Ep.188 Mama Monday: Mom Jeannie Ewing On Shifting Expectations, Accepting Regressions, And Riding The Rollercoaster Of Emotions As A Parent Of Neurodivergent Kids

"I had to grieve the loss of the life I thought we were going to have."

About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Jeannie. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed:

-Jeannie shares her personal journey of struggling with infertility and having five children, three of whom have been diagnosed with neurodiversity, including a rare genetic condition called Apert Syndrome. 
-The importance of having a supportive team of specialists and professionals who can provide guidance and suggestions for testing and addressing additional conditions 
-The ongoing struggle of feeling a sense of loneliness and disconnection when friends with neurotypical children talk about their everyday lives. 
-Letting go of rigid expectations and techniques found in parenting guides and rely more on her intuition and building strong relationships with her children. 

Please shower Jeannie with love and support by SHARING this episode with a mom who needs to hear her story.

**Exciting news! I've launched a newsletter! I love connecting with you guys – through email, in my Instagram DMs, and in my Mothers Together community, and of course here on the show. But recently I realized that I’d love to be able to provide you with a one-stop-shop where I can share ALL the things – from products we use in my home to accounts I follow to personal stories about my life as a mom of neurodivergent kids. My newsletter, called the “On The Hard Days” newsletter, is the best way to do that! 

In addition to sharing pieces of my life and my favorites with you, this newsletter gives YOU the chance to share what’s on your heart! I’ll be accepting your original work – whether it’s a poem, a piece of art, a short story about a recent win you had, or even a video of your original music, to put into the newsletter! I’m also going to share your recommended self-care tips (you know, real self-care that’s practical for moms like us), links to my new merch, and more! I’m really excited about this, honestly. 

The only thing I need from you in order to get the newsletter to you is your email address. To send that my way, you have a couple of options. Go to ontheharddays.com/newsletter to put your email address there or you can DM me on Instagram @on.the.hard.days, and say “newsletter” with your email address in the message. 

The On The Hard Days newsletter launches soon, so get on my email list asap! As always, thank you so much for your endless support. I hope I can continue to provide you the same validation you guys give me! 

I ALWAYS welcome YOUR thoughts! Feel free to DM me on IG (@on.the.hard.days) or email me: megan@mothers-together.com. This podcast is what it is because of YOU.

And speaking of the podcast, YOU all recently got my show to over 175K downloads. Thank you!

The best way to keep this podcast download streak is to:
1) Subscribe to the podcast - your device will automatically download new episodes!
2) Share the show with others - think therapists, pediatricians, and teachers!
3) Leave a rating/review for the show - the Apple algorithm will push the show out to more moms who need the support and validation!

THANK YOU, so very much, for your continued support!