B*tching and Bolusing

Reimagining Therapy for Disabled Children - Featuring Clare

From the moment we learn of our children's disability - be it before or after birth - we are told go do as much therapy for them as possible. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, all of the therapy. While therapy is a useful and necessary medical intervention, it can sometimes become overwhelming and completely consuming. Where do we draw the line of "improving quality of life" and "fixing the disability"? Disability is not something that needs to be fixed, yet so often the narrative surrounding therapy can feel as such. We sit down with Clare (that.feisty.disabled.girl on Instagram) to discuss a different perspective on therapy for disabled children. Clare is currently in school to earn her degree in Occupational Therapy where they hope to eventually open their own private clinic working in pediatrics.

 

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Between Hope and Hard Choices: Navigating Medical Interventions

All parents are faced with making medical decisions for their children, but when your child is disabled or medically fragile those decisions can be more frequent and oftentimes carry more weight. As parents we are faced with hard decisions surrounding irreversible surgeries, medications that could have negative side affects or withdrawals, and trying to draw the line between the necessity of medical interventions and the potential impact on quality of life that intervention could have. So come sit down and bitch with us over the frustrations we sometimes feel surrounding these potential life-altering decisions.

 

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Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

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We All Have Internalized Ableism

Internalized ableism. We all have it. Yet so many parents struggle to acknowledge it, and can hardly even recognize it. This has a direct affect on our disabled children who may inherit some of that internalized ableism for themselves. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down to discuss our own struggles with internalized ableism and how we are working to counteract something that has been deeply rooted in us from an ableist society. So let's get to bitching!

 

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Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

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Navigating Single Motherhood with Medically Complex Children - Featuring Hope & Rachel

Raising a child comes with a lot of responsibility, but when medical decisions, extra appointments, and support needs are involved those responsibilities increase. Most families have some sort of support - usually in the form of partnership, but what happens when you have to navigate all this alone? We sit down with Hope & Rachel, both single mothers to young children who have disabilities. They discuss their trials and tribulations through it all, how the system can fail families like theirs, and how being labeled as a "single mother" can alter the level of respect by some medical professionals. 

 

You can find Hope on instagram at LimitlessLoganJameson

You can find Rachel on instagram at Aryas_Keeper

 

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Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

Use code BBPODCAST to receive 15% off Lets Adapt For Everyone by AdaptedDesign

Mental Health as Parents & Caregivers: How Our Mental Health Affects Societal Views on Disability.

There is a mental health crisis affecting everyone in the U.S. and beyond. Parents and caregivers of disabled individuals are no exception, and sometimes, due to lack of resources, respite, services, and support, mental health becomes an extra struggle for these families. However, it is important to seek help - and sometimes - alter your perspective on disability and caregiving. Not all mental health help is created equal, and in some cases staying in an "echo chamber" can hinder healing and growth. Not only does this have a negative affect on the individual and the family, but living in a state of despair has a negative impact on societies perception of disability.

 

March 1st is the Disability Day of Mourning, a day where we remember victims of filicide - those with disabilities who were murdered by their families. The fact that such a day even exists is proof that the mental health of parents and caregivers needs to be addressed. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down to discuss the mental health crisis within the parenting community and we challenge families to view disability and caregiving in a different light.

 

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Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

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Career Loss While Raising Disabled Children: Challenging Misconceptions and Advocating for Support

All parents have one thing in common when it comes to balancing work and family life - lack of childcare. Yet, somehow, a recent narrative has turned this struggle into an issue that can feel almost exclusive to parents raising disabled children. In the U.S. the lack of affordable childcare is a systemic issue that affects all parents across the board. The cost of childcare is currently outpacing inflation by more than 3%, which is making childcare significantly less accessible for all families. However, if we are going to related lack of accessible childcare to raising disabled children, we have a responsibility as parents to acknowledge that this roadblock is not a parenting issue - rather it is a disability issue set in place by systemic ableism that will affect our children for the entirety of their lives. Reframing this perspective can help us see the systemic ableism that is forcing families like ours out of the workforce, and can help us see commonalities with other parents of non-disabled children.

 

Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

Use code BBPODCAST to receive 15% off Lets Adapt For Everyone by AdaptedDesign

Navigating IEPs and Encouraging an Inclusive Education Setting

Welcome to season 2!

Inclusive education - it can be wonderful, and it can be awful. Almost all parents of disabled children have had some sort of negative experience along the way when it comes to IEPs or 504 plans. We are oftentimes expected to know how to navigate the "special education" system for our children when we have had no experience whatsoever. This can leave parents feeling confused, overwhelmed, and frustrated. It can be daunting having to argue as to how the needs of your child should be met, especially when you are not there to see if their needs ARE actually being met. In this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down to discuss our own experiences with navigating IEP's, and what true inclusivity means for our children. So grab a seat and let's get to bitching!

 

Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

Use code BBPODCAST to receive 15% off Lets Adapt For Everyone by AdaptedDesign

 

 

The Holiday Season: A Time for Grief, Gratitude, and New Traditions

For parents of disabled children, the holiday season can be a tricky time of the year to navigate. We are often faced with managing extra schedules, taking on the mental load of making sure everyone has everything they need, and feeling a certain way when doing our holiday shopping knowing a toy isn't exactly "age appropriate" for our disabled children. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we discuss how all these things can leave us feeling drained, and how shifting our perspective can change the extra grief we feel during this season. It's important to not fit our children into the idea of who they would be were they not disabled, and sometimes that means making new traditions that differ from the ones we had when we were children ourselves. It's OK to start new traditions and to make life easier on yourself - even if that means saying "no" to family. Sometimes hosting is easier so that you don't have to bring 18 pieces of medical equipment, feeds, medications, etc, to someone else's house!