Parenting When It’s Hard

We interrupt your daily dose of snark to get a little more real. I started this blog partially to provide real-world "you're not crazy" tips on navigating the middle school years. However, there's more to parenting than your kid driving you up the wall. Like always, I never have the answers for anything, but I can start with my story and see if it resonates with others.

Two years ago, my husband went through his second round of cancer, and it was pretty brutal. Round #1 was unpleasant but "just" surgery and monitoring. We didn't have to tell our kids who were in 3rd and 5th grade at the time. However, at his yearly scan, things had spread, and it was time for full-court press cancer attack mode. I'll save you the nitty gritty, but he went through what can only be referred to as "nuclear chemo." It was a lot, and our kids saw a lot. We got through it; he's fine, and the treatment worked. However, it changed our family forever, and in some ways, the aftermath has been as challenging to manage as the disease. Big disclaimer: this is Not All Families, Not All Experiences. It just happens to be ours.

Sometimes, parenting can be the loneliest thing in the world despite having a fantastic spouse and supportive friends. Bearing witness to your family's struggles, whatever they may be, can be isolating because there's only so much you can talk about your bs (and yes, I'm in therapy). As I've been talking to people in my community and others, I've noticed a pattern of parental isolation. Whether it's a child's anxiety, school struggles, or just LIFE, it can be really freaking hard.

The question I'm trying to answer is how can we create a community about "the stuff?" I'm not sure yet, but that's what I'm exploring. If you have any thoughts, email me at katiespeetzen@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.