Last Saturday my beautiful teenage daughter and I spent the day in a crowded New York hotel ballroom getting her ready to model in a fashion show. This might not seem that unusual, given that our daughter is 5’8” and has adored makeup, shoes, and clothes almost from infancy. One of her first complete sentences was, “I need my Chanel perfume,” and she has always loved the … [Read more...]
A Survival Kit for the Special Needs Parent
As the new school year starts and I watch my three kids get ready to enter grades 12, 8 and 6, I can’t help but think of all of the moms and dads with children entering kindergarten. The kids all are amazing, but some don’t fit the typical mold. Perhaps your child has dyslexia, like our first son has, or they struggle with ADHD, like our youngest son does. You know in your … [Read more...]
The One Market the Wall Street Journal Doesn’t Cover: The Guilt Market
Each day the news is filled with stories about the volatility in the financial markets. But there is one market CNBC and the Wall Street Journal don’t cover: the Guilt Market. Mothers are extremely familiar with this one. It starts the minute the line turns pink on your pregnancy test. Suddenly you feel guilty for the coffee you drank that morning, or the calcium you didn’t … [Read more...]
Children Will Listen
“Little pitchers have big ears,” is a phrase I remember my mother saying often when I was a little kid. She usually said it when she was on the phone and my sisters and I were playing at the table, or she was talking to my dad, while we were all eating dinner. I didn’t know why she was whispering about milk pitchers and ears when all I wanted to do was find out … [Read more...]
Realizing I’m Only a Special Needs Mom, Not a Super Woman
As the parents of a daughter with significant special needs, my husband and I have always tried to shield our two sons from some of the darker realities of Lizzy’s issues. Still, we remain as open as we can, so they can feel close and connected with her and her care. If that sounds as if it might be impossible to accomplish, it is. This weekend I was reminded of the fool’s … [Read more...]
