I'm a therapist, parent educator, writer and speaker who specializes in supporting parents of anxious children and teens
#151: Honoring what's unique about ourselves and our children βοΈ
Published 20 days agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
OpenBook Parenting
QUICK SUNDAY CHECK-IN
It's back to school time! We homeschooled both of our kids (the oldest all the way through, the youngest up until she "dropped in" to middle school) but fall still feels like new beginnings and fresh hope to me.
As a kid, I remember thinking "this is gonna be my year!" at the start of every school year. I'd tell myself that THIS TIME I was finally going to get organized, remember to bring home my math book, stay on top of homework, and improve my bad attitude. There is nothing like a shiny, new binder to make you believe anything is possible!
But back in ye olden days, there wasn't any recognition for kids who worked differently and so every year I'd be disappointed and discouraged by mid-October, realizing yet again that it was going to take more than will power to keep me on track. It wasn't until my second round of college (I dropped out of Ohio State my sophomore year, took two years off and then started again at Portland State) that I finally learned how to work with my particular neurodifferences and it's something I'm still learning day by day.
I carried a lot of shame and anger towards myself for not being able to follow the study guides teachers handed out but I didn't realize then that those study guides were written with one kind of brain in mind. I had to first allow myself to be a procrastinator, to be someone who needs to leave her desk to think, to be a person who doesn't like to show her work or write in pencil. And only then could I start to work with the brain I actually have. Before I was trying to swim against my own current and there was simply no way that was going to work. (I know some of you are nodding along right now!)
Fortunately we know so much more about neurodiversity now, (which isn't to say that we don't still have a long way to go) and that means more options, more information, and more support.
If you are already feeling your dread creeping up on you and could use some extra help, I've got some space on my schedule. You (and another caregiver) can sign up for a week of asynchronous support. There's no need to juggle schedules or find a babysitter. Check in with me whenever you need to and we'll have an ongoing conversation. Learn more and sign up right here.
β
don't let anxiety walk all over you!
USEFUL RESOURCE
This is a fun project to share with your child. Postcards connecting the world does exactly what it says it does. From the site, "The goal of this project is to allow anyone to send and receive postcards from all over the world!
The idea is simple: for each postcard you send, you'll receive one back from a random postcrosser somewhere in the world."
While you're there, check out their blog, which features two little Playmobil mail carriers traveling the world to visit postcrossers and share their stories.
Monthly Theme: Our Unique Kids
Tell Me It Will Be OK: The Practice
Confronting the challenges of neurodiversity
This month we're talking all about the ways we (our kids, ourselves, our families) defy convention and coming to terms with it. We're talking about what stresses us about it, how to accept who we are (and who are kids are), and the importance of standing up to convention wisdom that gets in the way of our own parenting instincts. Each week you get 30ish minutes to relax, dive in, and do some deep thinking to help us connect to what we truly need to be the parents we are meant to be (and that our children need). π§‘
therapist β’ parent educator β’ writer/speaker β βI've been supporting kids & families for more than 30 years. I have my masters in clinical mental health counseling and post-grad certification in infant/toddler mental health.