Midwest Mimi

  • When the Plan Changes: Flexibility in a Neurodivergent Family

    Change is hard for most people, but if you live in a neurodivergent household like ours, you know it can hit differently. When the plan shifts, whether itā€™s a sudden rainstorm canceling a hike or a store being unexpectedly closed, itā€™s not just a small inconvenience. It can throw off the entire dayā€™s rhythm and…

  • From Video Games to the Range: Channingā€™s First BB Gun Experience

    While we were on vacation this summer, we stayed in a handbuilt log cabin on a small homestead in the Missouri countryside. It was the kind of place where life moves slowerā€”and where the animals have just as much personality as the people. The goats (who kept escaping their pen), a couple of easygoing horses,…

  • The Sensory Language of Nature

    Some days, talking just isnā€™t how we communicate. Not because we donā€™t have anything to say, but because conversation isnā€™t always possible when weā€™re overwhelmed. In our family, neurodivergence shows up in so many different ways. Each of us is wired a little differently, carrying our own blend of ADHD, autism, chronic pain, depression, or…

  • Why Nature Is One of the Best Grounding Tools We Have

    And why that matters for those with sensory sensitivities or mental health struggles Grounding helps calm the nervous system and brings us back to the present. Nature might be the most powerful (and underrated) grounding tool available. Hereā€™s how the outdoors supports mental health, especially for neurodivergent families like mine. What Does It Mean to…

  • Let Them Get Bored. Let Them Get Dirty. Let Them Explore.

    Why unstructured outdoor play is essential for growing minds, bodies, and hearts As a homeschool mom raising three wildly individual kids, Iā€™ve come to believe one thing very deeply: Kids donā€™t just need space to learnā€”they need space to wander. That means space to be bored. Space to poke things with sticks. Space to get…

  • When Youā€™re the Jungle Gym: Touchy Toddlers and Sensory Boundaries

    My toddler treats me like Iā€™m part jungle gym, part couch, and part emotional support trampoline. He climbs me like a treehouse ladder, trust-falls onto me like Iā€™m a trampoline, and hangs upside down off me at any opportunity. And while I love being his safe placeā€”I really doā€”thereā€™s another truth layered under that love:…

  • The Part You Donā€™t See: Living with Invisible Illness

    I wish I could invite people into my body for just one weekend. Not to feel pity, but to understand. Because on the outside, I look like Iā€™m managing. I can make it to a two-night camping trip with my kids. I can smile around the fire, walk slowly to the lake, laugh when the…

  • Rage Hikes and Crying in the Rain: How Nature Holds Space for Big Emotions

    When big emotions take over and even love feels unreachable, we head outside. Nature doesnā€™t judge, correct, or explain ā€” it simply holds space. For our neurodivergent family, that space is sometimes the only thing big enough to handle the storm. Some Days, the Weight Inside Our House Feels Too Big to Hold A slammed…

  • The Calm That Comes After the First 20 Minutes Outside

    Some days, everything feels too loud. The toddlerā€™s crying. My joints ache. Iā€™ve already hit my sensory limit by noon, and we havenā€™t even left the house. I want to cancel the whole day ā€” just crawl into bed and try again tomorrow. But Iā€™ve learned something, over and over again: If I can just…

  • Nature Indoors: How Pets Help Neurodivergent People Find Calm and Connection

    Some days, getting outside just isnā€™t in the cards. My body hurts too much to load the van. The weatherā€™s wild. Or the kids are on sensory overload before we even leave the driveway. But even when weā€™re stuck indoors, we still crave nature. We crave softness, connection, and moments that help our nervous systems…

  • 7 Ways Nature Builds Resilient Kids

    Letā€™s be honest: life can be a lot, for us, and for our kids. Theyā€™re navigating school, friendships, big feelings, and a world that sometimes feels way too loud and fast. And on the days when everyoneā€™s melting down (or arguing over who looked at whom the wrong way,) I remember why I keep getting…

  • šŸŒæ What Nature Gives Us: Why We Keep Going Outside

    Some days, getting outside feels downright impossible. My body hurts. My mind feels heavy. The kids are bouncing off the walls or melting down. My wife is wrestling her own storms. And yet, again and again, we lace up our shoes, pack snacks, load up the van, and go. We go because my kids need…

  • 9 Reasons Why Fresh Air and Sunshine Make Better Kids (and Happier Parents)

    Letā€™s be real: kids are a lot. Theyā€™re loud. They bounce off the walls. They argue with each other (and sometimes the cat). And on some days, your living room feels way too small for all those big feelings. Thatā€™s why I keep getting my kids outsideā€”because nature does something magical for them. And for…

  • Opinion: Nature Nurtures Neurodiversity:

    A glimpse into what it really takes for us to enjoy the outdoors together. Our family is made up of at least five people ā€” though itā€™s often six or more, including the extra kids who roll with us. I live with chronic illness and physical disability. My wife lives with bipolar disorder, migraines, and…

  • Learning Without Desks: How Nature Supports Our Homeschool

    We homeschool our kids, not because we think school is bad, but because we needed something more flexible, more supportive, and more aligned with our reality. We live with chronic illness, neurodivergence, and disability. That means rigid schedules and all-day classrooms donā€™t always work for our brains or our bodies. But learning? Thatā€™s still a…