19 | Transition Survival Series Part 5: Legacy Planning with Kate Hufnagel, The Digital Wrangler

We wrap up our transition series with a very special guest, my new friend, Kate.

Kate Hufnagel is a professional legacy organizer, speaker and coach who helps individuals and families do the important work that nobody likes to talk about.

She’s on a mission to normalize conversations about planning for the inevitable — or the unthinkable — whether it be during family game night or out for brunch with friends.

After a mind-blowing career in big tech, Kate founded her business, The Digital WranglerTM, to help individuals and families leave behind a well-organized estate.  Kate is also a bonus mom who is passionate about financial literacy and finding the best donut in the world. 

We talk about the following:

1.     Why estate planning is so essential for parents of kids with special needs?

2.    How our listener can make things easier for their spouse or loved one left behind. Specifically, those things that perhaps lawyers and other professionals don’t necessarily consider.

3.    How our listener can make things easier for the guardian left behind?  Action items parents and caregivers can do for the guardian to

These are tough topics and we share them not because we want to overwhelm you but because we want to make this inevitable transition easier for you and for those left behind. Kate has so many pearls of wisdom in here. I hope you will find some to utilize today and give the gift of preparation to your loved ones.

Takeaways:

1) Don't panic. Pick a time when you can think logically about this topic and just do one thing at a time to help prepare. Perhaps get a notebook to store all medical prescriptions for your child and share the location of that notebook with your loved ones in case of emergency. Or filling out a calendar of activities for your kiddo and giving access to your loved one so they have an idea of your schedule.

2) Providing access (not necessarily today) to your phone and passwords to your loved one left behind is critical if you want to help them avoid many many hours of work in settling affairs.

3) Talk to your loved ones about what you want after you pass. Legal documents don't always have that information in it and loved ones left behind can use the guidance and information to carry out your wants and wishes, especially for your child.

How to connect with Kate:

Email: https://www.thedigitalwrangler.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-hufnagel/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedigitalwrangler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalwrangler/

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Email: [email protected]

18 | Transition Survival Skills Part 4: Moving with Paige Strawn

Moving your home when you have a child with special needs is not for the faint of heart. Transitions like moving can be especially stressful for our kiddos since it is already stressful for parents. In fact, moving has been rated as one of the most stressful situations we go through as adults, right up there with the birth of a child and changing jobs.

So imagine how hard it is to move homes when you are a child with special needs. In this episode, Paige Strawn comes back on the show to tell us about her recent experience moving with 3 of her 4 kids and all the things she learned along the way. (If you aren't familiar with Paige, go listen to Episodes 005 and 006 to learn all about her and our long time friendship!)

Learn about what questions you might ask prior to making the decision to move your family whether it is across town or across the country, what to consider when you are searching for the right neighborhood, what information your new doctors will need and how best to make the actual move with your special needs child.

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17 | Transition Survival Series Part 3: Living Independently, A Chat With Molly Denny, Ph. D.

If you have a loved one with a disability and have wondered if they are ever going to be able to live independently and have their own life separate from their parents, this episode is for you. I sit down with Molly Denny, Ph.D., the Director of Community Life at Daymark Living in Waxahachie, TX. We talk about what it's like transitioning our loved ones with physical and intellectual disabilities into a full and thriving adult life that provides the social network, the stimulation and the safety they need, want and deserve. Specifically, Dr. Denny covers the following:

Find out more about Daymark:

https://daymarkliving.com/

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16 | Transition Survival Series Part 2: Job Skills and Adulting with Mere Pace

Do you have a teen/young adult with a learning or intellectual disability? Are you starting to think about what their life will be like after they complete school? The transition between school and adulthood/job life can be one of the more challenging in our parenting journey. To help us navigate and prepare for the road ahead, I have the pleasure of sharing my conversation with Meredith Pace, Transition Specialist at the Notre Dame School of Dallas. She shares 7 things employers expect of our young adults as they start working in the real world. We also discuss the murky world of obtaining guardianship for our kids, applying for SSI, and some of the resources out there that can help our young adults secure and maintain a job.

Takeaways:

1) Break things down: Examine a bit in greater details the skills and necessary requirements that your teen might need to do a job, perhaps those skills that we normally don't think about with regard to our typical kids, like having dependable transportation and being able to know when to ask for help.

2) If your teen wants a job to be productive, part of a community or to earn a paycheck, you have already passed the biggest hurdle in securing employment. There are opportunities out there! Be open, receptive and willing to reach out to your connections and other resources available that will help with training because your teen might be more receptive to learning from someone other than their parent.

3) Don't forget to encourage that desire to work early on. Utilize a token system or allowance, express verbal appreciation and admiration when they perform tasks, and encourage community involvement to instill that desire to work from an early age.

Links we discussed:

Texas Workforce Commission: https://www.twc.texas.gov/

How to contact Meredith:

Email: [email protected]

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15 | Transition Survival Series Part 1: Back-To-School with Courtney Howard

Do you remember your first day of kindergarten? What about middle school or even high school?  You’re still a little tired from waking up early for the first time in 10 weeks and you’ve got that mix of nervousness and excitement whirling around perhaps in your head or even your stomach making it too hard for you to eat. How will you find your room?  Will you have any friends in your class? Will your teachers be nice? So. Many. Questions about to be answered.

Now, imagine what it is like for your child with special needs heading back to school. Perhaps they are entering kindergarten or middle school or even high

Knowing that transitions of any kind can be so overwhelming for our kiddos and fraught with anxiety and fear for both mom and child, I thought I would start out this second season with a series on all those major transitions we go through with our children with special needs.  And

And I am excited to have Courtney Howard on the podcast to share some tips and strategies to lessen that overwhelm and create some calm around the first day of school. She is not only a mom to 3 little under 6, two of whom are starting a new school for the first time this year, but she is also a fabulous teacher

Courtney also shares that she herself has ADHD and has really been on a journey to find the simple strategies and solutions that work to keep her on time and not so rushed as she tries to get three kids out the door and off to 3 different places. So if you are a parent with ADHD, this is a great one to tune into as well.

Takeaways:

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14 | Going to Summer Camp: How to Prepare Your Special Needs Child (and Yourself!)

Do you have a kiddo headed to camp this summer? Is it the first time? Then I am here to help!

I share all the details here as my daughter is a pro in this category. She has been attending summer camp since she was 8 years old (she would have sooner if the camp had let her!) so we know a thing or two about the process.

Take a listen and get ready for your camper to enjoy a whole new experience while YOU get a break!

Links I Mentioned:

Blue "IKEA" Bags

Footlocker

Zippered Mesh Bags

Camps My Daughter Has Attended:

SEEK Camp

Camp Barnabas

Daymark Living

Other Camps Recommended by Friends:

Young Life Camp

Camp Summit

Camp Blessing

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13 | Routines & Rhythms with Mama Systems Creator Laura Hernandez

This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to bring you my new friend, Laura Hernandez, creator of Mama Systems. 

Laura was living in Seattle with her husband and five biological children when they decided to move back to the Dallas Fort Worth area and adopt three kids from foster care. They later had two more biological children and also learned that their adopted children had Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

When Laura found herself struggling to get through the day with five kids under four all in diapers, she knew she needed some help. Unfortunately, there were not many resources out there for her family of 12, so she created her own. She established a new set of systems, routines, and rhythms to help their family not just survive that thrive through their days.

In this episode, she shares:

Connect with Laura:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

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12 | The Secrets to Small Space Living with The Tidy Trainer, Michelle Hobgood

Meet Michelle Hobgood, the home organizer behind The Tidy Trainer. Her real-life tidying systems help overwhelmed women and neurodivergent families kick clutter to the curb and whip their spaces into shape so they feel good about coming home.

With over 20 years of diverse work experience in the fields of fashion, fitness, wellness coaching, and project management, She brings a unique perspective to the world of home organization.

Michelle is also a fierce advocate and a proud mom to an amazing young man with autism and intellectual disabilities. She’s seen firsthand how an organized home contributed to reducing stress and enhancing the mental health of herself and her family. Now she’s thrilled to share that gift with those who are stressed out and are beginning to realize the toll their clutter is taking on their lives.

Without judgment, she guides her clients through the process of letting go of items that no longer serve them and creating functional storage solutions that cater to their lifestyles. Through The Tidy Trainer, Michelle has found a way to merge her passions and provide a holistic approach to creating a healthier, happier, and more organized life for her clients.

Her unique experiences as a mompreneur are documented on her Instagram page, where she shares her transparent musings on juggling it all with a smile (most of the time).

We have a great time chatting about how she has figured out small space living with her husband and adult son. We also talk about the importance of having designated spaces for our items and the impact that can have on our kids' mental, physical and emotional health. Finally, we talk about the importance of understanding your organizing style and why social media can create anxiety if your organizing style isn't typically the one featured.

How to find Michelle The Tidy Trainer:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellehobgood/

Website: https://thetidytrainer.com/ 

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11 | Lessons I'm Learning In A Season Of Grief

I know this one might be a tough topic to listen to. It was definitely a tough topic to talk about. But I promised myself I would talk about what I am learning in this difficult season because I want to be better prepared the next time I go through it. So, I am sharing my learnings with you, my listeners, and I hope you get something out of it too!

As you all probably know now, my beloved aunt passed away after suffering through severe complications from what should have been a routine heart operation. I was there to witness that suffering her entire last week and it had a lasting impact on me: on what I think about death, how I want to be better prepared, how I want to depart, how I don't want to depart, and what I want to leave behind. I thought about all of these things while still doing my best to be Casey's mom, feeling a bit squished in the middle of dealing with grief from the passing of an older generation but still trying to be present for my younger generation's needs.

Lessons I've learned from this season:

*Get yourself a health advocate. It can be hard to advocate for your own health needs, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed with all the decisions you have to make. Getting a friend or family member to listen to your doctors and help you make decisions can be so beneficial to your mental health. Also, work with your special needs kids to help them advocate for their needs to the best of their ability. We continue to work on that skill with my daughter.

*Talk, discuss and maybe even plan ahead for what your wishes are for when you pass. Communicating these wishes can be hard when they don't seem necessary. Trust me, they are even harder when they are necessary and you are no longer here to tell loved ones. For special needs families, a lawyer that specializes in these matters is a must when it comes to estate planning.

*When you are struggling with death, mental health issues or perhaps an illness, injury or any other cause of grief, it is important to remember what KC Davis says: organizational chores and daily functioning tasks are "morally neutral" -- they don't represent your failure or success. Instead of saying, "I'm failing!" replace that with, "I'm just having a hard time." They are just there to make your life functional. So drop the guilt and get creative about how you can complete a task so that you can function and get through the next minute, hour or day.

*If you find daily tasks too difficult right now, you can start with...

1) empty the trash

2) do the dishes (or just a couple so that you can eat your next meal)

3) wash some clothes

4) put away things that have a place

5) put away things that don't have a place

Learn more about KC Davis, her book, podcast and her views on struggle care HERE

BONUS!!!!! Just so we end on a funnier, more positive note, I thought I would share my True Confessions of a Professional Organizer! These are the top 8 things I do/don't do in my own home, even though I might tell my clients otherwise! I hope you don't think any less of me once you hear these! Just always remember, professional organizers are people too! :)

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10 | Organizing with Kids: My Conversation with Janelle Azar

Meet my new friend and fellow pro organizer, Janelle Azar of A Meaningful Space. She is a pro when it comes to organizing with kids -- we chat about the common mistakes parents make when trying to organize their kids' spaces and how to include our kids in the process. She is a wealth of knowledge and I love how she breaks down the process to make it manageable and meaningful.

Janelle just came out with a great course called Simplifying & Organizing with Kids that I have been through personally and I think it can really help us as parents work through these spaces with greater calm and ease, all while including our kiddos in the process.

Special Promo Code for Listeners: KIDS20  Get 20% of the total price of the course.

How to connect with Janelle...

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ameaningfulspace

      @ameaningfulspace

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ameaningfulspaceorganizing

                 @ameaningfulspaceorganizing

Website:    www.ameaningfulspace.com/online-courses  (Link to send people to purchase or learn more about the course)

Website:   https://www.ameaningfulspace.com/kids-organizing-guide (Free Getting Started Guide sign up)

Course:   https://ameaningfulspace.systeme.io/ea63b55e (Direct link to purchase the course)

(Special Promo Code for Listeners: KIDS20  Get 20% of the total price of the course.)

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