Missing on Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day, like all feel-good family holidays, is often tainted with some degree of tension and disappointment. At family gatherings, even in the best case scenario where in-laws get along, there’s usually some friction between other relatives. Even if...
read moreNest Escape
What’s the best way for a stressed out mom of difficult kids to escape and find some relief? Short of flying the coop and permanently abandoning your offspring, every mother should avail herself of a temporary release. Dare I say “me time?” I’m not talking about...
read moreSinging the National Anthem
As April ends—and with it so-called Autism Awareness month—I thought it would be appropriate to discuss discrimination against people on the spectrum and how it seems to apply to my beloved daughter, Sarah. Early last month, Sarah auditioned to sing the national...
read moreBlogged Down
Last week I waited for an inspiring subject for my blog, and—after running out of patience—decided in a eureka moment that waiting was a worthy subject. This week I got inundated with ideas and possibilities. There was Passover, which Henry and I did not...
read moreWaiting for Everything
From the moment we’re born, doesn’t it seem like we spend an eternity waiting? First, we’re crying for a diaper change or breast milk, and waiting for the good enough Mommy. Then, gradually, we acquire language and with it the responsibility of learning...
read moreApril and Autism
Did you know that April is National Autism Awareness month? If you’re the parent or relative of a child “on the spectrum,” the answer is probably a resounding yes. Ditto for educators, doctors, therapists and researchers who are directly involved with autism....
read moreBlogaversary
Believe it or not, March marks the end of my first year in blogdom, with “The Never Empty Nest.” I’d like to say “what a difference a year makes,” but that would be a lie. The truth is that while some things have changed—like Max graduating from college and...
read moreLetting Go
The question of when to let go of our children—how much and how quickly— is extremely challenging. This seems especially true if you have special needs kids, and it becomes even more complicated when you have twins. All things being equal, most people would...
read moreNest Guests
Not only have the male Elisofons flocked back to the nest, but it also looks like a couple of guests will be joining us. (Temporarily, Thank God). Sarah’s boyfriend, Jake, will be staying at our apartment Friday night instead of our daughter going there, as she...
read moreNest Half-Empty
As of Sunday morning, the men in my family had—temporarily—flown the coop. For me, their same-day departures were strangely unsettling, lots of commotion around packing for different cities, arranging to be picked up two hours apart: one going to Kennedy, the...
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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. 