From Stress to Success: Growing and Learning in your Autism Journey as a Mom

Thriving Moms of Autistics

Hi Moms! As moms, we are all different. We have different beliefs, different personalities, and different situations.

Our kids are the same way. They experience unique challenges that each face differently based on their sensory experiences.

With that said, moms share a multitude of things and the impact it has on their well-being.

My son went through a very difficult season when my husband and I got sick a few years ago. I recall picking him up from Kindergarten one day.

I still had drain tubes coming out of my stomach and was healing. It took everything I had to pick him up and bring him home.

He was in the middle of a behavior and struggling to find calm. He was in full on fight mode trying to deal with his emotions and regulate his body as his two therapists were getting him into the car.

I avoided turning around from the driver's seat. For one, I didn’t want to distract from what they were doing to help him and the process in general. I did not want him to see my tears. I recall thinking, I can’t do this. “Can’t” is not usually in my vocabulary, but I was at a loss for so many reasons.

Moms are human beings. We experience hard emotions and sometimes do not react well. Sometimes we have thoughts that we are ashamed of.

We have ALL been there. It happens. Where we go from there is critical to our success.

In this episode, I share some tips to help you transition from feeling overwhelmed and incompetent to feeling confident and empowered.

Find the full transcript for this episode at https://thrivingmomsofautistics.com/90

Please share the podcast with other moms to help them grow in their autism journey. You can also do this by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I appreciate you!

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Self-Awareness and Autism Moms

It starts with self-awareness. Without awareness, you cannot move forward. You must first recognize your thoughts and feelings. Remind yourself that “this” is hard, and you’re going to struggle at times.

Once you recognize that and remember you are an imperfect human, you allow yourself to shift and change the narrative.

Moms often get stuck in the negative narrative. I’ve been there too. You cannot win when you’re stuck. We can judge ourselves pretty harshly.

Key Ingredients for Mom Growth

The first ingredient for growth is awareness. The second is reframing. This allows you to shift away from being stuck in negativity to changing your perspective, which leads to success.

I often say that perception is everything. It can make or break you.

It is so easy to get caught up in what went wrong. It can be hard to find something that went right in difficult situations.

One way to reframe your thoughts is to think of challenges as setbacks and opportunities for growth.

Instead of saying, “I can’t” or “there is nothing I can do,” you can acknowledge what occurred and your part in it. Then, you can consider how you might handle it differently in the future.

Don’t forget to celebrate small wins along the way. That gives you momentum and is a wonderful opportunity to identify what has gone right.

One way to feel empowered is to recognize those small wins. Giving yourself grace in the difficulties goes a very long way.

This is one reason why self-care and building your support network are important.

In my upcoming course, I focus on all of the important ingredients for mom's success. This new course is near to my heart because I recognize that autism m