Many a special needs parent has concerns about whether they are doing right by the siblings of their special needs children. So many, including me, have had questions like:

Have I left them to manage too much on their own?

How can I provide what they need and want more reliably?

I worry about their well-being. What do I need to see or know that I don’t right now?

What aren’t they sharing with me that they should be?

How can I be the best parent to them?

In this episode, I chat with a sibling, Amanda Owen, who gives her perspective on what it was like to grow up with a special needs brother. She shares about her experiences, thoughts, behaviours, and concerns, as well as what she observed with her parents and brother, and how her experiences shaped parts of the life she has created for herself and her family today.

Amanda Owen is a children’s book author, blogger, podcaster, nonprofit director/founder and lifelong advocate for those with disabilities. Inspired each day by her older brother, Nick, Amanda has dedicated her life’s work to ensuring others with disabilities are included in their communities and live more fulfilled lives. She loves empowering women to call their own shots, find their purpose, all while leading a life that isn’t defined by societies’ checkboxes.

She, along with her husband, Justin, (who is the only person in the world that could both ground and love goal-driven, “vision boarding” Amanda) are the proud parents of two sons, Landon (12) and Layne (9). When she’s not running her nonprofit with a $5 million operating budget or supporting her 100+ employees or 400 clients, you can find Amanda at the lake, binge-watching Netflix or looking up inspirational quotes. More than anyone, Amanda understands what it means to fearlessly follow the path God has set out for you. She inspires everyone she meets to dream big, work hard, own their mistakes and learn from them, be yourself, and most of all — laugh!

Amanda loves to connect! Find her at:

Website: piecesofme.org

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-me/id1547078857

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

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

For more support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including more lessons from my daughter, Emma, plus issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come find support from podcast host, Marcia, at www.instagram.com/MarciaNathaiBalkissoon to carve out more joy and fulfillment in life, especially if you l feel overextended by your life’s challenges and your tendency to chase perfection.

Send me a DM to tell me about you and your family, and please recommend the podcast to other parents who need to get some support, feel less alone, and find a safe space where they are more understood.

Perhaps you live a life that stacks more demands before you get done with the challenge you’re already all-in on. Perhaps you’re the kind of person who goes all-in on everything you do.

Whatever your particular circumstance, it’s likely that you’re always racing - physically, mentally, and/or emotionally to tie up what’s currently on your plate and move straight into the next thing, and the next, and the next. And that brings challenges, as I’m sure you know. Because you run out. Of drive. Of power. Of the will to keep pushing. And beyond that, and even more importantly, you run out of joy, excitement, desire, to jump in and experience and live by immersing yourself in the next experience. Figuring out how to take back the joy, give yourself space: those become very important.

If you want to talk with me about making space for yourself in the midst of the unpredictability and racing demands of life, DM me on Instagram or Facebook or email me at [email protected].

This podcast is a labour of love for me. Like you, I often wish for a little more encouragement and connection and support. If this podcast is supportive to you, please help me get it out to more special needs parents and overwhelmed people who can benefit from the experience and the friendly hand holding theirs.

For more support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of my Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

I messed up. For the first time, I didn’t put out a podcast episode on Thursday.

A lot of self-judgement flared up for me because I FAILED to meet the standard I have met for over 60 episodes. But the lesson lay in my failure. And that’s what I am sharing with you. So this is my short (and late) episode with a big message and a few embarrassing sounds that I decided to leave in as I share this completely unedited, from-the-core episode… 🫢😬

If you want to talk with me about making space for yourself in the midst of the unpredictability and racing demands of life, DM me on Instagram or Facebook or email me at [email protected].

This podcast is a labour of love for me. Like you, I often wish for a little more encouragement and connection and support. If this podcast is supportive to you, please help me get it out to more special needs parents and overwhelmed people who can benefit from the experience and the friendly hand holding theirs.

For more support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of my Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

How does a child - severely brain-injured, bedridden, and non-verbal since she was 8 months old - teach someone? Certainly not in the usual ways. But my daughter, Emma, has taught me powerfully, and in marking her 11th birthday, I have decided to share some of the best lessons I’ve learned.

In this episode, I reflect on things she has patiently taught me, simply by being herself, in a little over a decade. So here are the 10 lessons that I’ve brainstormed - one for each of the 10 years since her injury.

If you pray, set intentions, or do any other kind of positive energy work, I would be thrilled if you’d include her in your practice today and join me in wishing Em abundant joy, love, health, and prosperity as she begins her 12th year on earth!

For more support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including more lessons from Emma, plus issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come find support from podcast host, Marcia, at www.instagram.com/MarciaNathaiBalkissoon to carve out more joy and fulfillment in life, despite your life’s demands and challenges. Send me a DM to tell me about you and your family, and please recommend the podcast to other parents who need to get some support, feel less alone, and find a safe space where they are more understood.

Did you know, Women, that tuning in to your menstrual cycle can attune you to fluctuations in not only your mood or emotions, but also the way your creativity, work competencies, and even inspiration may fluctuate during the course of your cycle? This is just the start of what Dinara Mukh shares in this interview.

Tune in to learn about how we can better support our children who have menstrual cycles, as well as how our boys and men sometimes step in to give us love and support when they are aware of our cycles. Plus, Dinara shares a little about how men’s hormones fluctuate and impact their energy as well.

Dinara Mukh is women’s health & hormone coach and TEDx speaker. She helps women balance hormones by re-connecting with their menstrual cycles so they can thrive in their bodies.

You can find Dinara’s resources and also reach out to her via these links:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dinara.mukh/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinaramukh/

Dinara’s TEDx Talk: Your menstrual cycle is your superpower - https://youtu.be/BFa2egx-jI8

Plus, you can take Dinara’s hormone quiz here: www.dinaramukh.com/hormonequiz

Dinara’s podcast, Feel Better Be Better, teaches more on this episode’s subject. You can tune in here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/ETc3wBJ6Exb

For support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come find support from podcast host, Marcia, at www.instagram.com/MarciaNathaiBalkissoon to carve out more joy and fulfillment in life, despite your life’s demands and challenges.

When you have a choice between traditional face-to-face and online speech therapy, what are some considerations to keep in mind? And what are some approaches almost any parent can practice, right at home, to encourage speech or more vocalisation from their child?

Lenora Edwards, a speech therapist with many years of experience in multiple settings, answers these questions and more, in this podcast episode. You can book a free 15-minute consultation here: www.BetterSpeech.com.

For support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come find support from podcast host, Marcia, at www.instagram.com/MarciaNathaiBalkissoon to carve out more joy and fulfillment in life, despite your life’s demands and challenges.

As a mom of 8 now-adult boys, one of whom was adopted and has a Foetal Alcohol Syndrome diagnosis, Tess Scott is well qualified to bring guidance on navigating great challenges with gumption, humour, and hope.

Tess also describes herself as a spunky “Grami with a heart above the i” to a whole slew of adorable grandkids. Using both humour and vulnerability, Tess shares her life as a Christian speaker, an award-winning author and an encourager of women.

Her first book, “Listen, Sister! Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life” launched in 2022. It’s is a hilarious collection of short personal stories that turn awkward memories into much needed encouragement. Each tale of real-life shenanigans points out glimpses of God in the everyday and directs women to the source of true joy in their stress-filled lives. You can find Listen, Sister on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, at Walmart, and more.

You can connect with Tess in a series of ways including:

> Her website at https://tessscott.com/

> Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/listensistertessscott

> Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/listensister_encouragement/

> LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-scott-a5a091217/

Also, Tess loves sharing her gift, “The top 10 signs your life is a freakshow” with her audience. Get it here: https://tessscott.com/freakshow.

For support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come find support from podcast host, Marcia, at www.instagram.com/MarciaNathaiBalkissoon to carve out more joy and fulfillment in life, despite your life’s demands and challenges.

In a life that is so full of demands and harsh judgments from others and from yourself, how do you calm yourself and connect to joy as a self-supporting start to the day? Join our special guest, Jenny Lee to understand her transformation of mind, heart, and lived practice.

Jenny Lee is a life coach who focuses on building resilience in women by creating joyful morning routines. So many women wear different hats and are in the state of depletion and overwhelm. The morning routine is a time for self-love, healing the nervous system and rewiring mindset so women prioritize their nourishment before serving the world. Jenny is also a teacher of 20 years. She is inspired to help women be aware of their own self-care after a realization of how her own lack of self-care had put her in the wrong path. After a few taxing life events, years of self-separation, postpartum depression and divorce, life directed her on the path of self-care and self-discovery. She uncovered her connection to happiness and inspiration through her morning routines and self-care embodiment. Jenny is now on the journey of guiding others to heal and reconnect with their dignified and highest selves through joyful morning rituals and self-care.

Be sure to take advantage of Jenny's offer to gift you her time, one on one, to help you customise your own morning routine. You may connect with Jenny via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jennyleeinfinite and via Instagram at @sunnyjennylee.

For support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come join us at www.facebook.com/groups/thriveability where we’re building a community to support creating more joy and fulfillment in life, despite life’s demands and challenges.

People often make triggering statements about special needs-related matters. In this episode, the show’s host reads or recounts some such statements made personally to her, passed on to her by others, or found through online research. Tune in as she shares what she feels, believes, has read, and/or has experienced, about each statement in turn.

After you listen, we want you to help widen our perspectives! Tell us: What’s your take? Do you agree with the host’s comments? Do you disagree? Is there more to be added to create a more complete response?

Chime in and share your perspective! You may send in your feedback by doing any of the following:

1) Leave a 1-minute voice message here: https://anchor.fm/marcia-nathai-balkissoon4/message,

2) Post your comments under the post addressing this episode on Marcia’s “Special Needs Parents Thriving” Facebook page here: fb.me/SpecialNeedsParentsThriving, or

3) Send in a DM (text or voice) from the same Facebook page, fb.me/SpecialNeedsParentsThriving.

For support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs parenting journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, boosting our relationships, and doing better with caring for ourselves, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at a host of outlets here: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath.

Plus, come join us at www.facebook.com/groups/thriveability where we’re building a community to support creating more joy and fulfillment in life, despite life’s demands and challenges.

How challenging it is to plan for our child's future, given that it is difficult to predict how life will unfold for them and for you. Attorney, Special Needs Parent, and Advocate, Annette Hines, shares that planning is the way to reduce how out-of-control life becomes. In this first episode of a series of episodes she will do in the podcast, she leans on her 20+ years helping her clients to plan for special needs, elder care, and estate planning to give an overview of what should be considered as you start planning for your child's future. 

In this episode, Annette discusses some challenges faced in everyday life as a special needs parent, and why carefully selecting a financial advisor and an attorney can prove invaluable for the short and long term. She mentions some considerations that you should factor in when planning to support your child years into the future, and stresses how to also factor your child's capabilities and preferences into the plan. 

The plan we make is only as good as our understanding of all important factors, but finding information can be quite a challenge. To help us, Annette is giving our podcast listeners access to her upcoming 8-week Special Needs Advocacy and Planning Masterclass and Group Coaching program for 90% off! The Program runs from February 15 to April 5, 2023 and will cost only $250.00 for course videos, coursebook, workbook, 8 weeks of coaching, and a community that will become a circle of care for you! 

Click this link to sign up: enroll.specialneedsfamilyservices.com/p/individuals-family-caregivers-cohort-group-coaching 

and use the following coupon code: THRIVE90 

Marcia and her husband will be doing this course to work on building their plan for their own special needs child, Emma. Please share this episode widely, as we want as many people to benefit from this programme as possible! 

For support and experience-sharing related to the Special Needs Parenting Journey, including issues like managing overwhelm in the midst of life challenges, and boosting our relationships, it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Marcia's book, Lighting the Path, at any of the following physical and online locations: https://books2read.com/lightingthepath. Plus, come join her free community at www.facebook.com/groups/thriveability today.