by Marguerite Elisofon | Jun 12, 2015 | adulthood, Asperger's Syndrome, autism, autistic spectrum, babies, chemistry, child rearing, college, electronics, empty nest. John Robison, marijuana, memoirs, neurodiversity, police, Raising Cubby
Raising Baby – Roller Coaster Ride Q. What could be more thrilling (and exhausting) than giving birth to the next generation in the form of your own flesh and blood? A. Raising that son or daughter, of course. Unlike all other creative projects, raising a baby...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jun 5, 2015 | bar mitzvahs, California, careers, college, daughters, empty nest, families, goodbyes, growing up, high school, homework, middle school, sons, toddlers, young adults
Empty Nest Moments This week’s post was inspired by my son’s move to the West coast where he will start a new job. Henry and I are excited and proud, but also sad. It’s the end of an era, and the beginning of the rest of our lives. I’m sure...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Apr 17, 2015 | anti-Semitism, Charlie Hebdo, college, Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, France, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jews, Ku Klux Klan, Mt. Holyoke, quenelle, Stanford, Vassar, World War II
Back in the 1970s, when I left my parents’nest for Vassar College, I never worried about anti-Semitism. Only a train ride from New York City, I felt safe and accepted at my home away from home. Vassar, in particular, had been welcoming to a diverse...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Dec 5, 2014 | Asperger's Syndrome, autistic spectrum, Bill Gates, brains, college, Dr.Stanley Greenspan, jobs, media, millennials, minorities, neurodiversity, Pace, PDD-NOS, Steve Jobs, Temple Grandin, Tiger moms, twins
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—...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Oct 17, 2014 | ADHD, AP courses, autism, college, empty nest, Fox 5 News, freshmen, heart surgery, homework, Landmark College, married couples, nursery school, parents, rugby, SATS, single parents, twins, Vassar
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...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Sep 5, 2014 | autism, beach resorts, college, facials, freshman convocation, getaways, Gurney's Inn, holiday traffic, Labor Day, massage, Montauk, national anthem, Pace University, plumbing issues, summer
Better to take a short, affordable vacation than slog through the hot summer without any break, right? Well…sort of. Maybe Labor Day weekend wasn’t the best time for a nest escape. Or perhaps Gurney’s Inn wasn’t the best place for Henry and me (though it had...
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. 