Compassionate Capitalism
Is compassionate capitalism my impossible dream? Perhaps trying to combine compassion with capitalism is like mixing oil and water. In today’s world of instant gratification, short-term profits, and “me-first-now,” the concept of compassionate capitalism...
read moreMaybe Next Year
Since my daughter Sarah was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum at age one, I’ve fought as hard as any Tiger mom to help her grow up to become as accomplished and independent as possible. Instead of striving for the “American Dream” — including owning our home—...
read moreEmpty Nest Trifecta
When I was single in my 20s, I dreaded the holiday trifecta: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The ordeal began on Thanksgiving, when my parents cross-examined me about my social life. If I was dating anyone, they wanted to know if “the relationship...
read moreNest Lift
Despite being 50-something, I’ve allowed time and gravity to take their toll on my face. No eyelid surgery, no neck lift, no jawline lift, no Botox, no fillers, no nips or tucks of any kind for me—so far. Instead, I’m giving our home a nest lift. As many of my...
read moreElection Dejection
Growing up in the ‘60s, I believed being born American was like winning the world lottery. Our country was the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth! (Wasn’t it?) Other nations—particularly democratic ones—respected and envied our freedom, our prosperity,...
read moreEmpty Nest Halloween
Just because your kids leave for college doesn’t mean you have to stop celebrating Halloween. You can still put a pumpkin outside and decorate your door with cottony spider-webs or a cardboard skeleton. Greeting trick-or-treaters can still be fun long after your...
read moreNewsworthy Nest
How did one mommy blogger get plucked from the many to go on TV and talk about empty nests? I got lucky when Fox 5 news reporter Jennifer Lahmers googled “empty nest blogs,” and voila!“The Never-Empty Nest” popped up on her screen. In true 21st century style,...
read moreEmpty Nest Newbies
Saying goodbye to your kids when they leave the family nest for college is a deeply emotional experience for most parents. If your son or daughter is a freshman this year, you’re probably still trying to adjust to your new life as an empty nester. All of your...
read moreEmpty Nest Dads
When kids leave home, do fathers feel worse than mothers these days? That was the question explored by “Sad Dads in the Empty Nest” in Sunday’s New York Times (9/21/14). According to the article, the empty nest transition for dads has become harder than ever...
read moreNest Renewal
How will our family move forward into the future now that Max has moved out of our Second Avenue nest and into a Brooklyn studio with his girlfriend? Henry and I seriously considered moving to a two bedroom apartment in a better building with amenities, like...
read more
My Book
Consulting
About Marguerite
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 