What a year it has been! As if we don’t have enough challenges without lockdown, mandatory homeschooling, a totally new set of social rules etc. But we made it. One way or the other. Covid 19 brought some unexpected blessings for this family with distanced learning available for supergirl and no - much dreaded - social week at the start of college for wonderboy. Great, but with everybody at home, it was also exhausting for this supermom who is always ‘on’. I really needed to learn to take a step back and implement quality-me time. Thankfully we as supermoms can learn from each other. So, in this compilation episode you’ll hear all the tips from all the guests who were on the show this year. I learned to ask for help. Looking forward to hearing what you learned and implemented to make it easier for yourself. 

Upfront warning: this episode isn’t about following a medical diet because your kid is actually allergic to something or is diabetic. I’m no doctor, so when you go down this road - check with your GP.

The amount of people that told me they saw a documentary of a kid ‘cured’ from autism because he stopped eating gluten. Or the people that keep on telling me if my supergirl would not drink any dairy it would stop her juvenile arthritis. If only it would be that simple. Can a diet help? Yes. Veggies are of course better than cupcakes, so a healthy diet can definitely help with overall wellbeing. But will it ‘cure’ a disease? Highly unlikely (again I’m not talking high blood pressure and stop eating salty and fatty food). This episode is about why a diet works. And why it doesn’t.

Yay, holidays… the thought alone is enough to stress out many. When you have a special needs loved one it can even be more challenging. Therefore, this episode is how to make family holiday gatherings a fun experience for your special needs kid, and the rest of the family, including you. It will help prevent getting ‘the look’ from your sister when your kid stops playing with her kids and grabs his iPad. It can help making your mom understand why all her grandkids can show up in matching outfits and sit at the decked dinner table eating for 2 hours everything they’re served, while your kid could only show up wearing her superman costume, only eats hotdogs and leaves after she is finished. It can even help reduce the amount and severity of tantrums your kid throws. And last but not least it will help you not having that constant feeling of being a failure because everyone seems to have such a well behaved family, expect you. This year you’ll finally be able to enjoy the holidays, tantrums and annoying family members and all. By managing expectations. 

I don’t know about you, but as a Special Needs Supermom I’m always ‘on’. You don’t get to be called a supermom just like that, right? It involves 24/7 action, ready to come to the rescue and take on the world while doing so. Always ‘on’ is one of our biggest supermom strengths but can also be one of our biggest downfalls. Because if you are always wired, how can you unwind and recharge? To be honest I find it hard to turn off. The only times I can really, really unwind is when I am not at home. Preferably abroad, so I am not in shouting distance or jump in the car to come to the rescue. This of course is NOT healthy and a recipe to burnout. In this podcast tips to prevent falling in the supermom trap. 

Those moments that your kid goes completely bezerk. In isle 9 of Walmart. Because of who knows what. Or is about to freak out in his favorite Lego store because you surprised him with a gift. Or because the party is too loud. Or out of sheer frustration because she can’t make herself understand. It is heartbreaking too watch your kid being completely overwhelmed  and not being able to snap out of it. And when older it can sometimes even become scary and dangerous. So, next time your kid is completely overwhelmed, here are 5 tips that can help your kid to calm down and get out of overwhelm mode. Helps mommies too by the way ;).  

Imagine you are an anxious kid, set in his or her ways. Now combine that with the festive season. First there is Halloween, one parade of darkness filled with creepy masks. Then comes Thanksgiving, long travels in a cramped place - lots of family that says you need to interact (because it’s fun!) and ‘that you just have to act normal (what’s that?)’. After which that creepy elf suddenly appears at your house watching everything you do. Have I mentioned Christmas is literally one big pile of surprises? While you hate surprises?! As supermom you can be torn between wanting to hang onto old traditions, the feelings of your kid, and adjusting to family expectations. This episode is how to make the last months of the year as pleasant as possible. For everyone. 

Homework. As a kid I was easily distracted and had a hard time focusing. But that was nothing compared to the challenges I saw with my autistic wonderboy and my dyslexic supergirl. Having to do homework for half an hour is impossible if you can’t grasp the concept of time. And there is no chance you can solve a math problem if reading the instructions is a challenge all by itself. But Thank God there are hacks. Together with time, homework becomes doable and bearable. For both kids and their parents! Hereby my best hacks.

You often hear people say they knew something was wrong from the early stages. And how they had to fight the system and often family too, to get a diagnosis and help. Listener Melody asked how this was for us. Well, in our case it was the opposite. We saw a wonderboy that looked just like his parents. Having a lot of fantasy and only interested in playing with one thing we didn’t see the problem (hey, how many hobbies do you have?). And we had a very feisty, stubborn and active little supergirl who was so eager to conquer the world, she skipped the crawling and went straight to walking. This is the story of wonderboy and supergirl, how we found out, acceptance, guidance, cultural differences, making choices and where we are now. Don’t feel bad if you don’t see the signs. And if you do have a diagnosis remember to tailor the possible resources to you and your kid. There is no one size fits all therapy or help. Listen to YOURSELF. As a parent you are the one who knows what is best for you and your kid.

Have a kid that doesn’t grasp time? Has no sense of which month it is, or which one follows after the other? Doesn’t get that if he sleeps in until noon breakfast = lunch? During summer holidays is completely lost and freaks out if you mention school will start in 4 weeks, or 2 days? This episode is about how your dreamer can go from lost in space to master of the universe. And how that will set him or her up for success.

Have you gone loco yet during your staycation? Or were you lucky enough to be able to escape for a while? If not, here are some great tips to make the end of this weird summer a fun adventure! At home. Start with everybody’s expectations - see what is doable and what and how to bring those vacation adventures and vibes to your house - and pencil them into a calendar! Have a great staycation!