Does my Daughter Have ADHD? When you think about ADHD, your natural tendency may be to envision a little boy who falls out of his seat at school, or who asks a ton of questions while his teacher is presenting a lesson.  You may even imagine a teenage boy who is lost in his thoughts… Continue reading ADHD in Girls Going Unnoticed

I think we can all agree that the beginning of this school year has been an “interesting” one. Here we are, post-pandemic, two and a half years since our worlds were turned over, upside down and inside out. The vibe in my house has been a bit off since the start of the school year,… Continue reading Post-Pandemic Back To School Blues

How Toys Can Reflect Diversity & The Differently Abled Growing up, my favorite toys were always cars, trucks, motorcycles, and action figures— He-Man, Gi-Joe, Superman and Star Wars. My sister preferred Barbie, My Little Pony and Care Bears. However, when I look back at the early objects that influenced me, they were all able-bodied with… Continue reading Toy Diversity: Inclusive Youth

Diaper need is the inability to provide enough diapers to allow for babies and toddlers to be changed as often as necessary. 1 in 3 US families struggle to provide enough diapers to keep their babies and toddlers clean, dry, and healthy. Since the pandemic there has been an 86% increase in the number of… Continue reading National Diaper Need Awareness Week

Our teens are suffering. As a parent, it is heartbreaking to watch our (bigger) babies hurt so badly. In addition to normal teen angst, teens are grieving the loss of many in-person milestones that the pandemic made difficult, such as graduations, dances, proms, field trips, athletic games and tournaments, school plays and theater, and the… Continue reading Teenage Depression: What to Look For

As parents, we bear the brunt of childcare, home management, event planning, and social coordinating, often while holding full-time jobs. Although we may have friends and family who support and help tend to the many moving parts of our daily lives, the mental checklists and the energy that we invest in maintaining inventory of household items, coordinating… Continue reading Preventing Parent Burnout

In any job there are certain tricks of the trade. When you work in IT like my spouse, you learn to think in code. When you teach high school English like I did, you learn a different kind of code – how to interpret silence and which body language translates to “I am texting under… Continue reading Why New People in Your Child’s Life are Hard (But Also Necessary)

There is a concept in trauma therapy often referred to as a “glimmer.” Most people are familiar with the idea of triggers – certain people, places, incidents, sensory stimuli – that cause your nervous system to go on high alert. Your body becomes aware of a potential danger nearby and then floods your system with… Continue reading How Finding the Glimmers Helps Heal Trauma

For Children with Special Needs, Telehealth Visits Are Here to Stay My son Charlie was born with a rare genetic condition which increases his chances of developing certain cancers in the kidneys and liver. For the early years of his life, he was required to get ultrasounds every three months and blood draws every six… Continue reading Telehealth Visits Are Here to Stay

Let’s Hope Pottery Barn’s New Accessible Line is a Trend that Becomes the Norm I thought I knew what it meant to make my home accessibility-friendly by the time my son Charlie received his first wheelchair. We ripped up carpet and replaced it with durable wood floors. We installed a lift in our garage. We… Continue reading Pottery Barn’s New Accessible Line