If I were not home, our children would still require supplemental supports. Those are expensive and not fully covered by insurance. At home, I am the provider of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, reading supports, behavioral intervention, and much more. Mothers (and fathers) knew this before the pandemic. Special…
Tag: pandemic parenting
It’s not fair to Anne, but I am tired of working with her. That exhaustion makes me feel guilty. When I get frustrated with her academic struggles, I need to remind myself that she’s trying her best. The ADHD, dyslexia, and working memory deficiency don’t merely add up to a…
The back-to-school experiment lasted four days for the little one. By Thursday of the first week, it was clear that this wasn’t a good experience for her. I’m still in the processing stage. I’m the one who advocated for her return to school. I wanted to believe she would have…
We have reached the two-year anniversary of our family’s COVID-19 lockdown. World events have largely overshadowed the pandemic. We’re safe at home, as we have been for 24 months. Watching events in Ukraine unfold, it would be incredibly self-centered to whine about anything we’ve experienced. Sometimes we need to step…
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…
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 0073, Season 5, Episode 4; 19 October 2021 How do Neurodiverse kiddos feel about homeschooling and virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? For this episode, my daughters Leigh and Anne discuss what it has been like to study at home. They like it, but they also miss being…
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 —…