Published in In Fitness And In Health·PinnedMember-onlyHow I Stay Fit Even with Fast Food and AlcoholThat’s me in the picture. You don’t have to be perfect. — If the thought of eating a french fry makes you want to gag at the impurity of it all, this article isn’t for you. I’ve been trolled for saying it’s okay to eat candy, you can lose weight eating carbs, and six-pack abs aren’t all that healthy. I’m far from…Health6 min readHealth6 min read
Published in In Fitness And In Health·PinnedMember-onlyIf You Want a Body Like Mine, Don’t Do What I DoUnconventional advice fitness pros won’t tell you — Bryan Krahn first tells this story in an article titled, “Survivorship Bias in Fitness,” When planes began returning to base riddled with bullet holes during WWII, the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) knew it had a problem. How could they shore up the planes to better protect the crew? The…Life7 min readLife7 min read
Published in for/by·Dec 14, 2022Member-onlyThanks, Muppets, for reminding me that neurodivergent kids are magical“What is a rainbow connection?” my daughter asked, standing in front of her school and speaking into a microphone. “A rainbow connection happens when you’re admiring the beauty of a rainbow with people you don’t know,” she answered. “All of us at this school have a rainbow connection,” she added…Adhd3 min readAdhd3 min read
Published in for/by·Nov 1, 2022Member-onlyAt my daughter’s new school, kids with learning disabilities aren’t square pegs“Mom, do I look like a dead chicken?” asked my 11-year-old daughter in all seriousness on our way to her new school. I looked over, and she’s in what vaguely resembles a rotisserie chicken pose: arms folded in and feet curled up to her chest. Together, we laughed. Her silliness…Neurodivergent3 min readNeurodivergent3 min read
Published in for/by·Sep 27, 2022Member-onlyWe believe in public school. It just didn’t work for our neurodivergent daughter.I’ve always enjoyed the excitement surrounding back-to-school. As a kid, I’d plan my outfit a week in advance and daydream about who I’d sit next to in class or if my best friend and I would have the same teacher. As a mom, it was great to watch my kids…Dyslexia5 min readDyslexia5 min read
Published in for/by·Jul 13, 2022Member-onlyThe tale of a neurodivergent kid and the dance teacher who didn’t give upIn a few days, we’ll load our suitcases into the trunk of our car and head to Seaside, Oregon, for a national dance competition. My daughter is one of a dozen girls from her studio opting to spend a week of her summer attending master classes taught by famous (to…Neurodiversity4 min readNeurodiversity4 min read
Published in for/by·Jun 3, 2022Member-onlyMy daughter with dyslexia felt “invisible.” I intended to change that.Not long before COVID-19 forced us into social isolation, I watched my daughter leave school mopey-eyed and dragging her backpack. As she sat in the back seat of my car, she crossed her arms and sighed heavily. She’d clearly had a bad day. Typically tight-lipped about anything that happened at…Neurodiversity4 min readNeurodiversity4 min read
Published in for/by·May 24, 2022Member-onlyMy gut told me my daughter had dyslexia. I wish I had listened.“Honey, you’re not trying,” I’d say through gritted teeth as we practiced my daughter’s kindergarten sight words. I’d hold up the index card, and she’d look at a simple word like “cat” and turn away. As my voice got louder, her eyes filled with tears, and we’d give up for…Learning Disability4 min readLearning Disability4 min read
Published in for/by·May 10, 2022Member-onlyOn the surface: ADHD. Deeper down: Something else.Every once in a while, the universe sends you a present. Last December, it sent me two. Parents.com hired me to write an article explaining central auditory processing disorder (CAPD or APD) and how it’s diagnosed and treated. An estimated 5 percent of school-age children, or 2.5 million children, have…Capd5 min readCapd5 min read
Published in for/by·Apr 5, 2022Member-onlyMy daughter’s struggle with ADHD meds helped me let go of “normal”A slow smile spread across my face when I heard the kind-looking therapist’s words: “Your daughter has ADHD, predominantly inattentive.” A feeling of relief spread like a lightning bolt through my body. Two months earlier, we’d sat in another therapist’s office. Except then, I’d held back tears as she explained…Adhd4 min readAdhd4 min read
