Dear Neurotypical Mom,

You’re probably scoffing at my kid’s mismatched socks…need I say mismatched shoes that are on the wrong feet. My baby is still in his pajamas, and it’s 10 a.m. He’s also eating popcorn from the bag at Target. Gasp! He could choke. I should know that you can’t give a 1½-year old popcorn. Right?

Well, what I do know is that I was once like you. Reading up on cute Pinterest projects, how to give your child that educational edge, and suggestions on how to parent the perfect child. I had it all together. My children ate healthy foods, knew their letters and sounds far before it was appropriate, and always matched.

Then Autism showed up, and it has changed my mothering. It has changed me for the better. We get messy. We get crazy. We get silly, and I don’t sweat the small stuff. Instead of shoveling every educational milestone into their diet, I focus on other more important things.

I’m not busy reading articles on how to obtain the proper pencil grasp or how to teach the alphabet through sight and touch. I’m reading articles on how to navigate the school system and insurance, how to provide a sensory environment that is conducive to a peaceful home, along with stories about other moms who struggle through special needs.

So when you’re looking at the 100 tattoos on my 6-year old’s arm and the marker on my 5 year old’s face, and my loud, crazy crew, please don’t judge. My kids are happy, clean, fed, and most of all loved!

They will learn their letters in due time. They will survive without the Pinterest projects that I still try to squeeze in with little to no success, and yes, they will survive the 10 a.m. popcorn or dare I admit, the 9 a.m. sucker!!

What you may or may not see is that I love my sons more than anyone could know…more than I thought possible. We laugh together, get crazy, and share more love than most. I’ve learned to focus on the core of motherhood. The other pebbles will fall into place as we live life.

Thanks for understanding!

Love From,

A mom who is making the most of life the best way she knows how