Megan Champion

On The Hard Days

Kids EN ↓ 214 episodes

Raising an out-of-the-box kid can feel isolating. You wonder, Am I crazy? What am I doing wrong? The doubt, guilt, and exhaustion are overwhelming—and finding another mom who truly gets it feels impossible. That’s why the On The Hard Days podcast exists. Host Megan Champion knows the struggle firsthand and is on a mission to bring connection and support to moms raising neurodivergent kids. Each week, a brave mom shares her raw, honest story so you can feel seen, heard, and validated. Whether your child has a diagnosis or not, if you feel alone in your motherhood, this podcast is for you. Subsc...

Author

Megan Champion

Episodes

Ep.189 Mom Brittney Smith on Managing Her Stress Levels In Helping Her Child With Extreme Sensory Needs & Food Struggles 19.06.2023 42:16

"You have to look for the joy....it is there, it can be found. But you have to look for it - it's easy to miss if you don't." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Brittney. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -Severe sensory issues around food when her child was a todd...

Ep.188 Mama Monday: Mom Jeannie Ewing On Shifting Expectations, Accepting Regressions, And Riding The Rollercoaster Of Emotions As A Parent Of Neurodivergent Kids 12.06.2023 46:44

"I had to grieve the loss of the life I thought we were going to have." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Jeannie. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -Jeannie shares her personal journey of struggling with infertility and having five children, three of whom have been diagnos...

Ep.187 Mama Monday: Mom Whitney Price on How Finding The Right Community, Educational Fit, and Therapies Make All The DIfference in Raising a Neurodivergent Child 05.06.2023 40:43

"There's going to be a lot of negative...you have to find your own positive." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Whitney. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -The impact of the pandemic on her son's therapy and evaluations -The need for accessible resources, therapi...

Ep.186 Mama Monday: Mom Lisa Candera on "Sanity Management" and Redirecting Our Brains Away from Worrying & Catastrophizing About Our Neurodivergent Kids 29.05.2023 34:42

"Our brains will always find the junk aisle of thoughts." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Lisa. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -Growing up with a neurodivergent sibling -What it's like in the early years with a "hit the ground running" mentality, trying...

Ep.185 Mama Monday: Mom Lauren Goeke on the Brokenness of the Educational & Medical Systems, Lack of Holistic Approaches to Treating Neurodivergent Kids, and How This Motivates Her to Keep Going 22.05.2023 39:23

"Safety cannot be the reason why a place is not a good fit." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Lauren. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -The realization that not everyone is on your team -How daycare settings can have a lack of safety protocols and understanding from educa...

Ep.184 Mother's Day Special: It's Okay To Grieve & Feel Disappointed In This Day 15.05.2023 1:27:55

About This Episode: Happy Belated Mother's Day, my friends. This is a different sort of episode - in fact, it's taken from my Sunday Night Share Instagram Live, which turned into a bit of a therapy session for all of us. If Mother's Day brings lots of mixed feelings, this is the episode for you. Please share this episode with a mom who needs to hear this message! I ALWAYS welcome YO...

Ep.183 Mama Monday: Mom Breanna Akers on Taking Care of Your Mental Health & Staying True to Your Identity When Homeschooling Neurodivergent Kids 08.05.2023 58:38

"We have to really know what's important, and what not to add in." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Breanna. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -The challenges of homeschooling her children while dealing with a demanding work schedule and managing their needs at the sa...

Ep.182 Mama Monday: Mom Lahren Rogers on How Standing Your Ground, Setting Boundaries, AND Cultivating Relationships Are the Keys to Successfully Advocating For Your Neurodivergent Child 01.05.2023 1:02:20

"Everything my children have been diagnosed with has been me going to a doctor and saying, 'This is what's going on. And I need you to confirm it.'" About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Lahren. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -Lahren's journey of raising...

Ep.181 Mama Monday: Mom Brittney on Managing the Mental Load Of Meeting Your Kids' Needs While Finding Your Own Voice At The Same Time 24.04.2023 58:23

"Let them write their story. Let them decide who they're going to be." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Brittney. I loved this whole conversation and I know you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -When you question yourself as a mother - are you cut out for this journey? -Learning how to find your voice -Helping yo...

Ep.180 Mama Monday: Mom Christie Dilks on Learning How to Advocate, Not Just For Your Neurodivergent Child, But For Their Siblings & Yourself 17.04.2023 49:26

"It's not what they want, it's what they need. And that's what it's about at the end of the day." *Click the link to sign up for my free webinar "Struggling to Raise a Neurodivergent Kid? The #1 Way to Put Yourself First When You Feel Like You're Last", happening live on Zoom on Friday, April 21st at 8pm EST! Can't wait to see you! About This Epis...

Ep.179 Mama Monday: Mom Melissa Schoenherr on Her Rock-Bottom Parenting Moment With Her Neurodivergent Child and What She Learned About *Herself* From It 10.04.2023 49:22

"You can be upset and having a hard day and still be a good mom." *Sign up for my free webinar "Struggling to Raise a Neurodivergent Kid? The #1 Way to Put Yourself First When You Feel Like You're Last", happening live on Zoom on Friday, April 21st at 8pm EST! Can't wait to see you! About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Melis...

Ep.178 Mama Monday: Mom Molly Kellogg on Managing Anger & Emotional Intensity With an Intellectually Gifted Child 03.04.2023 1:01:16

"I feel like I want to make t-shirts that say, 'Don't poke the bear'." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Molly. I loved this whole conversation and found it so relatable. I think you will too! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -When you have a gifted, highly emotional child -Understanding where the anger your child...

Ep.177 Mama Monday: Mom Kahrissa Taylor on Forced Resilience in Survival Mode - When Taking Care of Yourself Isn't an Option, Vulnerability is Key 27.03.2023 43:50

"I'm treading water. I'm surviving. That's all I have right now." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Kahrissa. She talks about what true survival looks like in her life - and what she wishes she could change. Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -How being vulnerable allowed others to help her -What "survival&quot...

Ep.176 Father Friday: Dad Benjamin Wiles on Prioritizing Your Relationships With All Your Children & Trusting Your Intuition in Decision-Making 24.03.2023 40:57

"Don't ever doubt your intuition." About This Episode: It's Father Friday!!! I had a great conversation with Dad Benjamin and I just loved what he had to say about raising neurodivergent kids. Here are just some of the things we discussed: -How having multiple children spread over different ages allows them to help each other -Trying to catch your kid up on missed milestones...

Ep.175 Bonus: Mom Gabriele on Raising Multiple Neurodivergent Kids Under 5 and How Connection & Community Helped Her See Them In A New Light 22.03.2023 44:31

About This Episode: Bonus!! This is an extra episode from a conversation taken straight from my recent Instagram Live with Mom Gabriele. Two of her young children are neurodivergent, and for a long time, she felt her mental health suffering. Take a listen to how she feels now, and how she finds and appreciates every little positive moment with her children thanks to the connections she's made...

Ep.174 Mama Monday (Part 2): Mom Estelle Emond on Dealing With Clutter, Balancing Everyone's Different Needs, and Practicing "Instant Forgiveness" 20.03.2023 44:26

"Getting rid of stuff...it was so mind-freeing for all of us." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Estelle for Part 2 of a two part episode ( Listen to Part 1 Here! ). She talks about raising multiple ND kids in an "ADHD house" and making it work despite being dismissed by professionals. Here are just some of the topics we discussed:...

Ep.173 Father Friday: Dad Andrew McPherson on Making a Conscious Decision to Give 'Consistent Grace' to Your Partner, Yourself, and Your Neurodivergent Child 17.03.2023 46:52

"The best way out was through." About This Episode: It's Father Friday!!! I had a great conversation with Dad Andrew and I just loved what he had to say about raising a neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the things we discussed: -Going through the grieving process but not getting stuck in it -Making the decision to give your child the best chance to thrive -Deciding on wh...

Ep.172 Mama Monday (Part 1): Mom Estelle Emond on Constantly Being Dismissed About Your Child's Struggles, and Finding the Key to Family Success 13.03.2023 34:50

"We got a diagnosis and no help." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Estelle for Part 1 of a two part episode. She talks about raising multiple ND kids in an "ADHD house" and making it work despite being dismissed by professionals. Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -When you live in an ADHD house -When you're a you...

Ep.171 Father Friday: Dad Stephen LupPlace on Accepting the "New Normal" of Life With a Neurodivergent Child & Focusing on Putting One Foot in Front of the Other 11.03.2023 46:52

"I'm there. I'm there with you. I'm struggling with the same thing." About This Episode: It's Father Friday!!! I had a great conversation with Dad Stephen and I just loved what he had to say about raising a neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the things we discussed: -When your ND child is medically fragile (heart-related) -When you don't know what &quo...

Ep.170 Mama Monday (Part 2): Mom Bethany Hoath on Taking Care of Ourselves Physically as Mothers and Women, One Choice at a Time 06.03.2023 54:41

" There will be moments where you've lost control." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Bethany for Part 2 of a two part episode (listen to Part 1 HERE !). She talks about binge eating, stress, and taking care of our physical bodies - and I think a lot of what she says will resonate with you! Here are just some of the topics we discussed:...

Ep.169 Father Friday: Dad Austin Bowden on Dreaming Big, Staying Positive, & Finding Little Miracles With Your Neurodivergent Child 03.03.2023 51:46

"Is this the life I imagined or dreamed of? No. But it's my life and I'm making the best of it." About This Episode: It's Father Friday!!! I had a great conversation with Dad Austin and I just loved what he had to say about raising a neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the things we discussed: -How he prioritizes fitness as his "self-care" -Planning a m...

Ep.168 Mama Monday (Part 1): Mom Bethany Hoath on Identifying the Amount of Trauma That We (As Moms) Carry Everyday - And How to Invest In Our Own True "Self Care" 27.02.2023 47:25

" I'm running on full, so I have to take care of that when I'm without my kids." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Bethany for Part 1 of a two part episode. She talks a lot about therapy, wellness, and trauma - and I think a lot of what she says will resonate with you! Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -Single/divorced...

Ep.167 Father Friday: Dad Kellen Hamrah on Making Happy Memories With Your Neurodivergent Child In Ways You Never Expected & Redefining What "Advocating" Looks Like As Part of a Team 24.02.2023 45:23

"There's always advocating, and it's always exhausting." About This Episode: It's Father Friday!!! I had a great conversation with Dad Kellen and I just loved what he had to say about raising a neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the things we discussed: -Feeling helpless (from a dad's perspective) -Matching your partner's energy in raising kids togethe...

Ep.166 Mama Monday: Mom Carly Ely on Accepting Your Own Neurodivergence to Model Using Coping Strategies With Your Kids 20.02.2023 53:42

" The more you can learn about yourself and your coping strategies, the more [your kids] can learn from that." About This Episode: It's Mama Monday! This week, I'm talking with mom Carly. I appreciate her openness and vulnerability in this journey of raising a neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the topics we discussed: -Realizing that your vision of motherhood isn&apos...

Ep.165 Father Friday: Dad Don Andrews on Just "Letting Them Be" and Verbalizing to Our Neurodivergent Kids How Deeply We Love Them 17.02.2023 56:52

"It's just different, that's all. He just needs a little bit of extra help." About This Episode: It's Father Friday!!! I had a great conversation with Dad Don and I just loved what he had to say about raising a neurodivergent child. Here are just some of the things we discussed: -Overthinking how to "have a good day" and avoid meltdowns -Reframing: Your child j...