1) Episode Summary

Host Kim Wardlow continues the Navigating Life with Vision Loss safety series by exploring what “safety” really means in parenting and caregiving—far beyond outlet covers and baby gates. Guest Bethany Joy Boring, a blind single mom, speaker, author, and mental health coach, shares candid stories about raising three boys while navigating progressive vision loss and hearing loss.

Together, Kim and Bethany unpack the balance between protecting kids and letting them grow, how blindness can actually deepen trust and connection within a family, and the emotional side of handing over the car keys—whether you’re a parent losing vision or an older adult facing new limitations.

Bethany offers practical ideas for building emotional safety at home (“Do I see you? Do I hear you?”), communicating limits without shame, using technology (yes, including AI and AirTags) as a safety tool, and handling “safety oops” moments—like mistaking the cat’s paw for a ping-pong ball or the microwave crash that became a family legend.

The conversation then shifts to caring for older adults who are losing vision, including radical acceptance, grief, and how to avoid turning safety into control. Bethany emphasizes creating a truly safe space for hard conversations, so both caregiver and loved one feel heard, valued, and part of the decisions being made.

She closes with a powerful reminder: surviving is good, but thriving is different. Thriving is about what God is doing in and through your life so that others look at you and wonder, “What do they have that I don’t?” Kim wraps up with gratitude for listeners, a reminder about Colorado Gives Day, and a preview of next week’s episode on building your safety network.

2) Contact Info

Guest – Bethany Joy Boring

• Website: https://stepoutandthrive.com

• Link hub: https://bethanybjoy.com

Aftersight / Navigating Life with Vision Loss

• Website: https://aftersight.org

• Be a guest or share feedback: [email protected]

• Phone: (720) 712-8856

Producer Contact

Jonathan Price

Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (720) 712-8856

3) Show Credits

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss — an Aftersight Original Podcast

Episode: Parenting, Caregiving, and Safety

Host: Kim Wardlow

Guest: Bethany Joy Boring (speaker, mental health coach, author)

Producer: Jonathan Price

Production Support: The Aftersight Team

Organization: Aftersight, a nonprofit serving the blind and low-vision community

4) Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome, safety series overview, Colorado Gives Day, and introducing Bethany Joy Boring

02:22 – What “safety” really means: physical, emotional, logistical, and relational

04:37 – Blind mom ping-pong story and the accidental cat-claw grab

06:59 – “Did all three of them come from you?”: confronting judgment about blind parenting

09:27 – Raising kids who see people, not labels: conference stories and normalizing disability

11:50 – Blindness, single parenting, and modeling resilience through hard conversations

14:15 – Keys, cars, and independence: teaching a teen to drive while losing vision

16:40 – Being honest with kids about limits, code words, and joking about spiders

19:02 – The escape artist cat, AirTags, and using tech creatively for safety

21:27 – When partners or helpers “over-help”: advocating for independence with grace

23:51 – Supporting older adults losing vision: radical acceptance and shared reality

26:05 – You can’t change what you can’t name: making space for hard truths on both sides

28:30 – Aging, expectations, and not wanting to be a burden: listening before “fixing”

30:56 – Curiosity over assumptions: slowing down and creating a safe atmosphere for change

33:16 – “You protect what you value”: what Bethany’s kids have taught her about safety and worth

...