I've spent the better part of my life with never-ending I'm sorries on my lips.

I'm sorry when it's my fault.
I'm sorry when it's not.
I'm sorry when it's your fault.
I'm sorry when I feel like someone--anyone--should be at fault.

Parenting is hard. So hard.

We are raising two kiddos and one is neurodiverse. Their diagnoses can paint a pretty bleak picture of behaviors and meltdowns, explosions and hurts.

But, friends, no kid is perfect.
And no parent is either.

So, when my kid has battled to make it through a whole school day keeping himself together so they fall apart in the pickup line...
I'm not sorry.

When they have held it up to power through a sports game for the good of their team, but has a meltdown in the parking lot if they lose...
I'm not sorry.

If they have worked so hard to not totally distrust a family gathering and they explode when we are packing up to leave...
I'm not sorry.

Because here is the thing, sisters,
I'm NOT sorry for my kids.

Most people will never know how hard neurodiverse people work to do basic, everyday tasks, much less to manage the massive overwhelming that floods them daily--in school, at work, at family functions, during sports or events.
The lights,
The sounds,
The people,
The smells,
The expectations.

Friends, my kid isn't too much for you.
This world is too much for my kid.
To be honest, it is too much for me most of the time too. The only difference is that I have mastered hiding it.

But who does that help?
You?
Random strangers I'll never see again?
For what?

Sisters, I'm not raising kids to live a life that makes other people comfortable. I'm teaching them to love themselves and to serve others so fiercely that people notice.

So if you are noticing my kid unapologetically being themseleves but it doesn't match what you or the public thinks a child should be doing, let me say with all the kindness I can muster...

Mind 👏 Your 👏 Business 👏

These kids are wild and wonderful,
Fierce and funny,
Thoughtful and tough,
And I'm not sorry.

💜 -B.

Follow me or join our extreme parenting group for connection to our wildly encouraging community.