Hi guys! I'm interrupting this hiatus with an exciting bonus episode, when I was recently featured on the "Moms Talk Autism" podcast. Please give it a listen!

Happy New Year! We’ve got a special bonus episode to kick off 2026. This is the year to build your support system and create a strong community around you and your family. Let’s go!

Mothers Together is a first-of-its-kind global community supporting moms of neurodivergent kids. Their mission is to improve the mental health of moms by fostering deep connections and true friendships in a judgment-free space. Megan Champion, creator of Mothers Together, joins us to talk about the importance of friendship and to answer our questions about how this community might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Open House enrollment happens quarterly, with the first opportunity of the year on January 7th. This free, virtual event is a chance to meet moms in the community, ask questions, and see what Mothers Together is all about. We hope to see you there!

Sign up for the January Open House: https://www.ontheharddays.com/openhouse

"It's what we have to do. This is the fight, right now." Mom Jen tells the story of learning how to advocate for her gifted child - it's a powerful, super relatable conversation. If you've ever had to fight for services for your kid, this episode is for you!

In this episode, we talk about:

• Life with her child: Gifted, with ASD, ADHD, and SPD
• Being denied an IEP because her child was "smart" (after the school recommended he get tested!)
• The mental health ripple effect of being denied services - feeling like a failure
• How finding her people in Mothers Together helped her learn how to advocate for her kid
• Recognizing that showing anger and frustration at meetings helped her get the IEP eventually
• The importance of support for moms, and how it leads to empowerment
• Find Jen @ makeagoodmess.com!

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on JULY 16th! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Click HERE to join us at Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until OCTOBER! See you there!

"I just wanted to be a mom. I always wanted to be a mom." Mom Lisa's journey to motherhood was definitely an interesting one! Be sure to tune in!

In this episode, we talk about:

• Life with 3 kids with various diagnoses & needs: Down Syndrome, ODD, ASD
• After infertility, the gift of motherhood in fostering and adoption
• How she helped others in her church community with fostering and adoption
• How she got her "Post-It Note Baby" - yes, really.
• Why Lisa believes in keeping the biological family involved if possible
• The importance of therapy and true "self-care"

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on JULY 16th! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Click HERE to join us at Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until OCTOBER! See you there!

"I'm loving the information I'm gathering, even though it's really hard." Today's episode is with Emily, and I just LOVE her insight and vulnerability! Ever heard of the "Spoon Theory"? Be sure to listen in on this one!

In this episode, we talk about:

• The anxiety of *not knowing* when the other shoe will drop
• The stress of continuous medical issues: Asthma, pneumonia, cleft
• When the medical issues turned into behavioral challenges
• Getting the diagnosis: Level 1 ASD with PDA profile
• How she plans out her son's day using the "Spoon Theory"
• How she uses curiosity and her desire to learn to help herself get through hard times
• The grief component to not being able to take your kid to do certain things
• Co-regulation - exhausting. Worthwhile, but exhausting.
• How she uses her background as a pediatric OT to understand her child

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on JULY 16th! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Click HERE to join us at Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until OCTOBER! See you there!

"I was providing for my family, and I was dead inside." Today's episode is with Sarah, whose motherhood journey will sound VERY relatable to many of you! Don't miss this one!

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it's like being the "breadwinner" AND the co-regulator.
• When your kids have overlapping, opposite needs.
• Raising ND kids who go to 3 different types of schools
• Her kids' various challenges - anxiety, giftedness, PDA, etc.
• The family dynamics of a stay-at-home Dad!
• Coming to the realization that there is no perfect school - and coming to terms with that.
• Autism in girls - and how different it is than in boys.
• Unlearning a "Type A" personality through burnout.
• How she embraced a unique form of exercise to help her mental health

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on JULY 16th! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Click HERE to join us at Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until OCTOBER! See you there!

Today's episode is with Dalynn, who shared some really vulnerable, tough stuff in this conversation. It's a powerful episode not to be missed.

**Trigger Warning: Talk of hitting/physical abuse at the 21:00 mark**

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it's like raising 5 teens/young adults
• When you're raising an ND kid with grandparents
• Raising a kid with severe sleep challenges
• How her prior cancer journey helped her handle the challenges in parenting
• How lack of sleep and severe anxiety led to her lashing out
• How she learned how to "gentle parent" in therapy
• How she's coming to terms with the load she carries

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on JULY 16th! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Click HERE to join us at Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until OCTOBER! See you there!

"I've had a whole parenting life of doing it all by myself." Today's episode is with my good friend Stephanie, who has been with me in Mothers Together since (almost) Day 1! Don't miss it!

**Trigger Warning: Talk of suicidal ideations at the 45:00 mark**

In this episode, we talk about:

• When giftedness shows itself in preschool
• Why it's frustrating when educators can't share if they feel a diagnosis is present
• When your partner doesn't think there's anything wrong
• What the motherhood load looks like when a marriage is breaking
• The challenges of finding the right school for a gifted child with ADHD
• Where ADHD, OCD, and depression overlap
• When your ND kid is old enough to refuse medication
• When your child's baseline for what's okay doesn't match yours
• When you're the one who picks up all the pieces, all the time.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on JULY 16th! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Click HERE to join us at Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until OCTOBER! See you there!

"PDA kids don't bend...they break. And I'm not breaking my kid again." Today's episode with mom guest, Sandy, is REALLY, really good. Don't skip this one!

In this episode, we talk about:

• How the professionals *missed* the signs early on
• How girls' neurodivergence often goes under the radar
• What PDA looked like in her young son
• What school refusal looked like with a supportive school
• The lack of professional support about PDA, especially in emergencies
• How she became a PDA leader in Mothers Together

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Wow, listening to this was so validating!" <--- Sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more moms - just like you - who need the support and validation to get through the hardships of parenting ND kids.

Click HERE, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select "Write a review". And be sure to follow the show so you're notified whenever I publish an episode. Follow Now!

Mothers Together *Open House*

...is coming up on April 2nd! Open House is primarily a validation-based event, where you and I can connect and chat, and I'll support you, along with my Host Mom "tour guides", as we introduce you to the warm and welcoming Mothers Together community.

Open House is FREE, VIRTUAL, and NOT time zone-dependent, so you can join from anywhere around the world!

Sign up for Open House NOW and save your spot - the next Open House isn't until JULY! See you there!