Search Results for: advocating
Life in the Trenches from a Special Needs Parenting Advocate
If we can all agree that parenting is difficult, frustrating, and overwhelming mixed in with the many joys of nurturing a young person; then special needs/autism caregiving is like parenting on steroids – everything is heightened. This means that the challenges as an autism mom and advocate often bring me to my knees, and the…
Ditch the Grinch and Deck the Halls
‘Tis the season! That’s what all the billboards, advertisements, and email subject lines are saying right about now, anyway. But ‘tis the season for what, exactly? The obvious answers are “giving” and “gathering” and “getting out the sparkly decorations.” There are presents that need purchasing and cards that need crafting; there are parties that require…
When The Struggle Doesn’t End After IVF
I remember it like it was yesterday. Sitting in the hospital room during my perinatal stay, I wondered to myself, “How did I get here?” We spent five years trying to get pregnant. We had multiple miscarriages, surgeries, and double-digit IVF cycles. But when we found out we were having twins, it made that wearisome…
70s Childhoods Vs Now – What’s Been Lost
I grew up in the 70s. This meant I was lucky to experience childhood long before helicopter parents, abstinence pledges, SAT prep courses and sexting obliterated the myriad reckless joys of American adolescence. Most parents had more than two kids, plus jobs, problems and pressures of their own. Kids’ technology risks consisted primarily of overdosing…
The Many Faces of Abuse
I have a story to tell. Growing up, I had a teacher and a mentor I was extremely close with. With only ten years between us, as an adult, our friendship strengthened and we have remained connected throughout my life. Although I spent much of my twenties traveling and living abroad, our friendship never waned.…