I thought I had all these mom friends, but all of a sudden, when my son got a diagnosis, I lost all my friends. No one knew what to say or do. I couldn’t pop my kid in a stroller and hang out for coffee because he’d be freaking out. I couldn’t go to other people’s houses. People couldn’t come into our house. Having a child with developmental differences has been one of the most isolating experiences in the world.

Can you relate?

Becoming a parent is confusing enough for many of us. The shift in identity can be disorienting at best. When we add a diagnosis or any kind of developmental difficulty into the mix, things can feel pretty grim at times.

I can remember taking my daughter to occupational therapy each week when she was a year old, and then crying after each session as I realized how much ground she still had to cover. When I would bring up my concerns to my friends and family, they would tell me some version of “Don’t worry” or “She’ll be fine”.

Not helpful. They didn’t understand.

Parents who come into the Raising Orchid Kids program - almost without exception - report feeling isolated, lonely, forgotten, stuck, cut off from and misunderstood by friends and other families raising kids. 

They feel like they’re the only ones dealing with a child who:

• Has meltdowns that last more than a few minutes

• Has rigid and inflexible behavior

• Needs sameness

• Eats a limited number of foods

• Won’t get dressed in the morning or go to bed at night

• Behaves aggressively or in extreme ways toward other people

• Avoids anything new (people, food, experiences) 

• Acts much younger than they are

Here’s the beautiful thing.

Within the first 15 minutes of our first class, parents start to see that they are NOT ALONE. They look around the Zoom room and see other heads nodding in solidarity. For the first time in their parenting life, they feel supported and like they’re in good company. With people they don’t have to explain anything to.

If you are feeling lonely and like the people in your life do not understand what you or your child are experiencing, I hope you’ll consider joining us for our Spring 2022 cohort of Raising Orchid Kids to experience the hope and transformation that happens when you connect with people who just GET IT.

You’ll get new parenting tools, a new outlook, and a new group of mom (and dad) friends. You’ll be able to ask questions, and get practical answers from me (speech therapist) and Jen Dryer (parent mentor). You’ll start to see your child’s strengths, needs and behaviors in a new way, and you’ll know what to say and do when things get rough.

We start on March 31st and meet on Zoom for 6 weeks on Thursdays at 8:30pm eastern time.

Find out more at www.raisingorchidkids.com. We hope to see you there.

xo G