Podcast Episode 0081, Season 5, Episode 12; 31 January 2022 Parenting on Pandemic Time The end of 2021 proved difficult, and 2022 isn’t off to a good start. Parental responsibilities once again derailed blogging and podcasting efforts. Pandemic parenting compounds the challenges of supporting our daughters. Despite our exhaustion, we have to keep the girls on…
Category: Parenting
Life as a parent.
Unsolicited advice comes from many directions, including from other autistics. “You just need to be more patient.” “You probably don’t understand your daughters’ Neurodiversity.” “You might not know the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown.” Our many failings as parents have been documented and relayed to us by teachers,…
Exhaustion is winning. I’m tired. Call it burnout or fatigue or whatever else might fit. I cannot think clearly, I’m on edge, and I’m quite short-tempered with everything and everyone. I want a break. Time alone. Quiet time with minimal interactions with anyone… maybe no interactions at all. Before moving to…
Podcast Episode 0071, Season 5, Episode 2; 28 September 2021 Parenting and Food Challenges A follower wrote: Do your children eat anything other than chicken nuggets? My autistic child won’t eat fruits, vegetables, or most meats. It’s cereal, chips, and nuggets. Susan and I are fortunate. The girls and I eat mostly healthy foods. Fruits,…
Podcast Episode 0069, Season 5, Episode “0”; 31 August 2021 Season Five Trailer This podcast is about real life. I’m an exhausted parent, an imperfect husband, a freelance writer, a former educator, and an authentic diagnosed autistic struggling to hold things together day after day. Transcript Welcome to The Autistic Me Podcast.…
The 2019-20 school year has never ended. It goes on and on for our family and for many others. This isn’t because we’re all cruel parents or guardians. Quite the opposite. We maintain the sameness day after day because a predictable schedule helps provide emotional security to some people —…
Podcast Episode 0068, Season 04, Episode 32; 17 August 2021 Another rant on pandemic parenting? Absolutely. I’m exhausted. My wife is exhausted. If people don’t come to their senses I’ll be podcasting about the COVID-19 pandemic for another full year. Somehow I’ve managed to record 68 episodes of The Autistic Me…
Another late night of trying to balance the homeschooling summer routine, my projects, and some volunteer work. It’s after 1 a.m. and I’ve been working on the 2021-22 school plans for the girls, organizing long-overdue blog updates, watching movies for AutFest Texas 2021, and hoping that I might some night…
We have made the decision to continue with homeschooling, for many reasons. It’s frustrating, but we know the girls are doing much better academically and emotionally at home. Our daughters are going into the fourth and second grades. I’m conflicted because I know how important social skills are… and I…
After the attempt to use a writing log to maintain my productivity failed, I’ve been feeling defeated. It’s hard to bounce back once I’m off track and this summer has been particularly frustrating after I had tried to reestablish a writing routine. If I managed to write an hour or…