Like you, I’m a mama. More specifically, I’m the mama of two teenagers who delight me, perplex me, amuse me, teach me, love me, and have taught me to love. And I do love them, fiercely, with all my heart. But I’m not just a mama to them, my role goes far beyond being their parent. You see, both of my children are neurodiverse and have significant neurodevelopmental challenges; I call them “complex kids.” So in becoming their mama, I have become many things, doing many jobs, living in a lonely world, disconnected from other moms who are also living in lonely worlds doing many jobs which take them away from the core purpose of parenting, which is to love.

So, yes, I’m a mama for sure, but I’m also a case worker, a psychiatric nurse, an IEP advocate, a counselor specializing in childhood anxiety, a teacher for the gifted, a crisis intervention specialist for kids who self-harm, an expert on “severe” ADHD, a play therapist, a pharmacist, a motivational speaker, an OT doing sensory therapy, a nutritionist, an autism researcher, and the CEO of our family. Chief among my job responsibilities is the care coordination of every member of both children’s teams, including their pediatrician, psychiatrist, consulting psychiatrist, allergist from across the country who treats our rare form of atopic illness, counselors, teachers, school guidance counselors, and, unbelievably, sometimes even a few more professionals.

read more here: https://russellcoaching.com/blog/2023/12/1/dont-stop-believing-even-when-youre-living-in-a-lonely-world-dr-norrine-russell