I am not a perfect person, and I will never claim to be. My family isn’t perfect, my relationships aren’t perfect, and my days are full of the same beautiful messes that every family faces. Like many of you, I’m a flawed woman and a mother who struggles daily with my own fears, baggage, and undiagnosed neurodiversity. I struggle with my own emotional regulation, and that is why I am here.

I am here to share with you the knowledge that we may struggle, but we will always show up. We will show up for ourselves and our families because we are the experts on the people we love the most.

The Research Mom

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was that “research” mom. I had all the books. I was the crunchy-ish mom who ate McDonald’s once a week but still cloth diapered and baby-wore. When my son was diagnosed as Autistic, I felt a sense of relief—a map had finally appeared, and I just needed to find the right path for us. I devoured every book on regulation I could find.

I became a fierce advocate, volunteering at his school and eventually becoming a teacher’s aide, then a lead teacher for a Lifeskills class. While I was rocking ARDs and advocating for my son’s success at school, we were still struggling at home. Then my daughter was born, followed by a difficult divorce and a whole slew of life events that left us all feeling dysregulated and overwhelmed. I felt like I was failing as a parent. I hated watching my children argue, and I worried I wasn’t giving them the right tools to navigate a world that isn’t always built to support them.

Finding a New Path

Earlier this year, I wrote a short series of books to help my children. I struggled to find books on sibling interactions, especially when one or more children are neurodivergent. I wanted a book that showcased human interactions—the good, the bad, and the in-between—and showed what happens when normal, stressful situations are resolved in the best way possible. I wanted a book that was both a bedtime story and a social story with talking points for parents, teachers, and counselors.

This project, this path toward getting published, was my a-ha moment. I realized I never stopped being that research mom. I’m still constantly looking for ways to improve my own self-regulation, communicate better with my son as he enters his teen years, and improve our family connections.

Welcome to Sunshine House

This is how Sunshine House was born. I knew if I—a mom who has worked in the school system for seven years, a parent advocate, and a surrogate parent for other special needs children in the school system—am still searching for ways to help my family, then others are too.

Sunshine House is for those who want a place where they can watch videos with their kids, find quick activities and journal prompts for social-emotional learning, and discover talking points that are actually helpful.

I am not a doctor or a professional outside of my own life experience. I am simply a person who is driven to help my family thrive, not just survive. If you are also that person, then welcome. Join me here in the Sunshine House.