On The Hard Days

About This Episode:  My friends - this episode is one of my all-time favorites, and since every mama guest is so wonderful, that's really saying something! Whether you've heard Nancy before or not - take the time this week to hear her story again.

OH my goodness, the episode is AMAZING. There is NO way, after listening to it, that you won't feel something in in your gut about the message Nancy is spreading. She drops gold again and again with detailed talk about acceptance and letting your child just "be". Whether you listen all in one sitting or break the episode up over the week - make sure you listen to the WHOLE THING. Here are some things we discuss:

-Setting expectations that are actually reachable and that will boost your child's self-esteem and happiness
-Parenting from the gut. You know your kid best!
-Focusing on our kids' strengths rather than their lagging skills
-Completely accepting your child for who they are

Please shower Nancy with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-I'm looking for moms to pilot my new program, Mothers Evolve. Sign up to save your spot at ontheharddays.com/pilot

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. New groups start 8/1!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: Maveric Van Brackle inspired me so many times in our short chat, and what I love most about her is her willingness to do what she thinks is right for her child (well, he's a teenager now!) without worry of judgement or questioning herself. For her, it's all about reading her kid. Lots of takeaways in this episode! Here are just some of the topics we discussed:

-Pushing through the meltdowns about daily tasks and hygiene
-Staying honest with your child and keeping your word
-Breaking generational patterns of parenting
-Putting your blinders on to listen to your gut instincts
-The transition to adulthood 

Please shower Maveric with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-I'm looking for moms to pilot my new program, Mothers Evolve. Sign up to save your spot at ontheharddays.com/pilot

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. New groups start 8/1!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: After last week's Part 1, you guys raved about how relatable Megan Pizarro is.  (If you haven't yet listened to Part 1, go and do that right now, because it'll really help to get a feel for the kind, gentle, dedicated mom that Megan is.) Now, in Part 2, Megan talks about how much she's learned in the past few years about loving and accepting HERSELF, and how that has positively impacted how she views and parents her neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the topics we discussed:

-The concept of self-forgiveness
-Internalizing blame when comparing your life to that of other moms
-The stigma of therapy
-The challenges of hearing our children speak negatively about themselves
-PTSD and how it applies to moms raising neurodivergent kids
-The power of love and acceptance

Please shower Megan with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-I'm looking for moms to pilot my new program, Mothers Evolve. Sign up to save your spot at ontheharddays.com/pilot

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. It's not too late to join us in July!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: *Trigger Warning* This episode touches upon multiple losses, including that of a baby. This content is in the first 10 minutes of the actual conversation with Megan.

My friends, this is one heck of an episode - and it's only Part 1! Megan is a wonderful, amazing mom. I decided to split our chat into two episodes as Part 1 is focused on Megan's story and her family, and Part 2 will be focused on Megan's learnings and tremendous growth she went through and how she's inspiring other moms to do the same.

In this Part 1, Megan doesn't hesitate to be very vulnerable and forthcoming in her struggle to parent her neurodivergent child. I could really relate to so much that she said, and I have a feeling you will be able to as well. Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:

-When there's trauma in the first year of the baby's life
-Does needing an evaluation mean you've failed as a parent?
-The shame that comes with raising a child with a mood disorder
-The sheer magnitude of how very hard this motherhood journey is
-Being a recovering people pleaser and "good girl"

Please shower Megan with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. It's not too late to join us in July!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: Mom Lindsey is a fighter, and so is her son. She's been advocating fiercely for him since the day he was born, as he suffered from medical trauma and then eventually educational trauma. She's in full Mama Bear mode (as I know you all can relate to) and I'm grateful she came on the show to share her story. Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:

-What medical trauma looks like for an infant: Hirschsprung's Disease, surgeries, and long-term stays in the hospital
-The struggle to get a 1 on 1 aide in the classroom
-Lack of communication with school on behaviors
-The ongoing fight for inclusion
-Losing adult friendships as you take care of your child

Lindsey welcomes you to reach out to her and say hello! She's on FB and her email is
[email protected]. Please shower Lindsey with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. Our next group starts on July 1st!

-For bonus episodes, monthly printables, Zoom hangouts, on-air shouts, and more (including the change to submit your family picture as the podcast cover art!) head to patreon.com/ontheharddays and sponsor the show.

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: I'm so appreciative of the REALNESS Mom Kristen brings to this conversation. She tells it like it is, while simultaneously reminding us that it's okay to not enjoy this ride of parenting a neurodivergent child, and that things are REALLY, really hard. Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:

-Am I imagining/exaggerating symptoms?
-When a diagnosis is validating
-Why do other people question your child's diagnosis?
-"If this feels harder than it should be, it probably is."
-Guilt for admitting that you don't enjoy this.
-Early signs of Autism

Kristen welcomes you to reach out to her and say hello! She's on IG @kkollgaard and email is: [email protected]. 
Please shower Kristen with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-For bonus episodes, monthly printables, Zoom hangouts, on-air shouts, and more (including the change to submit your family picture as the podcast cover art!) head to patreon.com/ontheharddays and sponsor the show.

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. Our next group starts on July 1st!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: Marni Kammersell is homeschooling her kids, and boy does she GET it. The way she thinks about gifted, learning disabled children completely resonated with me in our conversation, and I just know it will for you too. Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:
-The "hyper-wiring" of gifted brains
-Can 2E kids thrive in a traditional school setting?
-Why IQ testing is a thing
-Is a label necessary for your kids when you're homeschooling?
-What it's like to be gifted with dysgraphia
-Playing to our kids' strengths in education

Marni Kammersell is a doctoral student at the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. However, her greatest teachers are her three twice-exceptional children. Together, they've been living a self-directed learning lifestyle since 2009. As a homeschooling and neurodiversity consultant, Marni loves sharing the latest research in neuroscience. She enjoys helping families transition from traditional educational models into homeschooling in a way that works for their unique learners. You can find her at  https://nurturingneurodiversity.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/nurturingneurodiversitycolorado
Please shower Marni with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-For bonus episodes, monthly printables, Zoom hangouts, on-air shouts, and more (including the change to submit your family picture as the podcast cover art!) head to patreon.com/ontheharddays and sponsor the show.

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. Our next group starts on June 1st!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: It's Part 2 of my amazing chat with the one and only Erin Yeschin. And while Part 1 was so relatable and validating, Part 2 will lift you up and give you the gentle kick in the pants you need to feel empowered and motivated to keep going. Don't skip this one, my friends - there is such power in her words! Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:

-Reframing your relationship with your neurodivergent child
-The gift of advocacy
-How misunderstood neurodivergent people are
-Why society expects neurodivergent kids to grow out of their behaviors and challenges
-Reframing a "failure" mentality
-Talking to your kids about tough societal issues

You can find Erin on IG @hippocampusclubhouse as well as on her podcast, Hippocampus Clubhouse, and her website: hippocampusclubhouse.com.
Please shower Erin with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-For bonus episodes, monthly printables, Zoom hangouts, on-air shouts, and more (including the change to submit your family picture as the podcast cover art!) head to patreon.com/ontheharddays and sponsor the show.

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. Our next group starts on June 1st!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: Erin Yeschin's parenting story of raising her neurodivergent child was so good, we had a long enough chat for two episodes (or even more!) Erin is a ray of light, despite being knocked down again and again and again. From her own health problems to a rough pregnancy, to health issues for her little one, and then really challenging behaviors, hers is a story I bet you will be able to resonate with somewhere along the line. And here's my favorite thing about her - her willingness to be brave and vulnerable. Towards the beginning of our conversation, her child interrupted us and got upset. His reaction is all too familiar for so many of us, and Erin graciously allowed me to share that part in this episode. Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:

-How a challenging pregnancy affects the motherhood journey
-When big emotions have to come out at some point, one way or another
-The first signs of giftedness
-Tantrums Vs. Meltdowns
-The stress of a public meltdown
-High functioning postpartum anxiety and what that looks like
-Being a highly sensitive mom

You can find Erin on IG @hippocampusclubhouse - please check out what she's doing over there, it's amazing!!
Please shower Erin with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-For bonus episodes, monthly printables, Zoom hangouts, on-air shouts, and more (including the change to submit your family picture as the podcast cover art!) head to patreon.com/ontheharddays and sponsor the show.

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. Our next group starts on June 1st!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!

About This Episode: Allison Kenny brought me HOME to myself and gave me the therapy session I didn't know I needed! Wow. You've got to take a listen to this amazing mom and life coach, who, in raising her own neurodivergent child, had to re-wire her brain for different outcomes in motherhood than the way she grew up. You'll want a notepad handy to jot down some really amazing, stick-with-you-for-days takeaways. Here are just a few of the topics we discussed:

-The false narrative of what raising kids in our society looks like
-Moms' suffering mental health due to putting ourselves last
-The foster-to-adopt system and how it created a false illusion of preparedness
-"Survival wiring" - perfectionism and hustle
-Reactive Attachment Disorder
-"Shift Parenting" - What is it?
-The trauma and PTSD that comes with the tough moments of motherhood

You can find Allison on IG @allisonkenny_coach and on FB @ Allison Kenny.
Please shower Allison with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story!

MORE:
-For bonus episodes, monthly printables, Zoom hangouts, on-air shouts, and more (including the change to submit your family picture as the podcast cover art!) head to patreon.com/ontheharddays and sponsor the show.

-Want to be a part of my support group community, Mothers Together? Head over to ontheharddays.com/motherstogether to sign up. Our next group starts on June 1st!

-Subscribe to On The Hard Days via Apple, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts.  *Please leave a review*  to spread the word to other moms around the world!