Here we go...
Alright, here we go. I'm doing a blog. Happy now? You know who you are.
I suppose, for my first post I should write as though you don't already know me and haven't heard my origin story once or a few hundred times. Who knows, someone I haven't met yet may one day read this? I hope so, and I hope, whoever you are, you find something helpful and hopeful here.
I've begun this blog after many many suggestions and requests from people around me to do SOMETHING with all this information in my head. I've put it off, until now, for many reasons. I'm not a writer. I've never been able to even keep a diary for more than a few nights. I'm not an 'expert'. I don't have any qualifications or reason for anyone to listen to me. There is already SO much information out there, do I really need to add to the chaos that is the rabbit hole of ASD online resources? I just don't have the time.
But it's been nagging at me. Constantly. All the things I want to share in the hopes of making someone else's day easier. So here I am. Ignoring my children singing the same 3 lines of a song they made up that I don't understand over and over and over and over and over, because this IS important to me and I CAN make time for you.
So why should you listen to me?
Well, you should, because I'm pretty great. (see that? That's false confidence. I'm channeling my friend Liz right there. She inspires me to be more self enthused. She'll be super excited to be mentioned her. LOOK LIZ, YOU'RE FAMOUS!)
Really though, I'm a mum. I live this life everyday, every minute, not just when I'm at work, not for research or interest. It is my life.
When I told a stranger on the phone once that I have two autistic children, he responded with "Oh you must be a saint!". I scanned his voice for sarcasm or irony but it wasn't there. I was taken aback and thought "How do my children's brains make me a saint? I didn't volunteer. I haven't performed any miracles (no more than any other mum anyway). I'm just doing what I have to do.".
What I am is lucky. Really really lucky. I am lucky enough to have the internal resources to seek out answers when I know something isn't good enough. I have a carefully cultivated support system that I can rely on to back me up (if I can suck it up and ask). I have many family members and friends who have Autism, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, adults and children of all ages - talking to them gives me some amazing insight into my children. I've lost count of how many people have asked for my advice about autism - including strangers who have been sent to me by mutual friends or teachers of my child's schools. I am close friends with other mums of aspie kids who are always at hand to bounce ideas off and share our highs and lows. And I have a wealth of knowledge and experience that I've built over the past ten years of parenting.
It's actually quite selfish of me not to share some of this fortune around.
Do I have all the answers? No. Am I the most qualified person for this job? Um... yeah, I am, because I am the only one with my exact experience. I am definitely the most qualified to write about my experience in the aspie world.
I want to use this blog to help anyone who finds it to feel less alone and more positive in their own aspie world and to share my experiences and observations, as well as those of 'my people', as examples.
I will rant (yeah this is just the beginning) and I will probably swear. It won't be pretty and I will make spelling and grammar mistakes - a lot. I'm likely to make a poor choice of words on occasion that I may come to regret. And I may even offend or insult people. You can email me to call me on it and I'll do my best to make amends, or you can choose to look past it and know that I mean well.
Thank you so much for being here. I would love feedback if you feel so inclined. Next time I get a chance I'll write my origin story. Now, I think, it's time for a gin before getting ready for family movie night.
xx Lauren
P.S. The kids have stopped that song now, and I've only had to yell once (the big one pinched the little one because he didn't want to put his clothes away - and that's obviously her fault.🐸) - oh yeah, I'll be using a lot of sarcasm. Like, all. the. time. The frog emoji means 'sarcasm'. I'll explain why another time.
I suppose, for my first post I should write as though you don't already know me and haven't heard my origin story once or a few hundred times. Who knows, someone I haven't met yet may one day read this? I hope so, and I hope, whoever you are, you find something helpful and hopeful here.
I've begun this blog after many many suggestions and requests from people around me to do SOMETHING with all this information in my head. I've put it off, until now, for many reasons. I'm not a writer. I've never been able to even keep a diary for more than a few nights. I'm not an 'expert'. I don't have any qualifications or reason for anyone to listen to me. There is already SO much information out there, do I really need to add to the chaos that is the rabbit hole of ASD online resources? I just don't have the time.
But it's been nagging at me. Constantly. All the things I want to share in the hopes of making someone else's day easier. So here I am. Ignoring my children singing the same 3 lines of a song they made up that I don't understand over and over and over and over and over, because this IS important to me and I CAN make time for you.
So why should you listen to me?
Well, you should, because I'm pretty great. (see that? That's false confidence. I'm channeling my friend Liz right there. She inspires me to be more self enthused. She'll be super excited to be mentioned her. LOOK LIZ, YOU'RE FAMOUS!)
Really though, I'm a mum. I live this life everyday, every minute, not just when I'm at work, not for research or interest. It is my life.
When I told a stranger on the phone once that I have two autistic children, he responded with "Oh you must be a saint!". I scanned his voice for sarcasm or irony but it wasn't there. I was taken aback and thought "How do my children's brains make me a saint? I didn't volunteer. I haven't performed any miracles (no more than any other mum anyway). I'm just doing what I have to do.".
What I am is lucky. Really really lucky. I am lucky enough to have the internal resources to seek out answers when I know something isn't good enough. I have a carefully cultivated support system that I can rely on to back me up (if I can suck it up and ask). I have many family members and friends who have Autism, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, adults and children of all ages - talking to them gives me some amazing insight into my children. I've lost count of how many people have asked for my advice about autism - including strangers who have been sent to me by mutual friends or teachers of my child's schools. I am close friends with other mums of aspie kids who are always at hand to bounce ideas off and share our highs and lows. And I have a wealth of knowledge and experience that I've built over the past ten years of parenting.
It's actually quite selfish of me not to share some of this fortune around.
Do I have all the answers? No. Am I the most qualified person for this job? Um... yeah, I am, because I am the only one with my exact experience. I am definitely the most qualified to write about my experience in the aspie world.
I want to use this blog to help anyone who finds it to feel less alone and more positive in their own aspie world and to share my experiences and observations, as well as those of 'my people', as examples.
I will rant (yeah this is just the beginning) and I will probably swear. It won't be pretty and I will make spelling and grammar mistakes - a lot. I'm likely to make a poor choice of words on occasion that I may come to regret. And I may even offend or insult people. You can email me to call me on it and I'll do my best to make amends, or you can choose to look past it and know that I mean well.
Thank you so much for being here. I would love feedback if you feel so inclined. Next time I get a chance I'll write my origin story. Now, I think, it's time for a gin before getting ready for family movie night.
xx Lauren
P.S. The kids have stopped that song now, and I've only had to yell once (the big one pinched the little one because he didn't want to put his clothes away - and that's obviously her fault.🐸) - oh yeah, I'll be using a lot of sarcasm. Like, all. the. time. The frog emoji means 'sarcasm'. I'll explain why another time.
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