by Adriane Tillman | Jun 28, 2013 | ADHD, aging, autism, developmental delays, dogs, empathy, family issues, growing up, hypochondria, maturity, Norwich Terriers, parenting, teaching responsibility
While I may lament (along with legions of other parents), that my “adult” children are growing up so slowly it’s like watching paint dry, at least there’s hope they will one day be independent. Not so with our dog, Sparky, who remains a perpetual child even at...
by Adriane Tillman | May 24, 2013 | ADHD, blogging, college graduation, comedy, family, humor, hypochondria, internet privacy issues, Mother's Day, parent blogs, parenting, technology issues, Virginia Woolf, women writers
Counting down the days to Max’s graduation, our phone conversations cover a lot of territory: slogging through the last college paper, enjoying senior week festivities, saying goodbye to friends and my son’s erratic job search. On our last phone call, Max...
by Adriane Tillman | May 3, 2013 | ADHD, autism, bullying, college, empathy, etiquette, family, hypochondria, manners, parenting, twins
Hmm… This one is complicated. One of my readers who never had children asked me about teaching kids manners, and whether I thought it was also possible to teach empathy. The first part of the question is easy. Most parents try to teach their kids to say...
by Adriane Tillman | Mar 29, 2013 | college, family, herpes, hypochondria, parenting, sexually transmitted diseases
There’s no getting around it–my son is a hypochondriac. At the ripe old age of 22, Max imagines himself suffering from a variety of ailments. When his leg tingles, it’s multiple sclerosis. If his hand trembles, Parkinson’s. Any rash or...
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. 