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What Going To Disney World With My Autistic Son Taught Me About Parenting

May 17, 2020 By Laura Epstein 2 Comments

My oldest son, Ross, has autism. He was diagnosed when he was 3 and is now a happy, thriving 6 year old who just started kindergarten. Last spring we took my son with autism to Disney World. My Husband, my boys, my mother and father in law, my sister in law and her husband and I all headed to Orlando to go on a new adventure to Disney World. This adventure went far better than I had expected. Honestly, I had set very low expectations for the trip and especially for how much Ross was going to like it. I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged my son was and how much he liked Disney World, especially Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I was also surprised by what I learned as a parent and how it changed how I parent all three of my boys.

It’s Hard To Accept That He Is Different, But I Need To

I think Ross spent 75% of the time in Disney World in his stroller. Most of that time he had noise cancelling headphones on and Netflix videos were playing through the bluetooth in the headphones for part of that. BUT, he loved it. A few years ago I would have prodded him to get out of the stroller and experience the parks the same way my neurotypical boys do. I would have tried to get him to go on rides or see more movies and he probably would have melted down. He was actually quite happy sitting in his stroller, looking around, hopping out for the occasional character. He also became obsessed with trading pins. This was the perfect activity for him and actually didn’t end up as terribly expensive as I expected. In the last three years I have had to learn to accept that he will experience things in his own way and that he enjoys things in his own way. He still talks about how amazing his trip to Disney World was and I’m glad I got over myself and let him decide how he wanted to experience it.

Being a Little Pushy is Ok

On our third day in Disney World the kids, my husband and I had reservations to Chef Mickey’s restaurant at the Contemporary Hotel. When we got there we discovered that strollers had to be parked outside and there was no way that Ross was getting out of his stroller. Ross was over stimulated from the parks and on the verge of melting down all the time but was also super excited to have brunch with Mickey. We were at an impasse. I had gone up to the desk when we arrived and asked if strollers were allowed and they said no. In desperation I asked my husband if we should just go and explain the situation. I always fear being too pushy or asking too much but he doesn’t fear these things at all. So he asked if we could bring the stroller for Ross in and explained his situation and they said yes. My fear of being pushy or of judgement had always stopped Ross from being able to go in to what became his favorite part of Disney. Note: I later found out you can get a “Stroller as a Wheelchair” pass for Disney and could have avoided the whole situation.

(Sometimes) IDGAF

As Dua Lipa says, “I don’t give a f***”. Ok, maybe I do a little but I’m trying to care less. Back to that third day at Disney and we got a table with a wheelchair spot at Chef Mickey’s and all was fine. Ross doesn’t like many new foods so was totally uninterested in eating. He sat in his stroller with the hood up and his headphones on. And people looked and, at least in my head, they judged.

So I took a deep breath and decided that IDGAF. This happened more than once in the course of the trip. From choosing bubbles over characters to melting down when someone cut in the water slide line I decided to take the approach that IDGAF what others thought. I was going to help my sons have the best vacation possible and not let others bother me.

I Need to Ask For Help

Perhaps the biggest thing I learned at Disney that made me a better parent was that I need to ask for help. I tend to try to do it all. Whether it was asking for help from Disney cast members or from my in-laws (they watched the kids several nights so my husband and I could have dinner alone) we could not have made it through Disney without lots of support. When I got back to the “real world” I tried to remember this lesson and ask for help because it’s definitely a lot easier.

This article was originally entitled “What Going To Disney World With My Autistic Son Taught Me About Special Needs Parenting” but I think all of these parenting lessons I learned taking my son with autism to Disney World apply just as much to my neurotypical children as my son with autism.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need help navigating Disney World with an autistic son or daughter. Be sure to check out my article on being an autism mom and grab your free IEP worksheet by signing up for my newsletter below too.

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what going to disney world with my autistic son taught me about parenting

Why You Should Send Your Child With Autism to Summer Camp

June 5, 2019 By Laura Epstein 2 Comments

Every year my oldest son Ross goes to day camp. Every summer he has a blast, makes new friends and learns amazing new skills. He has autism and is currently six years old but has gained so much by going to day camp every year. Camp, day or overnight, can be an amazing place for children with special needs including autism. Here are my big reasons why you should consider sending your child with autism to summer camp:

To Learn New “Camp” Skills

The list of skills that a child with autism will learn at camp is extensive and varied. Camps offer everything from archery to cooking and more. The best part about these skills isn’t that your child learns to start a campfire but that they are a great way to build self confidence. Ross has gotten pretty good at swimming by going to day camp and he’s super proud of this skill. It’s been amazing to watch him really feel great about himself about an activity. He’s never really shown interest in a sport before and during the year he doesn’t have a lot of time to do extracurricular activities because of his therapy

To Learn Life Skills

Camp is also the first time Ross got on a bus and the first time he got himself (mostly) changed by himself to go swimming everyday. He keeps track of his own stuff at camp and has learned to do so many things more independently. He is well supported by his counselor but his activities of daily living skills as well as his confidence to do them also improves.

To Improve Strength and Motor Skills

Ross, like other children with autism, struggles with coordination issues as well as core strength. The constant running, games, swimming, obstacle courses and more help Ross with his gross motor skills and strength every summer. It’s like sending him to occupational therapy eight hours a day without him knowing (and sometimes complaining) about having to work on his strength.

To Get Near Constant Social Interaction

This was the part that worried me the most about Ross going to camp. The social interactions at school are, for the most part, more organized than those at camp. There are lots of informal social interaction, lots of games and other social interaction that needs to be navigated. With the help of his one to one aide Ross is able to navigate these situations with his neurotypical peers. He not only survived the social interaction (as I had feared he wouldn’t) but he has made some amazing friends and lasting relationships with his counselors.

To Feel a Sense of Belonging

There is something different about camp. It is more inclusive, less judgemental and they will feel like they belong there. Ross has relayed this to me in his own way and I can see it in the way he acts when we visit camp.

Sending my child with autism to summer camp was a leap of faith after months of researching. Finding a camp that will support your child with autism can sometimes be overwhelming. There are day and overnight camps, inclusion programs, camps geared solely towards those with special needs and autism and even more option in terms of camps for children with autism. We were lucky to find the

JCC Chicago and Keshet to be a great fit for Ross. I would encourage anyone with a child with autism to strongly explore what options are available in your area because for Ross his summers have truly been life changing.

Has your child with autism been to camp? How did they like it? Tell me in the comments below then check out my articles on great books for parents of kids with autism and ways to trick your child into better fine motor skills!

Why You Should Be Blogging For Your Direct Sales Business

December 19, 2018 By Laura Epstein 4 Comments

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog.

It’s probably no surprise that I’m a fan of blogging. Blogging is a great way to share your unique viewpoint with the world and a great creative outlet. But what exactly can blogging do for your direct sales business? With a well designed and properly marketed blog you can increase sales and recruits for your direct sales business. Let’s take a look at some reason that direct sales blogging might be for you.

Blogging is at the Top of the Social Media Pyramid

Blogging is definitely at the top of the social media pyramid but what exactly does that mean? Compared to Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram far fewer people blog. Depending on your direct sales business there may only be a dozen or so bloggers. Even if there are hundreds of bloggers for your company that may compare to tens of thousands of company representatives on Facebook or Instagram. Blogging allows you to be memorable (especially with great branding). It is a great way to really stand out and allow your unique point of view about your direct sales company to be heard. Blogging also lets you be easily searchable. Because we all want to be on google page 1!

Blogging is a Huge Funnel

Your blog is just a giant funnel to wherever you want it to go. Whether you want to guide people to your replicated website, an opportunity group, your newsletter, or a VIP group you can tailor your blog posts to get people there. Compelling and interesting blog posts with strong calls to action can lead people to your funnel endpoints. These posts can potentially generate more sales or more interest in joining your company under you.

I’m In, Now What?

So you are ready to start a blog (or start exploring it as a feasible option). I highly recommend a self hosted WordPress blog. This allows you to really own your own website and blog, customize it pretty much any way you want, and monetize it any way you want. A self hosted WordPress blog allows for monetization through affiliate links and also through plugins that can turn your blog into an e-commerce site.

Starting a blog does not have to be overwhelming. It may take a little work to get your blog going but it is well worth the reward. I highly recommend The Purple Teacup’s blogging programs. I started my blog with their BlogLab 101 (aka blogging bootcamp). Not only does the course get you set up but also teaches you to be comfortable updating and changing your blog (because we all know branding, companies and ideas can all change).

I’d love to talk to your more about my experience as a direct sales blogger and what it has done for my business. If you are already blogging definitely check out my post about blog topics and I also use some other great tools for direct sellers that you can check out here.

5 Great Sensory Tools for Autism

September 28, 2018 By Laura Epstein 1 Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog.

There are some great sensory tools available for children with autism. Whether your child is a sensory seeker, avoider or some of each there are great tools out there to help your child better regulate their system. Here are five tools that have helped my son.

Weighted Lap Pads

Weighted lap pads are a great way to calm an upset child or help with focus. Plain fabric lap pads are great for in the classroom. They can help with focus when children are sitting in a circle or at the desk. For younger children weighted stuffed animals are a great animal. When my son was three and four he had a “heavy kitty” at school which he loved. The weighted cat combined with his cube chair helped him sit calmly in circle time. Make sure you chose a weight appropriate for your child (your OT can help or most sites have a guide)

Chewies

For kids with oral sensory needs there are an array of chewies out there. They come in the form of pencil toppers, chewable jewelry and more. Currently we have had a lot of success with block necklaces (my son is a LEGO fanatic) and chewy bracelets but in the past we’ve had robots, dinosaurs and trains too.

Putties

Putties can also be a great regulating tool. Putties come in various consistencies depending on how tough you want it to be for your little one to knead the putty. They also come with themes and items in them and sometimes they are scented. I like to hide coins or trinkets in the putty and then have my son dig it out. Putties also have the added advantage that they are hand strengtheners as well.

Fidgets

We’ve all seen them (and maybe been annoyed by some of them) but fidgets really are a great tool for helping with concentration and sensory regulation. My son likes fidgets like the tangle juior and hairy tangle junior but fidgets do everything from squish, vibrate to spin.

Resistance Tunnels

Resistance are another great sensory tool. They are a great way to get kids moving and doing some heavy work and take up virtually no space when not in use. All three of my kids love their rocketship resistance tunnel but this is just one option.

I hope some of these sensory tools work for your family! What other sensory tools have you used?

22 Income Producing Activities for Clothing Direct Sellers

August 25, 2018 By Laura Epstein Leave a Comment

Album Sale, Live Sale, Album Sale, Live Sale and maybe a couple of outfits… that was my selling “plan” when I starting as a clothing direct seller. Over the years I have diversified and expanded from the basics to an array of different income producing activities (IPAS). The same piece of clothing displayed different ways may catch a buyers eye. I have buyers who never watch a live and some who never browse my online catalog and some who just love outfits. That piece that’s been sitting in your inventory for 6 months may finally find a home when paired in an oufit or with a piece already in a client’s wardrobe. Here are my 20 top income producting activities

Album Sales

As basic as you get. Load your pieces into albums and go. You can do them weekly, monthly or just whenver you want and don’t forget to combine them with outfits, lives and swag bags. You can also have albums by color or pattern (floral, stripes, etc,) or any other theme you can think of.

Lives

Lives are not just for new inventory. While “shop the box” is probably the most popular type of live, showcasing your current inventory can be just as succesful. Weekly lives focusing on a particular style are a great addition to your group as are lives with outfits. Don’t forget that lives aren’t just for Facebook. Exploring periscope and instagram as additional outlets for lives can be very succesful.

Flatlays

Clean, gorgeous flatlays sell outfits but can also individual pieces. Pair a dress that’s been in your inventory for a while with some fun accessories and it has new life. Don’t forget to post your flatlays on Pinterest to attract new customers and on Instagram too.

Outfits

Outfits are always a great way to showcase your pieces. Outfits can be done on a mannequin or on flatlays. I love to do outfits live too!

Capsule Wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of essential items, styled together, that don’t go out of style. Essentially, it is a group of outfits where the pieces intermix. It’s a great way to showcase how individual pieces can be worn lots of different ways.

Thread Sale

A thread sale is where you put your pieces in the comment “thread” on Facebook. It’s a great way to easily showcase a set of new pieces but can also be a great way to show pieces of a certain theme. For example you can have a floral thread sale or solid thread sale.

This or That, or Mine

Create two outfits and ask people to chose which one they like best and if they want it to comment “mine”. This is another great way to show of the versatility of a piece by pairing a single top with two different bottoms, or a dress with two different cover ups. Don’t forget to showcase your this or that’s on Pinterest too!

Theme Days

Wacky Wednesday, Tank Top Tuesday, Solid Sunday, Striped Saturday, Monochrome Monday… the list goes on and is only stopped by your imagination. Theme days are a great way to showcase your personality and have a little fun while creating fun outfits and curating great pieces that fit with your theme.

Outfit Requests

This is where you ask your clients (probably in your Facebook group) to request their favorite outfit combos and then make the outfits and share them. Outfit requests are a great way to make sure that you are getting your clients exactly what types outfits that they want.

Speed Videos

Not everyone likes lives. Some people even hate lives but sometimes clothes look better on video then in still pictures. Speed videos are a great way to showcase a large amount of clothing in a short amount of clothes. To make s speed video just set up your tripod and flip through a stack of leggings or a rack of tops.

Outfit Battles

An outfit battle is when you and a fellow stylist/husband/friend each put together outfits and have your group member or followers decide which outfits they like better. The winner can be who sells the most outfits or whose outfits get the most likes. This is a great way to get some diversity in your outfits since another person might see a totally different outfit in pieces you’ve been looking at forever.

Boutique Takeovers

Take your group on the road. Coordinate with a fellow stylist to come to their boutique and go live and sell their stuff. It’s a great way to get your group some new, low risk, pieces and for the stylist being “taken over” they can get new eyes on old inventory. If the stylist you are visiting has different styles this can also be a great way to test if it might be a good idea for them to carry those styles as well. (Note: The usual arrangement is that the visiting stylist pays the host wholesale for the goods she sells)

Twin Me

Do you own a cute outfit and have the same or similar pieces in your inventory? Then post a pic of yourself in the outfit and see if anyone wants to twin you! Post the inventory pieces in a thread or go live. There are lots of choices with this one.

Just add Jeans/Shoes

It’s great to show how your company’s pieces can mesh with pieces already in your customer’s wardrobe. Doing a set of flatlays pairing different tops with jeans or different outfits with classic brown boots is a great way to show people how easy it is to incorporate your new pieces into their wardrobe.

Matchmaker

Play matchmaker! Not for a partner but for a match for items that they have already. Simply post asking for pics of pieces that your customer’s already have and the. Find some pieces in your inventory that fits with them.

Warehouse Roulette

Warehouse roulette, or a mystery warehouse order, is where you offer your customers a chance to order (almost) directly from the warehouse. They can choose the style and size they want and then get a surprise warehouse pick. It’s great if you don’t carry a particular style a customer wants or if you want to test out whether carrying a new style is a good idea and lots of people love the surprise!

Style Ambassador

This is a great chance to reward some of your loyal customers, or soon to be loyal customers. Offer a reward privately, I usually do free shipping and $5 off the item, to be a style ambasador for a style you are featuring. In exchange for the perk the style ambassador posts a pic and a brief review of how they liked the style or a styling tip. This is a fun way to bring a different sort of interaction to your group!

Open House

So far we’ve only talked online options but in-person selling can also be very profitable. Opening up your boutique for people to come shop is a great way for people to try on clothes, find their sizes and is a chance for you to help style them. By doing at your in-home boutique there is Very little additional setup (or risk that you will do a lot of work for no reward).

In-Person Pop-Ups

Hosted pop-ups are a great way to bring new eyes on your inventory and really give you a chance to style your customers and help them find pieces that they love. The downside is obviously that you have to bring your inventory to someone’s house but with proper hostess prep in-person pop-ups can be very lucrative.

Vendor Events

Vendor events come in all shapes and sizes. They can be indoor or outdoor, require a fee or be free, at synagogues and churches, or smaller back rooms of restaurants. The key to vendor events is to properly vet them and make sure their demographic is a good fit for you and your company. You want to make sure your ideal client will be there.

Personal Shopping

I left my favorite for last! Helping someone find clothes that they love is incredibly rewarding. You can do personal shopping appointments in person or using an online service like Zoom. You can also use a google doc to take your customer’s info and then put outfits together for them based on their preferences.

Good Luck!

Good luck on all of your income producing activities! If you would like any help please feel free to contact me and join my newsletter. If you think Paisley Raye may be a good fit for you check out my article about becoming a stylist and fill out my informational form to be contacted with more info!