos of family life. When Jamie reminded Heather of her gift in planning date nights and starting meaningful conversations with her husband. It was obvious that date night subscription boxes could be the logical next step for Heather.

Date Night Boxes

“I sat down to plan the structure of the boxes, what was important to me, and I wrote down the first questions—all in a half hour.” 

These “questions” that Heather referenced are present in every date night box. Each question provides a way for caregiver parents to connect over their families and talk about the joys, struggles, and everything in between. (As someone who has done 2 date night boxes so far, I assure you that the questions are the parts that I look value the most.)

Heather’s knack for budget, business, and her love for her customers shows in the personal touches she provides. Her thank you cards show how much she values her customers. Heather also allows for customized boxes if there is a particular element her customers are looking for.

“Getting a great deal on things [also] makes the value of the boxes fabulous,” Heather said.

Date night boxes from More than Just Caregivers range in prices from $21-49. My husband and I spent around 2 hours on each of our date night boxes—so the price and time are significantly cheaper than hiring a babysitter and going out. Plus, we were in our comfy clothes on our couch the whole time! (Not to mention how hard it is to find a babysitter that caregiver parents trust with their children!)

Heather is intentional in what she provides in her boxes. Everything in her boxes can be reused (except for the food!), and she keeps in mind that others in your family can utilize the elements later on. For example, the sensory activities in the box can be enjoyed by parents during the date, for kids (if they try to crash your date and need to be kept busy), or for sensory play in the future! 

“I knew I wanted to try and shy away from the things that a lot of us try to avoid. All of the treats have no artificial dyes. We often choose gluten-free and common allergen free items,” Heather said. “We strive for things to be no prep so we don’t add anything unnecessary to your plate or your mental load. And if we can keep some of the junk out of your family’s systems, that’s what I want to do!”

Heather felt the need to provide some sort of relief for her immediate community. Her home state of California has an autism rate higher than the national average. But her ultimate goal is to provide these fun boxes to customers all over. 

“Our community has so little available for caregiver parents,” Heather said, “And I think we are starting to see that shift of ‘what’s going to happen when all of the caregivers burnout and these kids are left with totally burnt out parents with no one to step in?’”

Every parent’s journey with their children is unique; with caregiver parents, there is an element of that journey that is difficult, draining, and equally beautiful. Heather provides a way for caregiver parents to continue to connect with one another without the added stresses of planning or extra costs. 

Family Boxes

Heather extends her gift of planning to these adventure boxes. Along with an engaging theme, each box has an “adventure” element to get families outside and bonding, some sort of sensory play/activity, snacks, and instructions on how to adapt the activities for children of all ages and abilities. Going out to events and activities as a neurodiverse family is taxing, but Heather manages to create a special way for families to come together in a comfortable way without the worries of new environments becoming overstimulating. I personally have yet to do a family adventure box, but it is on my fall to-do list! These boxes cost about $50 on average (but there is a current sale going on, so grab yours here).

Talking with Heather was refreshing and insightful. What struck me the most is that Heather wants families and caregiver parents to feel the love she puts into her boxes. The feel of her boxes is far from mass produced. From the thank you notes, instructions, and quick delivery time, each recipient can grasp the effort Heather puts in to ensure that her customers feel nurtured. 

“At the end of the day, I want customers to know it was made with love.”

Not only was I blown away by the date night boxes, but my husband was as well. We both agreed that we would purchase each date night box that comes out. The connection and fun we had during it was priceless. It was the most relaxing date night because the stress was taken out of the planning. It was geared towards the life we are navigating as caregiver parents—the aspect of our parenthood that not many can understand.

For more information on Heather, all boxes, and More than Just Caregivers, go to their website or follow them on instagram.

A giveaway for the “First Date Night” box and “More Than Just Mom Brain” journal will be posted to The Most Au-some Journey instagram this week!