How Mindfulness Helped Me Manage My Parenting Overwhelm
We're parents of neurodivergent kids, of course we're stressed and under pressure.
When resentment and burnout bubbled up, and I knew I couldn’t keep pretending I was okay.
Yoga and mindfulness had always helped me manage my anxiety. Then I became a parent. My practice completely disintegrated.
My son Ocean was the kind of baby who needed to be held upright and bounced most of the time. He was intense and I couldn’t tell what was upsetting him so much. I felt responsible for his challenges.
I was isolated, overwhelmed, and denying myself basic needs like sleep, movement, and nutrition. I expected myself to function calmly and kindly under extreme pressure without strategies or support.
There were so many aspects of parenting that were hard and unexpected that I was barely functioning.
It took a few years to get his first diagnosis, but Ocean started Physical Therapy through Early Intervention at just 13 months. I lost myself in the process of scheduling all the therapies, and trying to practice the exercises with him on our own.
More than that, I was worried, and no one could tell me that things would turn out fine. I developed the habit of setting my own needs aside, until I couldn’t even tell you what they were. Does that sound familiar?
A friend reminded me about my mindfulness practice, but I couldn't see how to add anything into my schedule.
I didn’t have time.
Things weren’t getting any easier with Ocean. Evaluations, researching schools and therapies, navigating bureaucracies and an ableist world, recovering from multiple daily meltdowns, learning to support him better… and lots of time worrying.
Still, I was losing my 💩 and needed to do something different.
Simple Mindfulness Got Me Out of Crisis Mode
I realized the only one I can control is myself, so I decided to release my tight grip on the situation just a little, so I could relax. My partner had to carry more of the burden. I had to reprogram my nervous system.
I still didn’t have much time.
I committed to doing what I could. During the non-crisis moments, I turned my focus inward.
Eventually, I distilled what I knew into quick, simple tools that I could use anywhere, any time. And those tools helped me become more present and patient with my family, and with myself (most of the time).
That’s what I want to share with you!
Does the stress of holding it all together make your body tense?
Do you wish you could be a calmer, more connected parent?
Do you wonder how to make time for yourself?
Could you find a few minutes a day, if you knew that it would help your kid(s)?
Could you use some strategies, support and understanding?
Can you spend $27 and 5 minutes a day for 5 days to learn mindfulness tools you can bring with you into the toughest parenting moments?
Join me in 5 Days to Calmer Kinder Parenting!
Using the same practices I’ll be teaching you, I am now able to be my son's emotional anchor, and we both recover from his meltdowns more easily.
“You helped me find ways to deal with my own anxiety and big feelings so that I can stay grounded for my kids. A side bonus is I am modeling self-care behavior that might help them.”
My goal with 5 Days to Calmer Kinder Parenting is to help you get a quick boost of support and connection so you don’t feel as overwhelmed and isolated as I was.
A regular mindfulness practice will help you build a resilient brain that you can rely on during a crisis. Then, your kid can rely on YOU to help them co-regulate.
I am reacting less and less often, despite Ocean’s explosive nature. Even though he’s in middle school now and I make him “cringe,” we are closer than ever and I feel a ton of joy in my parenting life. (But… not ALL the time!)
I know you want to do everything possible to help your kids, but the truth is you won’t be much use to them if you’re burnt out, enraged, or overwhelmed.
I've been there! That's why I manage my stress with simple self-regulation and mindfulness tools, and reach out to connect with other parents... even when I’m tired.
“We have worked with many different professionals who said hurtful things. You made me feel welcome and safe during the 5 day challenge.”
Get 5 Days to Calmer Kinder Parenting
WHO: This course is for overwhelmed parents of atypical kids who are looking for strategies, support and understanding, AND are ready to look inward as the key to breaking the cycle of stress.
WHAT: At its core, this mini-course delivers a daily 5-minute mindfulness practice through video or audio. There is bonus content for more learning, PDFs to print, and I'm personally available to answer your questions.
WHY: A regular self-regulation practice will build sturdy neural pathways you can rely on during a crisis. Then, your kid can rely on YOU to help them co-regulate. Over time, simply pausing mindfully can shift all your relationships and break generational cycles.
WHERE: Online from anywhere. I'll send you a daily email with encouragement, accountability and links. You can also go directly to the course in your browser or app.
HOW: There are several options to access the content. You decide whether to watch the video or listen to the audio. You can be done in 5 minutes a day and the practices are accessible. Bonus content is available if you have the time to go deeper.
WHEN: On your schedule. Put it in your calendar. If you don't have 5 minutes, you can listen as you do other tasks. You can always come back to the practices again. I think you’ll look forward to those 5 minutes every day!
Here's what you get with 5 Days to Calmer Kinder Parenting:
Accountability: Daily email encouragement the week you sign up, with links.
Choices: You decide whether to watch the video or listen to the audio.
Quick: You can be done (and feel the effects) in 5 minutes a day.
Access: Come back to the practices again and again to go deeper. Email me any time with questions or reflections.
Bonus: Extras, assessments, and printable PDFs are available to you to assist your unique learning style (and/or if you have the time to dive deeper).
Strategies, support, and understanding that will last a lifetime.
Practice these along with the video or audio outside of the big moments, and you'll become more present during those intense moments with your atypical kid. You’ll establish and integrate new habits and mindsets in 5 minutes a day.
But you do have to practice.
Here's what you'll learn each day, starting the day you join:
Welcome! How to get the most out of this course.
Day 1: Breath instruction for emotional balance and awareness.
Day 2: A meditation to face your self-doubt.
Day 3: Self-massage to nurture yourself and let go of tension.
Day 4: A visualization to build brain pathways of connection.
Day 5: Lovingkindness to expand and absorb unconditional love.
Celebrate! Relish your mindful parenting journey so far, and make a do-able plan to continue.
By the end of this $27 challenge you will have a toolkit of self-regulation skills to support you in being more calm and present with your kids.
You will FEEL your nervous system, without judgment, which will help you learn to pause before reacting.
You will understand that you are not alone on this parenting journey.
You will have a new mindfulness habit as part of a self-care plan.
Get 5 Days to Calmer Kinder Parenting today.
“Thanks for your immense contributions to the lives of all of us with whom you work. Your insight, wisdom, humor, and compassion have helped me so much.”
TL;DR: I created a mini-course to help you feel calmer and more present in 5 minutes a day, no matter how intense your neurodivergent kid is in the moment. If you want in, click here for all the details!