When I dreamed of becoming a mother, I didn’t just dream about what my children would be like. I also dreamed and clearly saw the kind of mother I would be. Reality has been different from my daydreams. Mothering is hard, and mothering neurodivergent children presents unique challenges that are daunting to navigate. What I needed and still need are friends, resources and community to help me better understand and provide for my child’s unique needs.
Funded by Parent to Parent of Georgia and hosted by RISE coffee & tea, Bridges to Understanding is a share group for moms with neurodivergent kids (autistic/ADHD/ dyslexic/sensory processing). Aptly named to signify its mission to help build bridges of understanding between and within families, the group meets monthly (August through May with summer socials) on specific topics often with guest speakers. Past topics have included SB-10 funding, camp and school options, the IEP process, speech therapy, occupational therapy, self-care and sibling issues. Meetings are held on different days of the week, but the same time and place 10-11:30AM at RISE coffee & tea (4651 Sandy Plains Road, #116, Roswell 30075).
Through Bridges to Understanding, I have found a safe space to share the challenges and triumphs of mountain home where we got to know each other better over yoga, board games and dinner made by a personal chef. From there, we were ferried to a wildlife sanctuary, and on another day, we were driven to Seward to enjoy a boat ride around the Kenai Fjords. That 6-hour boat tour allowed us to take in more awesome views of the majestic mountains as well as sea otters, orca whales, puffins and sea lions up close! My last day was topped off with a visit to a Nordic spa. Located in the Alyeska Spa in Girdwood, our group enjoyed dipping in the several hot pools, and then the cold pools. Plenty of spaces to warm up and relax were scattered throughout the beautifully landscaped retreat.
You’re Invited! Upcoming Meetings (10:00am RISE coffee & tea):
> Monday, August 8th: Presenter from SHINE health & wellness to discuss nutrition.
> Wednesday, September 13th: Presenter from Therabeat to discuss music therapy.
> Thursday, October 12th: Presenter from Mosaic Autism Services to discuss how to handle challenging behav iors and sibling issues.
For more information or to RSVP, please email bridgestounderstandingga@gmail.com. Also, please learn more about our partners: Parent to Parent of Georgia (www.p2pga.org) and RISE coffee & tea (www.RISE-coffeetea.com).
Article written by Bethany Tuttle .
