B*tching and Bolusing

On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we explore the concept of presuming competence in individuals with disabilities while challenging societal assumptions and biases. By embracing this mindset, we are able to foster inclusion, autonomy, and empowerment while transforming the perception of how society views intellectual disability.

Back to school season is here, and for many of our children who use wheelchairs - they'll be transported to school on a bus. But so many of these children are transported unsafely, and without proper restraints! On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down and talk about proper restraint and transportation for wheelchair users!   https://wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.ed...

Self care...if you're a parent you know the typical narrative: "take care of yourself, take time for yourself, if mom (or dad) isnt ok, no one is ok" but it feels like an an impossible goal to obtain. One where the goal post is constantly being moved. "No, a shower doesn't count, that is a human need, no you can't do self care in the house, you need to leave and spend time away from your kids. A h...

Most parents feel as though accessible travel may be off-limits when they receive their child's diagnosis, especially when mobility aids are involved. While, for some, not traveling is the safest option, for others travel can still be obtainable with a little bit of extra planning. While we may not be experts on traveling, we've had our share of going out-and-about with our interabled children. On...

There's no hood quite like siblinghood! As parents of interabled children, watching our children grown and learn side by side is a beautiful thing - even if they're doing it at difference paces. There is a natural routine that falls into place between the siblings, and oftentimes the non-disabled child is happy to offer support to their disabled brother or sister. Many parents choose to use terms...

Family planning can be complicated even in the most straight-forward of situations, but when parents have a child with a disability family planning can feel even more challenging to navigate. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down to discuss how we waded through the waters of pregnancy after HIE, the challenges we faced, and where we are now with our family dynamics.   Fo...

Marketing campaigns are an important way for companies to sell products or services to customers, including the disabled community. These companies , however, have a responsibility to create campaigns that provide respectful and ethical representation. When these companies fail to do this, they put their own target audience at risk. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit own...

Fallout may be a smash hit on Amazon Prime, but it got us to thinking...."what would we ACTUALLY do in the event of nuclear bomb?". No, we couldn't just strap our kids and their wheelchairs to the back of a horse and go galloping off to a Vault the way Cooper Howard did. Chances are those Vaults wouldn't be stocked with our kids medications anyhow. In this episode we sit down and chat about our ex...

From the moment we learn of our children's disability - be it before or after birth - we are told go do as much therapy for them as possible. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, all of the therapy. While therapy is a useful and necessary medical intervention, it can sometimes become overwhelming and completely consuming. Where do we draw the line of "improving quality of life"...

All parents are faced with making medical decisions for their children, but when your child is disabled or medically fragile those decisions can be more frequent and oftentimes carry more weight. As parents we are faced with hard decisions surrounding irreversible surgeries, medications that could have negative side affects or withdrawals, and trying to draw the line between the necessity of medic...

Internalized ableism. We all have it. Yet so many parents struggle to acknowledge it, and can hardly even recognize it. This has a direct affect on our disabled children who may inherit some of that internalized ableism for themselves. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down to discuss our own struggles with internalized ableism and how we are working to counteract somethi...

Raising a child comes with a lot of responsibility, but when medical decisions, extra appointments, and support needs are involved those responsibilities increase. Most families have some sort of support - usually in the form of partnership, but what happens when you have to navigate all this alone? We sit down with Hope & Rachel, both single mothers to young children who have disabilities. Th...

There is a mental health crisis affecting everyone in the U.S. and beyond. Parents and caregivers of disabled individuals are no exception, and sometimes, due to lack of resources, respite, services, and support, mental health becomes an extra struggle for these families. However, it is important to seek help - and sometimes - alter your perspective on disability and caregiving. Not all mental hea...

All parents have one thing in common when it comes to balancing work and family life - lack of childcare. Yet, somehow, a recent narrative has turned this struggle into an issue that can feel almost exclusive to parents raising disabled children. In the U.S. the lack of affordable childcare is a systemic issue that affects all parents across the board. The cost of childcare is currently outpacing...

Welcome to season 2! Inclusive education - it can be wonderful, and it can be awful. Almost all parents of disabled children have had some sort of negative experience along the way when it comes to IEPs or 504 plans. We are oftentimes expected to know how to navigate the "special education" system for our children when we have had no experience whatsoever. This can leave parents feeling confused,...

For parents of disabled children, the holiday season can be a tricky time of the year to navigate. We are often faced with managing extra schedules, taking on the mental load of making sure everyone has everything they need, and feeling a certain way when doing our holiday shopping knowing a toy isn't exactly "age appropriate" for our disabled children. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing...

Toxic Positivity: We've all experienced it at some point during our trauma recovery. Whether it's a well meaning relative telling you to "look on the bright side" or a stranger saying "you're so strong, I don't know how you do it". It's all left us feeling shut-down and invalidated. On the flip side, at some point, we've all probably unintentionally dished out toxic positivity to others. Saying th...

Challenges with accessibility can come in many different forms. One of the most frustrating challenges parents can face with accessibility is the outrageous cost that comes with finding adapted toys or other functional items. There's almost a gatekeeping-mentality around those who offer switch adapted products, which allows them to charge exuberant prices. We sit down with Greg from AdaptedDesign...

Pseudoscience, with its unsubstantiated claims and misleading information, can have a particularly harmful and predatory impact on the disabled community. This exploitation often takes the form of alternative treatments and therapies that promise miraculous cures but lack scientific backing. Such pseudoscientific practices not only offer false hope but can also divert individuals from evidence-bas...

Every child has the right to play, but for children with disabilities, inclusion in play can be almost non-existent in certain circumstances. Oftentimes school playgrounds leave out room for inclusion by having non accessible equipment. Enter: Katrina, founder of The Recess Project. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down with Katrina and discuss her passion for creating...

Oftentimes parents who have medically complex and disabled children will refer to themselves as their child's caregiver. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing podcast, we sit down to discuss the potential harm this could have not just on our own children, but on ourselves, and within our family unit. We also discuss the desire to refer to ourselves as caregivers, the lack of representation,...

On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down with Jen Lowe, MSW, a social worker, therapist, and mother to a son with medical complexities who spent 3 months in the NICU. Jen offers her unique insight as a therapist who has experienced her own trauma during labor and delivery, to a long NICU stay and beyond. During her journey she developed the Miracle Kids & Parent Support...

We've all been there - you're going about your life minding your own business and somebody interrupts you to do something kind simply because you have a disabled child, or because you yourself are disabled. These acts of kindness certainly come from a place of good, but it can be driven by an ableist mindset: that disabled individuals deserve pity. Sometimes these acts are only a way for the giver...

It is far too commonplace that disabled individuals and their families receive pity from passersby. The mere thought of disability becomes worst case scenario for most people who have no experience at all with disability. But this is not, and should not, be the case. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down with Lillian Joy to discuss the harm that can come from being on th...

Relationships sometimes become unnecessarily complicated when disability is involved. Sometimes people don't know how to react to the news of disability, they oftentimes hold grief for who they imagined your child would have been without disability. As parents, navigating the grief of others can be a burdensome task that halters our own healing, growth, and acceptance. It is important that we lead...