Is Parenting a Child With a Disability Harder?
I recently had a chance to talk with the new mother of a baby girl with Down syndrome. This mom’s emotions were raw and beautiful, that same combination of wonder…
Finding Spiritual Rhythms in the Chaos of Caregiving • Jen Pollock Michel
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E30 — What happens when the rhythms of caregiving make it difficult to establish any rhythms at all? That’s the question guiding author Jen Pollock Michel…
5 Practical Tips for a Less Stressful IEP Meeting
A few years ago, Peter and I both cried at our daughter's annual meeting to discuss her IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals. We cried because we were so overwhelmed with…
The Pace of Love: How to Say No and Make Space for What Matters
I set out for a run on Saturday and decided to listen to a podcast with social scientist Adam Grant about how to say no. Saying no has been on my…
How to Navigate IEP Meetings and Disability Services with Meghan Burke, PhD
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E29 — Do you have to fight everyone around the table to advocate well for your child? Many parents feel intimidated by disability advocacy. They…
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To: September 2026
Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month of September… {Get my favorites…
You Don’t Have to Be the Expert: Parenting a Child with a Disability
I read a book last year by Greg McKeown. My favorite part came at the end, when McKeown offered a personal story of his daughter having epilepsy. His first responses was…
Hope Heals Camp 2026 • Photo by Becca Cruz
Learning to See What Cannot Be Seen: Disability, Belovedness, and the Eyes of Love
I just learned a new word: familect. It’s the idea that every family has its own language, its own dialect, the words and phrases that only make sense to a small…
What We Need to Know About Disability and Happiness with Misty Coy Snyder
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E28 — Do you feel overwhelmed, isolated, or afraid of the future? Misty Coy Snyder knows those feelings well. After receiving a prenatal diagnosis of…
2009
How to Help Kids Build Confidence and Capability: 3 Parenting Lessons
Somewhere along the way, my husband Peter and our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome, developed an elaborate goodnight ritual involving a complicated handshake followed by cheering and naming sports…
