FASD Hope is a podcast series about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), through the lens of parent advocates with over eighteen years of lived experience.
On this Christmas Episode (#25) of FASD Hope, (Podcast Host) Natalie Vecchione asks her dear friend and mentor, Cindy LaJoy, to co-host this inspirational and hope-filled episode. Cindy LaJoy is the mom to five young adults....three of whom are walking through life with an FASD and all adopted from orphanages in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Cindy homeschooled all five of her kids for the past eleven years. Passionate about those who need other avenues to achieve success in adulthood, Cindy created "Blue Collar Homeschool" which is a 9,000+ member Facebook group and website where homeschool families can find encouragement for learners who are not headed down the traditional college path. Looking towards the future and ways in which her three with FASD would likely struggle in the workforce, Cindy led her kids through an exciting, year-long adventure in creating "Buckaroos Slices and Scoops", a pizza and ice cream restaurant in Montrose, Colorado. Buckaroos is now a successful, small business which her kids developed, built out and run by themselves (with occasional help from Mom and Dad). Buckaroos not only provides employment for her three kids with an FASD, but intentionally hires a staff those who may need more support.
In this Christmas Episode titled "Gifts for Your Journey", Cindy shares her journey as a mom of (now young adults) of 3 kids with an FASD and the amazing journey they have been on through homeschooling and creating the thriving, small business "Buckaroos Slices and Scoops. Cindy and Natalie have an honest discussion about their respective parenting journeys and the new paths they have learned to embrace in parenting kids (now young adults) with an FASD. In this episode, Cindy and Natalie also share "gifts of encouragement".... things they wish they knew 10 years ago on their parenting journeys. They hope these "gifts of encouragement" can benefit and support those listeners who may be in particularly challenging places on the road of FASD and other brain based diagnoses. Finally, Cindy and Natalie share words of hope for those parents and families who are struggling in their parenting journeys this Christmas.
Cindy's and Natalie's "Gifts" include:
- Stop comparing your child with other children, stop comparing your family with other families,
Embrace your family's strengths and gifts.
- Give yourself Grace. Offer yourself compassion and forgiveness.
- Find support, fellowship and hope from other parents who are on the same journey as you. Find "your tribe" and know you're not alone.
- Find respite.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31
RESOURCES-
Cindy LaJoy
Blue Collar Homeschool
https://www.bluecollarhomeschool.com/
Facebook - @bluecollarhomeschool
https://www.buckaroosmontrose.com/
FASD Hope -
http://www.fasdhope.com/
info@fasdhope.com
natalie@fasdhope.com
Instagram - @fasdhope
Facebook - @fasdhope1
Pinterest - @fasdhope1