The Just A Mom Podcast

You don’t want to miss the last episode of this fall with Lora DeMello, mom, writer, educator and President of We Are Brave Together (https://www.wearebravetogether.org/). I knew immediately when I read Lora’s story in the book Becoming Brave Together (https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Brave-Together-Extraordinary-Caregiving-ebook/dp/B0D123VCRS) I wanted to share her story on The Just A Mom podcast.  Lora shares so much in this episode and has so many nuggets for parents. Her daughter, Zaria, battles generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and cyclothymia. While many people told Lora her daughter’s issues were because of her parenting, Lora never stopped advocating for her daughter as she faced difficulties in obtaining an Individualized Education Program (https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/iepguide.pdf). Lora talks about the challenges of being a single mom without a lot of support and the importance of being flexible and pivoting when parenting a child with an “invisible” illness. Lora encourages parents to find community and ask for help and stresses “bite-sized self-care” (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_oy2od5u7P9qyPEvrcR72yqF8J66RGFK/view).

What is The Just A Mom Podcast?

My name is Susie.  I have three children, the youngest of whom struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. I never thought this could happen to me, and I missed the signs.  Being a parent is really hard, and I'm here to help! I'm talking to parents and experts to help you with the issues your kids may face.  I want you to know that you are not alone and there is hope.