aVERY BRIGHT LIFE

Apr 25 2024 1

aVERY BRIGHT LIFE Podcast artwork

aVERY BRIGHT LIFE isn't your typical parenting podcast. Mom, Lisa, shares honestly and humourously what she's learning about raising a child with disabilities. What makes this show unique is Avery herself, who is beautifully atypical. She joins in with her perspective on life, school, friendships and her cat, Kevin. Avery says her differences can be challenging, but mostly, her life's so bright she's gotta wear shades.

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96. Why We Love Cheer

Apr 25 2024 26 mins

If you have a child with developmental disabilities, you might want to check out cheerleading. This sport is active, accessible, inclusive, empowering, highly social, and a lot of fun. In this episode we talk about our experience with cheer and Avery hops on to explain what she loves about this sport. This episode was prerecorded and will air on the day Avery's team competes

95. Mom Meh

Apr 11 2024 28 mins

I'm feeling a little "meh" lately. Not happy, not sad. Just flat. Maybe you can relate? *** This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery) Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠⁠⁠. And, come chat with us on social! No seriously, c'mon over! It's fun there. In

94. The Dark Side of Dischord And Other Chat Apps

Mar 28 2024 24 mins

I don't love talking about the dark stuff. But I feel like the more we know, the better prepared we are to protect our vulnerable kids. *Content Warning—not for younger or sensitive listeners. *** This podcast was recorded in Garageband and edited by Lisa Thornbury (with assistance from Avery) Read more and find the transcript for this episode at ⁠⁠averybrightlife.com⁠

93. REPOST of Happy Things Are Everywhere

Mar 14 2024 15 mins

We're reposting an old episode this week. Mama's got a sore throat and sounds like a toad, so Avery is helping out with the intro. Please enjoy this happy little episode from 2021. *** Hey! It's Sponge Lisa Tight Pants here. We spongey empath types tend to soak up the vibe around us so when the world is hurting, we hurt too. So, in an effort to avoid dwelling on the dar

92. Everything No One Tells You About Parenting A Disabled Child: A Conversation With Kelley Coleman

Feb 29 2024 62 mins

Kelley wrote the book we've all needed! It's going to become a go-to handbook for so many parents. I wish there had been something like it when we were starting out on our disability parenting journey. I felt pretty alone and lost back then (and still feel that way from time to time, even now). This book is going to spare so many parents from that feeling. I hope you'll

91. This Trick Isn't Cheating! It's A Tool.

Feb 01 2024 27 mins

Phone conversations and video calls, especially for folks with communication disorders and developmental disabilities, can feel awkward and frustrating. We have some strategies that have really helped us over here, so we’re sharing them here. Plus, Avery pops in to share a bit about herself while demonstrating how to use "magic words." FYI... She recorded this segment

90. Not Judging But... Let's Have A Word About Words

Jan 18 2024 37 mins

What is my problem? Why do your word choices affect me? And why does it bug me? I think I know and it doesn’t exactly paint me in the best light. But, I’m going to tell it like it is because maybe you feel the same way as I do. Or maybe you've seen me go off about certain terms and you think, “What a total Karen McJudgey Pants.” I don’t blame you. But maybe if you hea

89. Epilepsy Imposter

Dec 15 2023 20 mins

Have you ever felt, not fake exactly, but maybe a little extra? I've felt like this about epilepsy over the years. But I'm not an imposter, especially after what happened last week. This episode isn't particularly "sweary" but I still put an explicit rating on it because I talk about seizures, which can be upsetting for younger listeners (and 53 year old moms

88. Seizure Plan, Sugar Shows, And Sharey Christmas

Nov 23 2023 27 mins

Create your own Seizure Action Plan (SAP) or Medical Action Plan using our free customizable template. In this episode we also talk about our list of go-to "Carrot Shows", which are movies and tv shows that are somewhat nutritious for kids' brains, and a fairly entertaining break from their fave "Sugar Shows." We end the episode talking about why Lisa isn

87. This Is Why My Mom Is The Way She Is

Nov 09 2023 33 mins

*Trigger Warning for childhood trauma I think everyone has traumatic events in their past that play a part in shaping who they are as adults and even how they parent. There were two specific tragedies that happened when I was young. Once you hear what they are, you might better understand why I am the way I am... spoiler alert—over-protective to the max. In this mish-mash episode