How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
1 kid for now. John is 5 years old.
How long have you lived in Columbus, and what brought you here?
We’ve been in Columbus almost 3 years and moved here from Seattle to be closer to family. We have family in Columbus, and Chicago so the midwest felt like the right move for support and family.
What does your family like to do together in their spare time?
We love checking out new parks and trying new restaurants.
Tell us about your Instagram account @daily_dig and how it came about.
I started this account during the pandemic to document my days with my son and the activities I was doing with him to support his speech and development and as my creative outlet. It has turned into an incredible community and a safe space where people can come for play inspiration, autism advocacy and support, and just to celebrate differences and find ways to fill the day with joy.
You share your journey of parenting an autistic child on your account. When did you receive a diagnosis, and what did that process look like?
J was diagnosed when he was 20 months. We pursued an evaluation before we moved because we wanted to have the support and resources available to us once we got to Columbus and it helped me understand the beautiful way his brain works and to meet him where he’s at. The diagnosis has brought us so much understanding, acceptance, and support and there isn’t a single thing I would change about our sweet boy.
What advice would you give to a parent who might be navigating through a similar diagnosis?
Take things one day at a time and focus on filling your days with joy. It’s going to be okay, and you can do hard things.
What are some of the things you’ve learned during the last few years?
To focus on your child’s strengths. Just because they aren’t doing something right now, doesn’t mean they won’t ever do it. They just haven’t YET. So believe in the power of yet.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Our days are jam packed. I work from home and J goes to preschool 5 days a week so I try to get most of my work done while he’s at school. After school he has therapy a few days a week but on his off days we love having playdates and going to the playground. We love low-key afternoons since our mornings are so busy and sometimes that’s just a chill afternoon in the playroom.
What is one piece of advice that you have received from another mom that has really helped you?
You can do hard things. Some days I feel like I’m absolutely crushing it and some days are super hard but even on the hard days I remind myself I can do hard things, and I’m doing a great job.
What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
Seeing how happy my son is. When he’s happy, I’m happy and I just feel really lucky to be his mom.
