LanguaTalk

On The Hard Days

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 podc...

BONUS: Ep. 214 All Things 'Community' With The Ladies of "Moms Talk Autism"!

63 hours 2 mins; January 06, 2026

Ep. 213 Mom Jen on Becoming Empowered to Learn How to Advocate For Her Gifted Child - How She Fought For Services and Won (the Second Time)

49 mins; June 03, 2025

Ep. 212 Mom Lisa on Finding Time to *Care* About Herself Through a Very Unique Journey to Motherhood

51 mins; May 20, 2025

Ep. 211 Mom Emily on Implementing the "Spoon Theory" Into Her Child's Day, and How Curiosity & Research Has Helped Her Grief & Acceptance

58 mins; May 13, 2025

Ep. 210 Mom Sarah on Re-Imagining & Re-Shaping Her Life to Understand How to Support Her ND Kids

60 hours 55 mins; May 06, 2025

Ep. 209 Mom Dalynn on Putting in the Work on *Herself* to Lead Her Family With Love & Understanding, Instead of Yelling & Anxiety

48 mins; April 22, 2025

Ep. 208 Mom Stephanie on the "Survival of Self" While Getting Divorced & Helping a Struggling Teenager Who Doesn't Want Help

61 hours 7 mins; April 15, 2025

Ep. 207 Mom Sandi on Helping Her PDA Child Come Out the Other Side of Severe Burnout (and What She Learned About Herself Along the Way)

66 hours 5 mins; April 01, 2025

Ep. 206 Mom Becky on Learning to Understand Her Neurodivergent Kids Through the Joy of Support

34 mins; March 25, 2025

Ep. 205 Mom Dorothy on Accepting Your *Lack* of Control, Being Realistic About Hope, and Using Your Master Negotiation Skills To Get Help

60 hours 2 mins; March 18, 2025

Ep. 204 Mom Amanda on Being an "Action Taker" While Pursuing *All The Things* to Help Her Family Thrive

47 mins; March 11, 2025

Ep. 203 Mom Emily on Managing *Caregiver Burnout* When There's No End in Sight

59 mins; March 03, 2025

Ep.202 Mom Chantelle Stieghan on Facing Motherhood Struggles With Humor & Rolling With the (Literal) Punches

57 mins; December 03, 2023

Ep.201 Mom Felicia Watkins on Stopping the Cycles of Self-Gaslighting and Judging How She Parents Her Neurodivergent Kids

32 mins; November 26, 2023

Ep.200!! Celebrating 200 Episodes With Megan Through Vulnerability & Validation

39 mins; November 13, 2023

Ep.199 Mom Stephanie Fluger on Asking For Help: Learning to Let Go of Control, Shed Guilt & Anger, and Actually Take Care of Yourself

41 mins; October 29, 2023

Ep.198 Mom Cathy Shields on Acceptance & Understanding of a Neurodivergent Young Adult

50 mins; October 23, 2023

Ep.197 Dad Rob Gorski on the "Sudden Detour" of a Massive Regression & Parenting the Kid, Not the Diagnosis

55 mins; October 15, 2023

Ep.196 Mom Taylor Alexander on Surviving & Prioritizing What's Important When Managing a Whole Family With ADHD

39 mins; October 09, 2023

Ep.195 On The Hard Days is BACK! Here's The Update!

14 mins; October 07, 2023

Ep.194 (Replay): Dad Brent Nohl on How Therapy & Meds For YOU Help Your Neurodivergent Kids Become the Best Versions of Themselves

71 hours 24 mins; August 06, 2023

Ep.193 Mom Courtney Welsh on How Working Through Post-Natal Depression Helped Shape a Positive Mindset to Raise Her Neurodivergent Child

51 mins; July 23, 2023

Ep.192 Mom Hannah Mira on How Learning About & Understanding *Herself* Through a Late Autism Diagnosis & Therapy Has Changed How She Parents Her Neurodivergent Kid

49 mins; July 09, 2023

Ep.191 Mom Caroline on Adjusting Your Expectations as a Military Spouse & Facing Your Own Mental Health Diagnosis as a Mental Health Professional

55 mins; July 02, 2023

Ep.190 Mom Vanessa Dittman on Living a Life of Daily Triage & Trauma With a Medically Complex, Neurodivergent Child With Behavioral Challenges (Even With the Support of a Service Dog)

51 mins; June 25, 2023

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

42 mins; June 18, 2023

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

46 mins; June 11, 2023

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

40 mins; June 04, 2023

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

34 mins; May 28, 2023

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

39 mins; May 21, 2023

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

87 hours 55 mins; May 14, 2023

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

58 mins; May 07, 2023

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

62 hours 20 mins; April 30, 2023

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

58 mins; April 23, 2023

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

49 mins; April 16, 2023

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

49 mins; April 09, 2023

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

61 hours 16 mins; April 02, 2023

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

43 mins; March 27, 2023

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

40 mins; March 23, 2023

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

44 mins; March 21, 2023

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

44 mins; March 19, 2023

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

46 mins; March 16, 2023

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

34 mins; March 13, 2023

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

46 mins; March 10, 2023

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

54 mins; March 05, 2023

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

51 mins; March 03, 2023

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"

47 mins; February 26, 2023

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

45 mins; February 23, 2023

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

53 mins; February 19, 2023

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

56 mins; February 17, 2023

Ep.164 Mama Monday: Mom Anna McArthur on Setting Boundaries With Her Neurodivergent Child In Order to Preserve Her Mental Health

58 mins; February 12, 2023

Ep.163 Father Friday: Dad Jake Gilbreath on Going From Skeptical to "All In" When Accepting a Child's Diagnosis and Normalizing Discussions About How Hard the Journey Can Be

42 mins; February 10, 2023

Ep.162 Mama Monday: Mom Kelly Edwards on the Emotional, Mental Load of "Caregiver Fatigue" - And How to Avoid It - When Homeschooling Neurodivergent Kids

70 hours 32 mins; February 05, 2023

Ep.161 Father Friday: Dad Pablo Chavez on Rethinking How to Parent Your Neurodivergent "Mini-Me"

54 mins; February 02, 2023

Ep.160 Mama Monday (Part 2): Mom Kim Jones on Changing Your Parenting Approach to Truly See Your Neurodivergent Child as an Individual

52 mins; January 29, 2023

Ep.159 Father Friday: Dad Sean Martin on How Hard It Was (And How Long It Took) To "Drop the Ego" and Undo the "Male Narrative" Around His Pre-Conceived Definition of Fatherhood

50 mins; January 26, 2023

Ep.158 In Your Own Words: "The Time When My Church Community Isolated My Family Based On Their Lack of Understanding of Neurodiversity"

26 mins; January 24, 2023

Ep.157 Mama Monday (Part 1): Mom Kim Jones on Finding Your Role as a Step-Parent of a Neurodivergent Child & Shifting Your Idea of "Normal"

46 mins; January 22, 2023

Ep.156 Father Friday: Dad John Marton on Keeping (Somewhat) Cool in the Hard Moments & Learning How to Accommodate Your Kid's Needs As You Go

50 mins; January 20, 2023

Ep.155 In Your Own Words: "The Time When Humor Changed My Outlook On A Tough Situation At The Doctor's Office"

20 mins; January 18, 2023

Ep.154 In Your Own Words: "The Time When I Reframed My Sadness About My Child On The Basketball Court"

18 mins; January 17, 2023

Ep.153 In Your Own Words: "The Time When My Child's Aggressive Behaviors Told Me It Was Time To Seek Help"

20 mins; January 16, 2023

Ep.152 Mama Monday: Mom Nicole Tra on Managing Your Neurodivergent Child's Needs When There Are No Answers But "Everything Fits"

64 hours 47 mins; January 15, 2023

Ep.151 My Turn: A (Re)Introduction To Megan, Her Family, & The Importance of Validation For Moms' Mental Health

76 hours 49 mins; January 13, 2023

Ep.150 In Your Own Words: "The Time When My Child's Misdiagnosis Led to Self-Harm and Hospitalization"

24 mins; January 12, 2023

Ep.149 In Your Own Words: "The Time When a Hard Decision About My Son's Hair Led Me to Trust My Gut Despite Questioning From Others"

21 mins; January 10, 2023

Ep.148 In Your Own Words: "The Time When A School Director's Hurtful Comments Towards My Child Lit a Fire Inside Me"

18 mins; January 09, 2023

Ep.147 Mama Monday (Part 2): Mom Michelle Bubier on Using "Out of the Box" Parenting Strategies to Meet Neurodivergent Kids Where They Are - No Matter What Other People Think

63 hours 16 mins; January 09, 2023

Ep.146 In Your Own Words: "The Time When My Neurodivergent Child's Massive Meltdown Seemed Impossible For Others to Believe"

26 mins; January 04, 2023

Ep.145 In Your Own Words: "The Time When We Faced 'Casual Cruelty' From a Stranger About Our Autistic Child - On a Playground!"

21 mins; January 03, 2023

Ep.144 In Your Own Words: "The Time When a School Counselor Suggested That My Neurodivergent Kid Switch Schools"

23 mins; January 02, 2023

Ep.143 Mama Monday (Part 1): Mom Michelle Bubier on Finding Her "Chill" With Her Gifted, Autistic Child & Rolling With The (Literal) Punches

63 hours 44 mins; January 01, 2023

Ep.142 Reflecting on My 2022 Motherhood Journey - I'm "Doing it Messy"

29 mins; December 29, 2022

Ep.141 Mama Monday: Mom Liza Blas on How Chronic Illness Impacted Her Neurodivergent Kids' Mental Health Struggles

56 mins; December 18, 2022

Ep.140 Father Friday: Dad Will Simons on Accepting Your Own Limitations In Order to Better Connect To Your Neurodivergent Child

54 mins; December 15, 2022

Ep.139 Mothers Together Moms Steph, Nancy, & Lacey on Getting Support When You Have an Older Child & the Power of True Friendships For Our Mental Health

46 mins; December 14, 2022

Ep.138 Mothers Together Moms Meghan & Katrina on Celebrating the *Small* Wins With Other Moms Who Get It

30 mins; December 13, 2022

Ep.137 Mothers Together Moms Julia & Erin on the Importance of Taking Care of Our Mental Health When Raising Neurodivergent Kids

47 mins; December 12, 2022

Ep.136 Mama Monday: (Replay) Mom Lorin Pahlua on Holding Space & Being a "Grief Keeper" for Neurodivergent Children With Trauma

52 mins; December 11, 2022

Ep.135 Father Friday: Dad David Palmer on Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health Struggles in Men Through Humility & Vulnerability

44 mins; December 08, 2022

Ep.134 Wednesday Wins: Could a Motivation & Reward Chart Actually Work For My Neurodivergent Kids?

32 mins; December 06, 2022

Ep.133 Toolbox Tuesday: OCD Resources I'm Using In My Home Right Now

18 mins; December 05, 2022

Ep.132 Mama Monday: Mom Bunmi Laditan on Being Your Neurodivergent Kid's Safe Person - You Have to "Choose The Child", Everyday

62 hours 11 mins; December 04, 2022

Ep.131 Father Friday: Dad Brent Nohl on How Therapy & Meds For YOU Help Your Neurodivergent Kids Become the Best Versions of Themselves

71 hours 24 mins; December 01, 2022

Ep.130 Thursday Thoughts: Raising a Neurodivergent Kid is Emotionally Draining

11 mins; November 30, 2022

Ep.129 (Bonus) BIG Podcast News - And I Need Your Help!

13 mins; November 29, 2022

Ep.128 Mom Sarah Woody on Rethinking Motherhood of ND Kids As A Recovering Perfectionist & Rule Follower

58 mins; November 27, 2022

Ep.127 My Turn: Thanksgiving - The Good, Bad, and the Ugly (But You Got This!)

14 mins; November 23, 2022

Ep.126 (Part 2) Mom Becky Wynne on Trusting Yourself to Make the Best Decisions for Your Neurodivergent Kids

66 hours 13 mins; November 20, 2022

Ep.125 (Bonus!) Mentors Speak: Avril Brown on Nervous System Regulation for the MOMS - It's How We Heal!

60 hours 51 mins; November 18, 2022

Ep.124 (Bonus!) Mentors Speak: Tiphany Kane on Loving Ourselves, Not Only as Moms of Neurodivergent Kids, But as Women

42 mins; November 17, 2022

Ep.123 (Bonus!) Mentors Speak: Erin Yeschin on Choosing to Change Your Mindset, Despite Massive Obstacles in Motherhood

53 mins; November 16, 2022

Ep.122 (Bonus!) Mentors Speak: Megan Pizarro on "Anticipatory Grief" & the Role It Plays in Raising a Neurodivergent Child

39 mins; November 15, 2022

Ep.121 (Bonus!) Mentors Speak: Kim Heilig on Befriending *Yourself* After Years of Disconnect & Trauma

30 mins; November 14, 2022

Ep.120 (Part 1) Mom Becky Wynne on Throwing Away Standards in Raising Our Neurodivergent Kids That Negatively Affect Our Mental Health

55 mins; November 13, 2022

Ep.119 My Turn: "How Have Your Neurodivergent Kids' Struggles Changed Over Time?"

21 mins; November 09, 2022

Ep.118 Mom Samantha Foote on Truly Living Life By Prioritizing Our Mental Health - Not Just Existing

48 mins; November 06, 2022

Ep.117 (Replay) Is it me, or is it my child?

30 mins; November 02, 2022

Ep.116 Mom Heather Balk on Changing the Narrative Around the "Invisible Disability" of Severe ADHD in Young Kids

77 hours 1 min; October 30, 2022

Ep.115 My Turn: "What If My Neurodivergent Kid Doesn't Like Sports?"

24 mins; October 26, 2022

Click here to see more

On The Hard Days

Useful pages

Find a tutor

Languages