You'll Want to Steal this Mom's Brilliant 'Hug Button' Idea
Sniff. So sweet, and totally worth trying out with your school-bound child. Every morning I watch my six-year-old's bus pull away from her stop, and her little face peers out at me from the window, her lower lip pushed out in a sad face. She waves as if we are to be separated for weeks. It breaks my heart. That's why I love the hug button idea that a mom in England recently shared on Facebook. Louise Mallett, a mom of three, has gone viral after she wrote a post about the gen
Trying New Things with My Son who is on the Autism Spectrum
There is no denying there are some activities that are more challenging to do with your child when they are on the spectrum. All sorts of things factor into the overall outcome of whatever it is you have set out to do. You think about sensory overload, how their day was yesterday, if this outing will mess with their schedule or routine, and you think about all of the possible outcomes of the situation. The thing is, when you are going to a doctor’s appointment or therapy appo
Why I'm Not Excited about My Child Going Back to School
Other kids may be happy about starting the new school year, but my daughter with ADHD cries every day as she sees the X’s on our calendar getting closer to her first day of school. As I walk into Target, I immediately see the gigantic “Back To School” signs and can practically smell all of the #2 pencils. I see kids with their parents going over their school supply list, making sure they got the correct number of notebooks and folders and the right brand of markers. The kids
Childhood OCD: The Invisible Disorder
I looked at my son from across the room. “What do you want for breakfast?” I asked. “I’ll have my usual,” he said. I don’t know why I asked. Of course, he’ll have his usual. It’s been over six months since he’s said anything different. His small, skinny frame swallowed up by the dining room table as he carefully places one small goldfish in his mouth at a time. It seems like a blur when I think about how this happened. How my healthy, growing boy put his growth on pause. How
Those Participation Trophies Matter More than You Might Think
I recently read a brilliant article by Mindy Kaling in which she talks about how when her mother “put away” a trophy she received as a kid for being the best dressed at basketball camp. Her mother’s reason was that in their house, they would only display awards that were earned. It was as insightful, biting, and funny as we have come to expect from the soon-to-be mom. I nodded along as I agreed with her about hard work and earning your sense of entitlement. The trophies thoug
What the First Day of School Looks Like Around the World
Though different countries have different calendars and traditions, the excitement of going back to school is universal. It’s back-to-school season in the U.S. and many other parts of the world, as teachers, students and administrators are ushering in a new year of learning. Though schools around the globe have different start dates, calendars and traditions, the first day of a new term is an exciting time filled with the prospects of gaining more knowledge, making new friend
One of the Proudest Moments of My Life Happened in a School Restroom Today
Having a child with sensory issues and autism is not something I anticipated when becoming a mother, but it’s become my normal. I have been hyperaware of restrooms for almost five years. The noises of flushing toilets and hand dryers, especially, are too much for my son to handle. They scare him, overwhelm him, can be physically painful for his ears, and he has had intense anxiety over them since he was a baby. I frequently hold it if we are out so I won’t need to bring him i